New and Screwed.. cross posted

[farmertom]

Hi yall, My name's Tom- I just bought a 93 Explorer with a salvage title a few weeks ago, and now I'm wondering if I got a lemon. This morning, the power steering shaft (I think) snapped and caused a collision. Thankfully no one was injured- I was already going pretty slow and applying the brake, but once the power steering fluid was all over the road, it just slid no matter what. My driver's side light hit the driver's side light of oncoming traffic- her car had more visible damage, but besides the broken shaft, mine has very little visible damage. I now have a court date and an uphill financial battle on the horizon..

My main question right now is whether it's going to cost more to fix this than makes sense to spend. To my untrained eye, it looks as though one solid piece of metal snapped, and if that one piece could be replaced, it should be an easy fix. I talked with a mechanic (after I spoke with my lawyer), and it would cost me about 250 to have to towed and looked at; he mentioned that if it was a simple fix, labor would start around 220, plus parts, etc. So we begin at 500, and I paid 1050 for the truck. It might be worth it to me just to get this junker back up and running so I can get back to work before I can think about a new vehicle.

Could folks here help me figure out if it's something I could repair on my own? Or if I could maybe get the part cheap and bring it to a mechanic? Any way to save money on this- I just bought this truck, I work two jobs already, and this is gonna set me back. I'm new to trucks, new to collisions, and just trying to get back to work.

Sorry this is all over the place, it's been a long morning. Thank you in advance for your help

 

[farmertom]

FB photo link: not sure how to get these properly embedded, forgive my technical difficulties please!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10108247413548983&id=5256467

 

[92exp4x4]

I don't do Facebook so I can't see the pics. The steering shaft usually fails at the rag joint by the steering box. It's a rubber disc that is in place if a u joint in a driveshaft.

I'm surprised it failed at another spot, but if the truck was wrecked at one point anything is possible if the damage went ignored or unnoticed by the body shop.

eBay or junkyard would be the best bet. It's a common shaft. Bronco 2s, f series, rangers I think use similar parts and may be compatible. I would suspect that 95 on Explorers will not fit but I don't know for sure.

 

[Chirko]

FB photo link: not sure how to get these properly embedded, forgive my technical difficulties please!

https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10108247413548983&id=5256467

Hi Tom! The link does not open. You could post pictures here?

 

[RangerX]

Link doesn't work for me either. Look in the Newbie section for a couple how-to threads on posting pictures, they are at the top as stickies.
Mechanics quote sounds way high, unless it's is more than what we all are thinking is wrong. Soon as we can see a pic, we can help. Or at least a more detailed description of the broken part and location...

 

[farmertom]

 

[farmertom]

 

[farmertom]

 

[farmertom]

 

[farmertom]

Hi yall, thank you for your help! Photos above.. the fishy thing to me is how the shaft snapped goin about 8 mph, uphill (comin out of a long dip), already gently applying the brakes- the turn I tried to make was extremely small, only a correction to stay between parked cars on my right and oncoming traffic- but when I turned the wheel, the shaft snapped and the vehicle continued forward instead. Brakes or not, the wheels slid in the steering fluid and it was all over then. After the collision I walked the truck across the street (couldn't steer so just had to continue forward across traffic), half in the driver's side door, and slipped more than once in the pool of fluid. I went back yesterday to look at the huge smear on the road.

So I'm not a mechanic. I know next to nothing about trucks. But the guy who sold it to me is a mechanic, and he assured me that he'd been working on the truck for a long time and that everything was in good working order. But how did that shaft, more than an inch thick, shear at that angle, right at the splines, under the fractional pressure of that moment if it wasn't already damaged? Is it possible?

And secondly, is it likely to be an easy fix, something I could replace on my own? Thank you for your help!

 

[natenkiki2004]

Oh, well that's different. That's the shaft in the steering box, not the steering wheel shaft. That should be relatively easy to replace. Personally, I'd get a whole new reman steering box and pop it in. There's 2 hydraulic lines and 3 bolts to the frame then the bolt for the pitman arm. The pitman arm may be the trickiest to deal with but others can comment on that.

Lares on Rock Auto has one for $83.79 after core charge.

I've never seen anyone break a steering gear at that shaft before, even offroading. Very weird and rare.

 

[Turdle]

The first picture shows what looks to be brownish metal inside the break. It may have been cracked long ago. Man are you lucky.

 

[RangerX]

it is a fairly easy fix, I've done it and I'm no mechanic. You can also pull one in a junkyard like I did. Ford used the exact same steering box in all their light trucks in those years, probably late 80's through mid 90's. Rangers, Explorers, F150 and F250.

If you choose to bring it somewhere to be fixed, please post the cost quote here before you agree to have it done.

 

[Chirko]

In my opinion, pitman arm nut once upon a time strongly excessively tightened! Tension arose metal. It is necessary to comply with the tightening torque. This is very similar to the torn bolt after over-tightening. You were born under a lucky star. Sorry for bad english.

 

[92exp4x4]

The steering took a hard hit at some time. The impact stressed the metal, cracked it, and the fracture got worse over time. The sector shafts are made of a very hard steel to resist torsion loads. This hardness causes the steel to be more brittle and less likely to bend or distort, but it does fail by cracking. Where it broke it would have been hard to see unless taking the box apart.

When you got your Ex, was the steering wheel off center? I ran into this complaint with a customer's F-150, and noticed the front bumper was damaged too. I later found the shaft twisted and insisted on replacing the box. Someone before him had hit a pole and shocked the steering system after the bumper was pushed into the driver's side tire.

You are extremely lucky to have had this fail when it did. Even though you were making a small turn, the loads on the steering system are huge even with stock tires. It amazes me that they last like they do, even when modified. I think of this with my lifted explorer, when off-roading and binding the steering up in a tight spot. Be very happy this didn't happen at high speed or in heavy traffic!

The boxes are easy to replace. I would get a new pitman arm too. Don't skimp on the steering stuff.

 

[RangerX]

the guy who sold it to me is a mechanic, and he assured me that he'd been working on the truck for a long time and that everything was in good working order. But how did that shaft, more than an inch thick, shear at that angle, right at the splines, under the fractional pressure of that moment if it wasn't already damaged? Is it possible?

My guess is, the mechanic bought it as a crashed truck, figuring he can repair everything and resell it and make a few bucks. He probably did a good job and thought he fixed it all, but did not see the cracked shaft. Like said above, it would be near impossible to see unless you were looking for it.

How are your wrenching skills? This job would only take some basic wrenches and sockets/ratchets and some time. If there's a pick n pull near you, you could remove the part and learn how it will go back into your truck as you're removing it. Get the steering box and the pitman.

 

[92exp4x4]

A good trick when removing tapered studs; such as tie rod ends and pitman studs, is to strike them sideways with a hammer. Loosen the nut, put some pressure on the stud and hit the part the stud is installed into with a hammer perpendicular to the stud itself. It will pop loose nearly every time and you don't destroy the treads that way.

 

[Chirko]

The steering took a hard hit at some time.

Steering could rearrange with another vehicle that was in an accident. Bought at an automobile junkyard and installed on the vehicle. This topic deserves to put her up! As a warning to be more careful! Especially for spare parts to the car dumps!

 

[natenkiki2004]

Steering could rearrange with another vehicle that was in an accident. Bought at an automobile junkyard and installed on the vehicle. This topic deserves to put her up! As a warning to be more careful! Especially for spare parts to the car dumps!

Good point. Some things you don't want to skimp on or used parts. Steering and brakes are those.

 

[farmertom]

Hi yall, thank you so much for your advice. All I can say is that I'm grateful no one was hurt or worse, and I truly do feel lucky to be alive. My wrenching skills are good, i used to work in a bike shop for a few years. I'm definitely interested in repairing it- I moved it down the street with a bar to turn the wheels (got a parking ticket the day after- tow truck dropped it off more than 18 in from the curb..) and the front bumper is rubbing the driver's side wheel. Is that the kind of thing I can just knock back into place safely?

I'll look up some diagrams/tech docs on the steering box and pitman arm- is there a good run through on replacement procedure? I'll search the threads here too. Thanks again yall, this forum has been a lifesaver-