1992 2wd - Jacked truck up to replace tires, now loud THUMP... Ujoint?

[4FordFamily]

I am selling the truck, it's a 1992.

I jacked it from the big bracket that covers the tranny and goes accross the frame (almost in the middle, but lifted the front wheels for me).

Put new wheels/tires on, and now when I drive I get a loud "THUMP" when I drive it. It gets worse and more frequent the faster I go.

Did I break a u'joint and jack at the wrong spot? I tried a few other places for a few seconds each but none seemed sturdy enough, so I chose the spot aforementioned.

When I step on the gas, it goes away, but as soon as I let off of the gas it gets FAR worse and more aggressive. if I move it anymore it's definitely going to break something else. You can kind of hear it when you put it in and out of gear, and feel it on the floorboard.

When you are driving, the passenger seat jumps with the thump it's so bad.

I was trying to sell the damn thing today and it does this! It doesn't wanna go! LOL. I am getting a newer ranger.

Oh yeah it's a 1992 ranger, sorry for the confusion but I figured it was similar to the explorer. 3.0 liter.

 

[92exp4x4]

You probably bent the crossmember and now it hits the trans or if it was the rear one, the trans is hitting the floor. Also the anti-roll bar is near the front member if i remember right. You would know if a u-joint failed, the shaft would come out of the truck.

Always use a suspention arm to jack a vehicle up. Ford even recommends not using the center of the rear axle to jack up the rear, but lifting at the spring end.

Good luck

 

[4FordFamily]

How would I be able to know for sure? is there something I can do to find out?

 

[92exp4x4]

Look at it while its running, see if anything is really close or touching. Look for rubbed off paint or places where things are contacting. Look at your crossmembers, see if they are bent up. They should be reletively parallel to the road surface.

You may also have a bad tire, or one thats out of balance. A bent wheel can cause a bad vibration too. Do you still have the old wheels and tires? Put them back on and test. Just lift one wheel at a time this time using the suspention arms. Its slower but safer for you and the truck.

 

[4FordFamily]

Look at it while its running, see if anything is really close or touching. Look for rubbed off paint or places where things are contacting. Look at your crossmembers, see if they are bent up. They should be reletively parallel to the road surface.

You may also have a bad tire, or one thats out of balance. A bent wheel can cause a bad vibration too. Do you still have the old wheels and tires? Put them back on and test. Just lift one wheel at a time this time using the suspention arms. Its slower but safer for you and the truck.

I think I'm too mechanically stupid to handle all that...

Is there a particualr type of repair shop who could tell me?

And the wheels weren't bent when I took them off a month ago, I doubt it's the problem now... It's probably something more serious.

Would just complete this truck's story, been nothing but trouble. New trans, and everything replaced except the motor lol..

 

[4FordFamily]

I went out and looked: the crossmember IS bent.

Hopefully, a replaced crossmember will fix my problem?

 

[92exp4x4]

Is it the front or the rear crossmember? The rear one you could take off and bend it straight. Support the trans with a jack stand, (not a jack only) and remove it.

The front one is going to require more effort as it is most likely still riveted onto the frame. It is bolted in the center though, so you could possilbly remove the bolts and pry on each side with an adjustible wrench and a cheater pipe until its close to where it should be. You will have to remove the sway bar first, if it runs with that member like I think it does.

 

[4FordFamily]

Is it the front or the rear crossmember? The rear one you could take off and bend it straight. Support the trans with a jack stand, (not a jack only) and remove it.

The front one is going to require more effort as it is most likely still riveted onto the frame. It is bolted in the center though, so you could possilbly remove the bolts and pry on each side with an adjustible wrench and a cheater pipe until its close to where it should be. You will have to remove the sway bar first, if it runs with that member like I think it does.

It's the one that is close to the transmission