4x4 vibration weirdness

[Nocturnall]

My girlfriend has a 97 Explorer 4x4 sohc XLT. While driving down the road you can feel a thump, almost like a tire out of balance which is quite possible. Today though I was changing the rotors on the front, and I was rotating the front rotor to see if it was warped and noticed that there is a sticky spot on that drive...line I suppose. With no rotor, caliper, pads on the vehicle you rotate the hub and you can feel it stick at one certian spot. I checked the fluid in the rear end and it's plenty full. I'm wondering if this is a early sign of the cv shaft wearing out or if I need to regrease the knuckle on the shaft or what...any ideas?

 

[JoshC]

Well you've got 2 really big bearings right there. Hub bearing and a CV shaft, which is really just a bearing. My guess is a CV. How many miles are on it?

 

[dynamite196]

I had a similar problem and it was the cv joints, if you take the axle out and there is still the "sticking" it's your bearings.

 

[Nocturnall]

193,000. The vehicle is a miracle of god, oil changes every 10kish miles, never done plugs or wires or anything since she got it at 130k miles. It's had 1 air filter change, and like 6 oil changes and that's it. Only reason being is I don't want to pay for her vehicle maintence.

I assume either way this is something that should be done in pairs?

 

[dynamite196]

I wouldn't even touch it unless you want to put some serious money into that truck, as soon as you take one thing out to fix the vibration I guarantee you will find 5 more things that go along with it.

 

[JoshC]

Nor is it a simple job unless you are pretty handy around the shop.

You should really keep that air filter changed regularly. A couple bucks for a filter will pay for itself at the pump from time to time.

 

[Nocturnall]

I know the importance and changing all that stuff which I do on my truck at all times but being her vehicle and the money she makes there's no reason I should be paying for all her maintence as well, I tell her when it should be done, what it's going to cost, then leave it up to her to buy the parts.

As far as changing the parts I'm not to retarded around the shop, I can do a few things and if I can't do it her brother is a senior master tech for ford so I can request his help or her dad is very knowledge in cars... She wants to keep the car because we're saving for a house and she doesn't want to make payments on another one.