Coasting at highway speeds seems difficult lately

[pet575]

Lately, I've noticed that my Explorer seems like it loses a LOT of speed coasting at highway speeds or speeds above about 45MPH. Seems like it used to coast pretty well, but anymore I can touch my brake to disengage the cruise control and coast down a grade on the highway at over 60MPH and I will actually slow down.

It might be my imagination, but it doesn't seem like it was always this way. I will note that I have an upper ball joint and an outside tie-rod end that need replacing, as well as a realignment. At this time, the vehicle pulls very slightly to one side.

Will replacing these parts and getting an alignment improve this "slow coasting" I think might be happening? Or is this something that would be transmission or differential related?

Thanks.

 

[my pos mounty]

If you have no noises or vibrations then I would say that the extra drag on the pavement caused by wheels being out of alignment (due to bad tierods and bad balljoint) is probably the biggest cause.