do all these things just ride lousy, is is there an issue I'm not seeing?

[chefduane]

I have run the Monroe SensaTrac coilovers on the rear, and regular SensaTracs on the front for about 2 years now. I am very happy with them. My rear end was sagging and I needed a lift to even it out but I did not want to go through the time/effort/expense of new springs/add-a-leaf/shackles, etc. I just don't like the look of shackles either.
So I threw on a set of coilovers and was done with it. Problem solved with minimal expense and effort. Was is a bandaid? Sure, but it worked. I also did new end links with poly bushings F&R, new sway bar bushings F&R, UCA's, inner/outer tie rods, and front hubs. My suspension is nice and tight for a 197k vehicle. She does ride stiffer but I am the only driver so I'm ok with it. Much better cornering and less plunge on braking. (..and as far as washboarding goes, a 911S will do it also with the right conditions..)

It all comes down to a matter of personal preference, what expense one is willing to accept, and how much time one wants to expend addressing a real or perceived problem on a high mileage vehicle. Heck, if I had the time and money I special order a max out MB G-Class at $140k and never look back. But I don't. So I do what I can with what I have... and never look back.

 

[Chrome_Rush]

I plan to keep it for a very long time. So I'm not to worried about the high mileage aspect and all that, whatever breaks I will fix. I like the truck, I tend to hold onto vehicles a very long time. I wouldn't concern myself with it if I was going to junk it if the engine went out or I planned to get something else in a year or 2, but I will have it a considerable amount of time, so I want to make it how I want it. Whether I go coilover or bilstein or ranch 9000 is debatable and the price isn't the factor for me, it's more about which will get me closest to my end goal.

Seriously I didn't buy this because it was all I could afford, I have 5 cars including this one and my wife's fusion. I always loved the first gen explorers and I preffer a stick shift so when I found this I bought it despite the condition and mileage 238k at the time (now 246) 500 bucks. I have sunk about 2k into it though, so whats a little more. Before it's done I will probably have around 5-7k into it, but it will look drive and run better then it did when new. After that I will probably keep it a good long time. It's just much more versatile them the pickup truck I built a few years ago.

 

[vq5speed]

I just did my Ball Joints past weekend. Now i feel my trucks tracks or drift either left or right to much. I think it has to do that the Ball Joints being new kinda stiff and makes the steering track off center or from rolling straight. Seems when the truck drifts right I nudge the steering left it will track left then I have to nudge the steering back right then it tracks right. I keep doing this back and forth as I am driving it feels really unstable. I seem to be constantly trying to keep the steering straight in my lane. I think the old joints were worn in had more play it wouldn't over steer. Now I feel like I am driving a boat! Not sure what i can do to loosen up the new ball joints.. I'm going to try to adjust my caster. I think this might be preventing the steering falling back to center.

 

[FR-425]

I just did my Ball Joints past weekend. Now i feel my trucks tracks or drift either left or right to much. I think it has to do that the Ball Joints being new kinda stiff and makes the steering track off center or from rolling straight. Seems when the truck drifts right I nudge the steering left it will track left then I have to nudge the steering back right then it tracks right. I keep doing this back and forth as I am driving it feels really unstable. I seem to be constantly trying to keep the steering straight in my lane. I think the old joints were worn in had more play it wouldn't over steer. Now I feel like I am driving a boat! Not sure what i can do to loosen up the new ball joints.. I'm going to try to adjust my caster. I think this might be preventing the steering falling back to center.

[MENTION=85020]vq5speed[/MENTION]

Loosen the upper ball joint clamp with the truck sitting on all fours. The lower ball joint carries the weight, the upper is a follower (spring loaded)

If you tighten the upper before setting the full weight of the vehicle on it, the lower ball joint is not compressed fully and will bind and wear out fast. Also the upper will have too much compression on the spring and will bind on the seal casing, and be carrying all the weight.

Constantly hear stories of ball joints only lasting a year: This is why.

It's not a Ford thing or a TTB thing, applies to all cars that have a loaded & follower ball joint set-up.

When you loosen it (pain in the neck reaching over the tire) you will here and see it settle into place. To be sure I drive the vehicle over a 2x4 to bounce it in, then tighten the upper clamp.

If you take it straight to an alignment shop the first thing they do is loosen the upper so they can adjust the camber which solves the problem, DIY'ers often skip this step, set the toe and go.

 

[natenkiki2004]

Forgive my ignorance here but I had a friend help me with doing both ball joints on the driver's side. The only time we put weight on it was when the job was done and I drove it away. Looking back now and at some pictures I have, I don't see how you can mess that up in the way you're talking FR-425. The upper ball joint isn't threaded like the lower so you can't crank down on it. The lower is setup that way, a nut pinches the i-beam arm against the knuckle. The upper is pinched together and contains the caster spacer, are you supposed to put the vehicle down and loosen then tighten that 12-point bolt that pinches the upper ball joint?

 

[vq5speed]

OK make sense. The upper clamp also holds the camber bushing. Hopefully the bushing doesn't move to much when driving over a 2x4. Pretty sure the lower joint is in as far as it will go. I torqued it down pretty good even hit it with a sledge hammer. But I did have to back the nut off slightly so it line with the hole to put the cotter pin through.

I just went out and did it. I did hear the passenger side make a little sound I think or it was the wrench hitting my tire. The driver side made no noise. I bounced on the suspension turn the wheels back and forth. I didn't roll it I afraid to move my camber bushings. So at least I know the weight is now on the lower joint.

 

[vq5speed]

Thinking about what natenkiki noted. The upper joints stud just slides into the camber bushing. There is nothing holding it there but a "C" clip on top its not clamped. The clamp that is there is holding the camber/caster bushing. So Really if I did clamp down it the upper before sitting it down it makes no difference the upper joint always moves freely through the camber bushing. Every video I watched before telling you to take out that bolt really you don't need to even loosen it. Loosen it is all I did I never took it completely out. Well thinking about it the bushing I think does have a opening slit so maybe it can clamp alittle. But only if the slit lines up with the clamp.

 

[FR-425]

are you supposed to put the vehicle down and loosen then tighten that 12-point bolt that pinches the upper ball joint?

No, leave it loose, set the vehicle down, do the alignment, then tighten. That's how it's done in a shop. That's how Ford says to do it.

 

[FR-425]

Thinking about what natenkiki noted. The upper joints stud just slides into the camber bushing. There is nothing holding it there but a "C" clip on top its not clamped. The clamp that is there is holding the camber/caster bushing. So Really if I did clamp down it the upper before sitting it down it makes no difference the upper joint always moves freely through the camber bushing. Every video I watched before telling you to take out that bolt really you don't need to even loosen it. Loosen it is all I did I never took it completely out. Well thinking about it the bushing I think does have a opening slit so maybe it can clamp alittle. But only if the slit lines up with the clamp.

It's a tapered fit, it clamps down solid. when you tighten the clamp it crushes the bushing onto the ball joint stud. Doesn't matter where the slots are.

 

[natenkiki2004]

No, leave it loose, set the vehicle down, do the alignment, then tighten. That's how it's done in a shop. That's how Ford says to do it.

I had an alignment done after doing the ball joints and was told that the caster was close enough to not mess with so I don't think the pinch bolt was touched. Should I loosen the pinch bolt, back the vehicle up and tighten it? It was 10 months ago I did the ball joints, does it still matter?