Explorer shakes at 60mph

[wildcrisps]

My explorer shakes at speed, 60mph. It's been aligned and I just bought new tires and it still shakes. The tires were balanced, so I know that isn't it. What else could cause this? Thanks.

 

[Jason_25]

Ball Joints come to mind.

 

[Robert]

Our Explorers have been linked telapathically and are trying to communicate with each other. I'm fighting the same problems with mine.

 

[tbomb]

thats funny guys - me too! (but its more like at 70mph, and its worse on NJ roads than on PA roads.) my tires have like 10k on them or so, just balanced last week and an alignment last week.

 

[srvblues00]

Mine shakes really bad as well around 65mph. I had my tires balance, made the problem worse. The shakes came about the time that I replaced the radius arm bushings and the centerlink. Now I am thinking my problem is either ball joints or tie rods, but I don't feel like spending money on it right now. College really blows just b/c I always seem broke.

Good luck, if you figure it out, please let us know!

 

[POSex92]

Well 4 out of 5 posts are for the problem..... Id better make it 5 of 6.

 

[Scormunch]

well I 7th that problem... ohh I've got the speed wobble too

 

[#1Aggie]

I make it 8!

Mine does the same thing at 65-70mph.

Any ideas.

 

[ajevenson]

Mine shakes very bad as well. Lets say when I got it, it shook 100%. The following repairs had this effect:
replace radius arm bushings - 95% shake
new manual hubs - 95% shake
new tires - 90% shake
balanced tires - 80% shake
new shocks - 75% shake
new calipers & rotors - 75% shake
new wheel bearings - 70% shake
removed sway bars - 80% shake
put sway bars back on - 70% shake
new tie rods - 70% shake
put old tie rods back on 70% shake

conclusion: highly unlikely that it is the driveshaft or u-joints. since my steering wheel shudders so much i'm prettty sure that the problem lies in the front end. i therefore conclude that seeing as i've done everything else it must be the ball joints. how's that for a thesis?

 

[Robert]

One more and we will have enough for a baseball team. Maybe it's a sign

 

[Jason_25]

I'm in. I can't really detect any play in the front suspension. Must be my torn up tires

 

[zavaral]

11
that happens to me to and i dont know wth it is

jason

look we have a team of 11 9 players and 2 other sub people

 

[jasonb]

i've had this and fixed it long ago..
i just try to avoid that speed range (63-68 or so for me) b/c i also can't see anything but blur in my mirrors.

i have no real clue what is causing mine but i have a hunch its something to do with one of my wheels that won't balance out and the tire on it that has a big cut in it. i'll deal with it until i get new tires and maybe a wheel or wheels. then if that doesn't solve it, i'll start looking.
i have done an alignment, balance, rotate though it that didn't help.

searching turned up the drive shaft and u-joint as common fixes, especially for 1st gens. i have not looked in this on mine.

 

[wildcrisps]

I'm beginning to wonder if this shaking, since it's so common, isn't what's causing tire tread to separate... I will check the normal things like the bearings and the rotors and the shocks and even the u-joints. In my case it's the whole truck that shakes, not just the steering wheel...

 

[zavaral]

same here well my steering wheel doesnt but the whole truck shakes sometimes it real bad and sometimes its not

jason

 

[Carl D.]

Me too. Very noticable around 65mph, then goes away at about 70mph. Strange.

Has anyone replaced their Ball Joints and had the problem go away. I don't really want to spend that kind of money if it's not the fix.

 

[tcbarney]

This keeps up we'll have an entire post-season roster.

Mine also has that vibration, even after balance, alignment, new bearings. I just figured it was my crappy General Grabber SP tires, which are a little feathered due to running some bad toe-in for a while. They sure are noisy as heck.

I've got 65k on my '96, btw.

I avoided the vibration on my way to FL and back recently by setting the cruise on 78mph. Fiddling with air pressure helped, too. My tires were at 28psi after the weather cooled a bit, and bringing them up to 32 smoothed things a bit.

BTW, this is pretty common on Miatas, too, my other cars. It's known as the "65mph Shimmy." Usually, careful attention to balance, air pressure, and alignment can clear it up, but on some cars new tires are needed. It's not generally thought of as a problem with the other suspension bits, as brand-new cars can exhibit it.

 

[zavetsky]

Trust me...it dont get much better AFTER college either.....<grin>

I have the same shaking problem....I dont notice it until right around 62 or so and then up to 70......It sucked on vactaion............around town not a bother.....

I have also noticed a slight clunk or thud noise from my right front side and am wondering if it is related...

As soon as I get a minute to spare I guess I'll check it all out.....

Originally posted by srvblues00
. College really blows just b/c I always seem broke.

 

[Brian8]

Well add me to the roster. Mine starts shaking at about 68 and stops around 75 or so. Thought I was the only one having this problem but guess not.

 

[#1Aggie]

Has any body asked Ford?

Since this seems to be a common problem, has anybody either had Ford attempt to stop it or have asked Ford about the problem?

I have someone that works for me that said that he also experienced this with his '93 and he stopped it with a new set of tires. His theory was that one or more tires were out of round and since the tire stores only balance at 55-60, they are not seeing it.

BTW, he has 340K on his with no major problems or trans work. Just keeps his fluids changed regularily and has a ATF cooler.