Front end shake-2 kinds!

[Swamp Gas]

We recently purchased a '98 Explorer with 178,000 miles. It's a starter car for my teenage son. With a high mileage vehicle there are always issues, I know. The truck has a recent set of tires and I noticed the inside of both front tires are wearing. My wife took it to a local shop to have the alignment checked.

We have done business with this shop before and trust them. They said they had to replace the ball joints in order to line it up. My son brought the truck home today and said there is a vibration when turning the steering wheel (wasn't there before the repair.) I drove it and he is correct. There is a vibration when turning the wheel. More pronounced when turning right than left. My guess is that there is air in the power steering system?

Now the second shake-while driving today I ran across a rough patch of road about 50mph and the front end started shaking. When slowed the shaking stopped. It looks as if the Explorer has the original sway bar bushings, end links, and shocks. I had planned on changing all those things out. Could those be the culprit(s)?

 

[corkey]

the first shake is probably air in the power steering system, easy fix, go to an empty parking lots and do 5 or 6 figure 8's turning all the way right and left,

the second shake i might think could be the tires if you did not change out the worn ones that were on it,,

 

[Swamp Gas]

For the 2nd shake, it's not constant. It hit when I hit a rough place in the road. I don't know if this makes sense, but it's like having a bad Idler Arm (if it had one.)

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Both of the problems you describe are from air in the steering. This is very common when working on the front suspension. Air gets in the line from turning the steering while the engine is off.

There is a tool for bleeding the system, but most of the time you can fix this without it. Check that the pump resevoir is full and cap is on tightly. Start engine and slowly go full lock to full lock left/right four or five times, stop at on one side and turn off engine. Let sit few minutes then repeat and stop at other side before turn off and sit again. You may or may not see bubbles in the resevoir when its sitting but it works. Once the air is out when you start again there won't be vibration or unusual noise when turning the wheel back to center.

 

[Swamp Gas]

Worked out the air. That problem is solved. Hopefully, I have enough daylight left to install sway bar, end link bushings and shocks. Thanks!