front end shimmy when turning after fule pump repair

[terestron]

I have a 98 EXP 4X4 and the fuel pump went at 130,000....$700 for new pump and fule line cause they said it was corroded....then they put on paper bearing worn front end shimmy....well guess what it was not there before!!!

and now when i turn the steering wheel shimmies and feels like the front end is coming apart....i did a quick inspection and cant find anything that looks obvious...although the right tire wheel bearing feels loose....so tonight i will tighten..just in case anything else to check? please help i am scared of a $1000+ repair bill....I drive my truck with kid gloves....

 

[Ranger Al]

I don't know about the fuel line and pump. Although, I do not think they replace the front wheel bearing for $700 with fuel pump and fuel line. The Bearing on your Ex require new Hub bearing. The hub alone costed me $170-400 each! Beside bad bearing would not feel shimming. I would think the front wheels and tires need to be balance or your alignment is off or the steering links (tie-rods) are worn.

I would not go back to the same repair shop. There is no way the guy could replace the fuel pump, fuel line, and replace worn bearing for $700! If you do go back, ask them for your original parts. I am sure they can not produce it or claimed they threw it out or have to exchange for core, core on fuel pump or bearing??

 

[terestron]

found problem

Thanks for the reply....

it turned out to be air in the powering steering system..all is good now....

to clarify they charged me $273 for the fuel pump and $135 for the fuel line. with labor ir was $694......outragous...especially when auto zone charges $134 for a pump.....

 

[Ranger Al]

Good to hear you got it fix. Its ouragious of how much shops charge, although you have to put yourself in their shoes. I agreed they too have to make a living, but not too extreme inflated.

 

[Infragate]

Just for the record, my buddy had a hub replaced once by a shop and noticed that his steering was outrageously loose. He had came to me with this problem and i checked it out to find that the bearing was not sitting in the race true. Seems the shop must have put too much force on the bearing when installing it and bent the race a bit causing it to teeter, they claimed it had nothing to do with them and refused to look at it again. I replaced the bearing with a new one after finding it to be at fault, 4 hours after he picked it up, and all was well. I did a bit of research afterwards and talked to a few buddies that work for auto repair shops and it turns out they use presses that are 50 ton presses and sometimes it ends up ruining the bearings and or race ( depending on who presses it in, apprentice or not). I could not believe what i heard! So be warned, not all repair facilities are what you think. They can make mistakes. It just depends on where you go! There are alot of good mechanics out there but make sure you are dealing with a company that will correct a problem if it shows its ugly face! I know alot of people that have been screwed by repair shops, so for your own good, look into the facility before you let the do anything to your vehicle. Just my .02 cents.

 

[BuffaloXplorer]

I had the exact same problem after my FP needed to be replaced. I realized after the fact that after being towed and pushed into the bay at the shop, air likely got into the ps system and it worked itself out after a bit of driving (i was ready to turn around and confront my mech. about it. I've heard the AZ pumps are crap at $134 - i saw that price too and wondered WTF? before i bit the bullet and had mine changed for just under $400 ($230 for part). Not sure if the AZ pump includes the sending unit either.

 

[DeRocha]

I am wondering how your fuel line can be corroded? It is made of stainless steel; your vehicle can rust to the ground and it will still be perfect.

 

[Ranger Al]

I too was wondering about fuel line...

About the bearings: If you take the hub apart and look at the bearing, it have stamp that stated "DO NOT TAKE IT APART". I too was going to just press the bearing out and install a new one. I located a bearing at the local industry supply for $98 and was thinking the chance of me ruining the bearing during the installation of the new bearing. The new one costed me $170 and it already have new lug bolts, new ABS sensor, and of course the most important thing "lifetime warranty".

On the old days where you can replace the bearings. I think the housing for the bearing is a little stronger then today technology. If you try re-installing the old bearing, the housing would be too weak to hold the assembly. Thats just my opinion.

 

[Eneurb]

What happens with the power steering in 2nd gen explorers and rangers is that alot of air gets sucked into the steering system when the wheels are turned while the car is hoisted. It can be removed with a vacuum pump, or by just doing a few figure 8s in the parking lot. But they sure can shake the steering wheel right out of your hands when you hit a bump.