Head Scratcher- Front End Suspension

[JonDS]

I have one hell of a wobble on my front driver side. So far, I've replaced worn sway bar end links, replaced Upper Control Arm bushings, checked inner and outer tie rods, replaced inner and outer wheel bearings, and rotated the tires. Upon inspection, with both loaded and unloaded suspension, the wheel feels tight, but it wobbles as soon as I hit the pavement. Anyone have any ideas, because I'm on the verge of pulling my hair out.

2003 Sport Track 2WD

 

[swshawaii]

Shocked there's no mention of LOWER and upper ball joints, usually the first major suspension part(s) to fail.
How are you checking the suspension? You must lift the tires from under the lower control arms for a proper test.

 

[JonDS]

Ball joint appears to be fine, upon visual inspection. The boot is not split, and it does not have any give when I push and pull on the wheel.

EDIT: Upper ball joint was also good. I inspected it, while replacing upper ca bushings.

I place my jack under the lower control arm when testing with loaded suspension, and under frame when testing with unloaded suspension.

The camber has gotten very bad, on both front wheels. They are probably 15-20 degrees off parallel. That was my first clue that something was wrong. The bad wobble developed shortly after.

I've noticed that the vehicle has been wrecked on front passenger side, though it was covered up pretty well and not listed on the history report when I bought it. They have installed an aftermarket upper control arm on that side, but it seems to have been done right.

 

[swshawaii]

15-20 degrees? Something's WAY off. Alignment checked?

Camber kits only allow plus or minus 2-3 degrees of adjustment.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2947788

 

[JonDS]

This picture makes it look much better than it is. I am literally afraid of the wheel, caliper, rotor, and spindle shearing right off.

 

[corkey]

upper control arm camber bolts loose ??

 

[corkey]

jack it up by the frame check the arms again,, this time take the tire off,,,

 

[swshawaii]

MAJOR negative camber. Find a specialist that offers free alignment checks. Be real interesting to see your printout.

 

[JonDS]

jack it up by the frame check the arms again,, this time take the tire off,,,

I just did exactly that. Everything looks and feels tight. I'm at a complete loss.

MAJOR negative camber. Find a specialist that offers free alignment checks. Be real interesting to see your printout.

I'm afraid I'll have to, as much as it irks me to trust someone else's hands on my truck.

 

[JonDS]

I'm buying a set of struts and a set of lower ball joints, today. I'll post the results.

 

[JonDS]

Installed struts and lower ball joints. Fixed most of the issues. Going to do an alignment tomorrow and adjust passenger torsion bar.

I think I can safely say that a sagging front end is a direct result of worn struts. Wish this information was available before I spent all that time and money chasing my tail.

 

[swshawaii]

Your 2003 ST has shocks, not struts, and have little or no effect on ride height or camber.

Weakened front torsion bars and rear leaf springs causes sagging. Adjust before aligning.

 

[JonDS]

My apologies for the semantic mistake. However, I've gained 1 1/4" of height over both front tires, and eliminated my camber issue without touching the rear end or torsion bars. I am still a little low on the passenger side, but the bolt on my torsion bar is narled and unusable, so I'll have to replace it before I can do anything with it.

So, like I said, my front end issues were solved by replacing shocks. I wish that info had been available before I spent so much time and money chasing my tail.

 

[OffTrac]

If your shocks are supporting weight, as you are implying, you still have an issue. Your new shocks won't last long in such a situation. Shocks are not designed to support weight, they're impact dampeners.

Shocks vs struts aren't semantics, they're different parts entirely.

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