Help! Could it Be The Spindle Bearing???

[drivingmecrazy]

I own a 94 Explorer 4x4. Already replaced wheel bearings on both sides front. the truck is driving crazy. I go to make a left turn and it keeps going left. I jerk it back and it goes to the right. Sometimes it will straighten itself out but lately it goes crazy at every corner or curve I take. I have to stop turn the wheel all the way to the right and then back and ease it on the road. Well that doesn't even work anymore. I don't dare go over 30 because it tries to go into the left lane. I will hold the steering wheel to the right but it still tries to jerk me. Then it goes toward the right without any warning and back to the left. Like its bouncing back and forth. We have noticed on the right side (passenger) while putting in new wheel bearings that the spindle is loose, there is ALOT of play in it. Could this be the problem, that I need a new bearing for the spindle. It's getting toooo dangerous to drive cuz it has a mind of its own.
Any help will be appreciated

 

[DeRocha]

Are you sure the spindle is loose? The axle shaft passes loosely through the spindle as shown below.. It may appear the axle is loose because the HUB is removed. When the hub is installed the axle splines are supported by the hub and there is NO looseness. Anyway the spindle bearings have ZERO to do with anything since the front axle only rotates when in 4x4.. If your not in 4x4 the axle is static.

Have you check the tie rods and more importantly the steering gear? IMO you problem sounds like a worn steering gear.

 

[RangerX]

I had similar steering/control issues before. On mine, the splines on the steering column were stripped, right where it attaches to the gearbox. It causes you to have a really wide freeplay spot in your steering.
If you want to check this, have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth a little, with engine running, while you have your head under the hood, looking for play where the column meets the box.

 

[TedJ]

Edit: Wow, all of you beat me to it, when I started typing I was the first post in the thread...

First off, take a jack and jackstands and after chocking the rear wheels, jack up the front, right under the bolt on the bottom of the TTB arms on each side. Once you have it up, you will be able to check the suspension and see what is going on. Grab the tires at the top and bottom and they should not have any play in them. Then do side to side and there should not be too much slop in the steering.

I think that your steering box might be partially stripped. Get a helper and have them spin the wheel back and forth while you keep trying to force the tire side to side. If you reach a place where the tires will move around without the steering wheel turning, then you have a stripped steering box.

-Ted

 

[drivingmecrazy]

Ok. We assumed it was wheel bearings cuz when we had it up in the air he could grab the tire on all sides and make it move. Way to much play. Took it in for oil chg and grease job and the guy could shake the axle that goes into the tire. He said there was a lot of play and was prolly the wheel bearings so I hobbled it to the parts place and home. He put the bearings in but it didn't stop the stub axle from moving in all direction. Took it out for a test drive and while turning left out of the driveway it just wanted to keep going to the left so I had to jerk it back again. The wheel bearings didn't fix the problem. Is it dangerous to drive like that? It scared me to death trying to keep it on my side of the road at times.

 

[DeRocha]

It is very dangerous to drive a vehicle with unpredictable steering. The problem is going to get worse not better, so you should get it looked at fixed asap and not drive the vehicle until it is safe.

 

[drivingmecrazy]

Thanks for the info DeRocha. I appreciated it. Everyone is so helpful here I just enjoy asking for help and knowing you will give it. I will take it in soon and find out whats going on. Thanks again.

 

[DeRocha]

Thanks for the info DeRocha. I appreciated it. Everyone is so helpful here I just enjoy asking for help and knowing you will give it. I will take it in soon and find out whats going on. Thanks again.

You're welcome

some other questions I have:

The axle movement thing has me perplexed Can you describe how the mechanic checked it? I mean did he grab the axle and try and shake it, and where did he see looseness (@ the U-joint, end of the axle shaft or what)?

When the mechanic replaced the bearings how did the old ones look? Did he use new rotors or press in new bearing races into the old rotors? It doesn't make sense to replace wheel bearings because their bad and not replace the races since they are a matched set.

How are the ball joints? They can be easily checked by lifting a tire off the ground and trying to move it (by holding the tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions) The tire (or more appropriately the rim) shouldn't move at all. I just replace all my ball -joints 3 days ago... I had blown 2 and could easily move the tire 1/2" when performing the ball joint check...

 

[Tony H]

The more I read about the mechanic the more I came up with the same questions as DeRocha.

Axle movement, did the mechanic mean the 'U' joint was loose or was there actual shaft slop in the Spindle?

Did he confirm that the bearings were bad? Did he do the Races too?

I'm betting your real issue is up in the steering not the supporting suspension as RANGERX implied.

 

[glfredrick]

I'll lay you odds that it is worn out rag joints on the steering shaft itself.

Mine did the same thing. Check it out! Especially if you have a body lift.

Looks like this...

http://www.jegs.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10002_758122_-1_11925