Just got a Front brake job and now this...

[Trek5000]

I just was in for service for my 2003 Expl. 4wd .... 31 orig miles ... got new front brakes.. rotors and usual... oil change. now the fun part... the garage owner called me to say.. did the tech talk to you about the ball joints..I said no why ...he said havent you noticed the shimmy when turning the wheels in parking etc. I said no. he didn't mention at all and Ive never noticed it at all..
( the tech has since gone home ) .. he mentions ball joints..but doesnt suspect really due to low mileage.. 31k total 16 in the last 12 mths.... he said he would try to lube / spray them... ... he did .. i pick it up and now.. i have a shutter or shimmy when pulling out of a store/parking lot etc.... i havent had it at hwy speeds yet....

question..

could the brake job have caused this ?

new calipers ???


ideas ??

 

[matt0248]

Yes, if they turned the wheels by grabbing the knuckle or tire instead of using the steering wheel you can somehow introduce air into the P/S system. It happened to me once on a Ranger. You need to jack up the front wheels and turn the wheels back and forth from lock to lock over and over and over and over and over...you get my drift. Eventually you work out whatever air got trapped causing the P/S system to shudder. It was very strange and I had never experienced anything like it. I even think there was a Technical Service Bulletin on the problem. Ever since then I only turn the wheels by the steering wheel on fords when working on them.

 

[OffTrac]

Yes, if they turned the wheels by grabbing the knuckle or tire instead of using the steering wheel you can somehow introduce air into the P/S system. It happened to me once on a Ranger. You need to jack up the front wheels and turn the wheels back and forth from lock to lock over and over and over and over and over...you get my drift. Eventually you work out whatever air got trapped causing the P/S system to shudder. It was very strange and I had never experienced anything like it. I even think there was a Technical Service Bulletin on the problem. Ever since then I only turn the wheels by the steering wheel on fords when working on them.

Hmm, interesting.

 

[Trek5000]

Thanks for reply .. I am going to drive it the weekend .. Maybe it will work itself out .. But I will swing by the shop also .. I don't have a way to lift the front end unfortunately ..

 

[Exproblems]

he mentions ball joints..but doesnt suspect really due to low mileage.. 31k total 16 in the last 12 mths.... he said he would try to lube / spray them... ... he did .. i pick it up and now.. i have a shutter or shimmy when pulling out of a store/parking lot etc.... i havent had it at hwy speeds yet.... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Spraying canned lubricant on a ball joint will do nothing! Why your mechanic said this to you is beyond me?????????? Ball joints either come from the factory "sealed and pre-greased internally or un-greaseable" or as in after market ones, they come with an exposed grease fitting so you can re-grease them on your own with a grease gun. When factory "sealed" ball joints go bad, they must be replaced at that time. No way to even shoot some grease in there to buy you some time. You can check to see if your lower ball joints are good by jacking up one corner of the vehicle under the frame, allowing the tire and wheel at that corner to hang freely above the ground 3-4 inches. You then take a 3-4 foot long pry bar or wooden board 2x4 etc., and wedge it between the ground and bottom center of the tire. You then pry up and down and look for play or loose movement in the ball joint shaft and ball area. If solid and no loose up and down movement in the ball joint, they are good. If you do have loose play up and down, that one is bad. Generally you replace both left and right sides whether one side is good and one side is bad, but you don't have to, it is your choice on that matter. Shops will recommend you replace both. The uppers are checked in a similar pry bar fashion, up and down prying motion, but a narrow steel bar works best for them, wooden boards won't fit there.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>question..

could the brake job have caused this?

new calipers ???

ideas ?>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

No, the brake pad or caliper job would not cause a shimmy in your steering. From my experience, a bad ball joint doesn't cause a "shimmy" in the steering, it usually causes you to hear or feel a thud or thump each time you hit a pot hole or bump in the road and you feel it right thru that wheel where the bad ball joint is. This thud is caused by the "loose play" in the ball joint socket. FYI, If you don't have a floor jack to check your own ball joints, you can buy one for $30-$40 at some places, but you should use it in conjunction with a jack stand as well, for safety reasons. Don't crawl under a vehicle using just a floor jack. Also, chock the front and back side of one of the other wheels as well so the vehicle can't roll by accident in either direction while you are under it.

 

[fifthranger]

Seems suspicious that he didn't have the problem when he went in, and once the work was performed, the problem presented itself. I'm not suggesting foul play, but the timing is very coincidental. For some Ford's, like certain Explorers, 33,000 isn't too early for ball joint repair, but I still think something is fishy.