Likely a Rack and Pinion?

[Marc Thibodeaux]

I have a 2003 Ford Explorer that I've been gradually having more and more issues with. I live in New Orleans where there's tons of potholes which are sometimes unavoidable.

My steering wheel when turning left has a dead zone in it, and it doesn't always happen. When letting my steering wheel correct itself, sometimes the turn signal when signalling left will not automatically turn off. You'll hear a click like it tried, but doesn't turn off.

Sometimes whether I'm driving or not, I'll hear a thud sound mostly from the left side, sometimes it comes from the right side. Kind of like a joint settling type of pop or thud.

Just yesterday, I started hearing a whirring sound on my front left tire. If I hit my brakes, it stops, but comes back again. Happened 5-7 times in a 20 minute trip. It sounds like a microphone feedback type of sound. A friend mentioned that it might be a wheel bearing?

At work, when leaving the parking garage, when turning left around a bend, I can hear slight tire screeching.

How can I tell if it's the tie rods, inner or outer, or the Rack and Pinion that is the issue?

 

[Fix4Dirt]

I have a 2003 Ford Explorer that I've been gradually having more and more issues with. I live in New Orleans where there's tons of potholes which are sometimes unavoidable.

My steering wheel when turning left has a dead zone in it, and it doesn't always happen. When letting my steering wheel correct itself, sometimes the turn signal when signalling left will not automatically turn off. You'll hear a click like it tried, but doesn't turn off.

Sometimes whether I'm driving or not, I'll hear a thud sound mostly from the left side, sometimes it comes from the right side. Kind of like a joint settling type of pop or thud.

Just yesterday, I started hearing a whirring sound on my front left tire. If I hit my brakes, it stops, but comes back again. Happened 5-7 times in a 20 minute trip. It sounds like a microphone feedback type of sound. A friend mentioned that it might be a wheel bearing?

At work, when leaving the parking garage, when turning left around a bend, I can hear slight tire screeching.

How can I tell if it's the tie rods, inner or outer, or the Rack and Pinion that is the issue?

if the whirring changes with load its likely it could be a bearing.