rack gone?

[jimwot]

i have the 02 sport trac. relitivley stock. took it in for state inspection. i know the front brakes are ify. so if he hit me on them i was ready for the 49.99 frount brake job. he came and got me and ask me to come over to the truck. the racks shot. I said WHAT. he grabed the right front tire at 3 nd 9 oclock. pushed and puled and with the wheel locked moved the tires in and out proly 2 inches both evenly and smothly. prior to this i had no indacations. the truck tracks strate no pulling. no leaks. no clicking or poping or what ever. her said its wierd that a rack will go at 53k miles. but it did. now I have asked some non ford guys and they said maybe the trac only tightens up when there is power to the pump. and the side to side movement with no power to the rack is normal. I dont know can some one show me where this might be in ford specks or maybe some one has seen this before. :roll:

 

[Blee1099]

I suspect its the hub assemblies not the rack that is going bad on your particular truck. What you can actually do is disconnect the tie rod end from your truck on either end one at a time and try pushing the tie rod end in to the rack to see if there is significant movemen/play in the inner tie rod boot. I would do this on both sides. On every truck I've helped replace a rack on, when we disconnected a tie rod from either spindle, the tie rod actually dropped straight to the floor with little resistance.

 

[jimwot]

yes i would emagin that if you pulled the tie rods and they fell right out from the rack their where other indacations that ther where probs. I have a sneeking fealing that this NEW grage in town is up to making some big money. he gave me a quoat to day for 1495.00 to do the rack and new roters and pads. hahaha yeah right!!!!! I talked to the local ford dealer he said their is no way under normal conditions a rack on a sport trac will go bad in 53k milles. lol to quote is way "on a escort or a focas i would beleve you but no way in h$(( did a rack on a sport trac go bad in 53k miles". comes from a man that has been under jsut about every ford in lancaster PA. over the last 25 years. so tomarow ill take it over to him he said even if it is bad it wond cost more that 400 for the part and install. Witch aint to bad auto zone has them for 185 and then i dont have to crawall around and fack that i know what im doing. so we will see what ford has to say tomarow.