Shake while turning, moving and stopped.

[Tackle]

Hey all,

I have a 99 Explorer 4.0 SOHC.

Today we replaced the lower ball joints and on the test drive noticed a shaking while turning right. Pulled it in the garage again and pulled the tires. Checked everything over and everything looked to be as it should. Put the tires on and started it up.

Then noticed it started shaking when ever we turned the steering wheel, left or right. It's a shaking like going over a rumble strip. Felt through the steering wheel as well as seeing both tires shake, even at a complete stop.

Felt the tie rod ends while turning the wheels back and forth and could feel vibration coming through them. I can also feel shaking on the power steering pump when turning left and right.

It wasn't happening before we did the ball joints, but maybe it was just a fluke. Does it sound like it could be the rack or pump? I can get a video if that would help.

Thanks in advance!

 

[techieman33]

Is the shaking less at higher speeds? What kind of shape is your serpentine belt in? I had some bad shaking problems after flushing my radiator, it turns out the problem was that my belt was still wet and it went away after it dried out.

 

[EricM9104]

Did you check the pump level?

 

[yellow coupe]

Sounds like you might have air in the power steering. This also happened to me when I did the front end on mine. Turn the front wheels lock to lock slowly until the air is out.

 

[Tackle]

EricM9104- The fluid is good, I didn't need to add any.

techieman33- Serpentine belt was replaced a few months ago for my spring maintenance. I didn't go over 30. It didn't start until a few turns into my test drive, but it was only when I turned the wheels to the right, turning left was fine.When I got home it shook turning left and right idling in the garage. What would it indicate if it was less at higher speeds?

yellow coupe- What do you mean by lock to lock? Just left and right as far as it will go? How would it get air in there when I didn't really touch anything that has to do with the pump or rack, besides move parts out of the way to press the balls in and out? I'll try it and see what happens.

 

[yellow coupe]

EricM9104- The fluid is good, I didn't need to add any.

techieman33- Serpentine belt was replaced a few months ago for my spring maintenance. I didn't go over 30. It didn't start until a few turns into my test drive, but it was only when I turned the wheels to the right, turning left was fine.When I got home it shook turning left and right idling in the garage. What would it indicate if it was less at higher speeds?

yellow coupe- What do you mean by lock to lock? Just left and right as far as it will go? How would it get air in there when I didn't really touch anything that has to do with the pump or rack, besides move parts out of the way to press the balls in and out? I'll try it and see what happens.

Yes, left to right slowly. I don't know why, but it seems that when you have both front wheels off the ground this seems to happen.

 

[Tackle]

Today the shaking was a ton less, but I moved the wheels left and right very slowly a few times and it seems to be good now, even after driving around. I really hope that for some weird reason air somehow got into the lines. I don't wanna have to replace the rack, I just finished a few weeks ago with the transmission!

Thanks for the tip yellow coupe.

 

[yellow coupe]

Today the shaking was a ton less, but I moved the wheels left and right very slowly a few times and it seems to be good now, even after driving around. I really hope that for some weird reason air somehow got into the lines. I don't wanna have to replace the rack, I just finished a few weeks ago with the transmission!

Thanks for the tip yellow coupe.

No problem. After I had the front end of mine up on stands to do the ball joints and went to back it out of the garage it did the same thing as yours. It blowed my mind as to what the hell happened. Then I remembered reading somewhere that after you the have the front end jacked up that that can happen. Just don't understand why.

 

[TestDriveTech]

Had the same issue today after changing tie rod ends... Found through digging that turning the wheels if the engine / pump isn't running causes a bit of air in the lines of the rack... Bled the system by putting the truck on stands and removing the weight from the tires and did about 25 SLOW full lock to lock turns of the wheel holding to each lock for a few seconds and the back to the other side... Did the trick for now... Great to be the new guy here.. Love this forum.

 

[Tackle]

Yep. They were quite helpful here. Ended up selling that exploder. Bought for $250 with bad trans. Replaced trans and a bunch of other stuff. Total investment was $1500, sold for $3k.

I have an F150 now, the forums suck compared to this one...lol.