the x feels like its out of control

[canine6]

In the last couple of month my 94 LTD has gotten real bad at negotiating curves and sudden changes with the steering wheel. it is exceptionally bad at higher speeds(over 45 mph). I thought maybe it was a shock problem.
I have replaced the fronts but the problem is still there.

is this possibly a torsion bar/bushing problem?

getting to the point where its getting scary to drive.
everytime i make a lane change on the highway i have to anticipate the turn or i will start to over adjust and the vehicle gets all squirrley etc.

I feel alot safer driving my work truck(80,000 pound,six-whell drive concrete truck) It handles alot better than the x at the moment.

If checked the forums about torsion bars etc, just looking for some extra guidance.

The X currently has 122000 miles.

 

[JDraper]

Well, your '94 doesn't have torsion bars, it has coil springs, so it's not a torsion bar problem.

There are several other possiblilities. Your radius arm bushings could be going bad, which would cause the front to get squirrely. Bad radius arm bushings are usually accompanied by a clunk out of the front when going over bumps. It could also be bad ball joints in the front, bad tie rod ends, loose steering box, etc.

It could also be as simple as the truck is out of alignment. When was the last time the truck was aligned?

 

[X~FACTOR]

You might be in need of this. Or your current one is somehow loose.

 

[Charlie's_93EB]

QUOTE--------------------------------------------------------
Bad radius arm bushings are usually accompanied by a clunk out of the front when going over bumps. It could also be bad ball joints in the front, bad tie rod ends, loose steering box, etc.--------------------------------------

I just had my Cam Bushings replaced about a month ago and now i hear a thud from the front right if i hit a hard bump is the related.

Do they have a different name? And was $110 too much?

 

[JDraper]

Camber adjustment bushings are different than radius arm bushings. Camber bushings are an offset bushing that allows the alignment shop to properly set the camber during an alignment. Radius arm bushings are the large bushings that go between the frame and the radius arms. The radius arms are the large bars that go from the axle rearward and attach to each frame rail under the floorboards.

Use the search button at the top for "radius arm bushing" and you'll get plenty of hits for ways to tell they are bad and how to replace them.

 

[canine6]

damn, come to think of it I had the radius arm bushings replaced about 8 months ago when the the hubs were fixed. wonder it that has any thing to do with it?

I guess the next step i an alignment and have the steering box checked along with the sway bars(cant believe i was referring to them as torsion bars)

 

[DeRocha]

@122K your Ball joints and Tie rod ends are ready for a change if they are still original.

Sway bar: The front sway bar should be solid/firm. Give a moderate tug/pull on the driver & pass Link and note any excessive movement (Minor movement if any is all you should see). The original bushings were made of black rubber and tend tend to shrink with age and contact with the elements.

Tie rod ends: The ball joint inside will become loose as the joint wears. Joint life is dramatically shortened if not lubed @ least 1/year. This looseness translates into a wandering feeling. These are relatively easy to replace and require no special tools (ex torque wrench).

Ball joints: Like tie rods the joint inside will become loose as the joint wears. Unfortunately OEM ball joints do not have grease fittings like the tie rods so you can't lube them. The actuall moving part (the ball) is hidden and you can only see the shafts. They are difficult to replace and involve a lot of work/time and special tools.

 

[DeRocha]

Did you every solve your problem??

 

[CADDYBILL]

I have a very similer problem, turned out to be wear in the steering box gears. A simple adjustment fixed it.

 

[DeRocha]

Hi Bill,
My Haynes manual is @ home, but what kind of adjustment was needed? Did you or the shop do this? I just finished putting in new ball joints and tie rod ends. My X like canine6 is feeling out of control (It started this way before the ball joints were replaced). Anyway I need to get it alignned, but don't know if I should wait until I fix the steering..

 

[DeRocha]

bump

 

[CADDYBILL]

I had a friend who is a mechanic do it. If I remember correctly it was a lock nut on top of the steering box. He loosened it and turned an adjusting screw with a big screwdriver.

 

[EMG7895]

my dads '93 had the same problem, the tires had really bad flat spots

 

[DeRocha]

Thanks for the info... I did some searching and found some info on the Ford Truck boards. They confirm your answer. There is a set screw/bolt that you can tighten on the steering gear to adjust loosenes. I will take a peak in the morning to see if I can make the adjustment on my Steering gear.