Tie Rod or Ball Joint?

JerZeyStangz · Mar 19, 2012

Hardest thing about the whole install is the ball joints. I had a local shop "PRESS" them in because thats how they go in. You need a tie rod end seperator which pushes pressure on the threaded part of the tie rod and dislocates it from rest of the suspension. After that its easy as pie, you unscrew the outer tie rod, then pop open the boot which is held on by oem 1-time-use clamps. IMO, replace everything at once and your suspension should be good for a very long time.

Nacho98 · Apr 28, 2012

Update:

So I took the car in this morning to have it looked at finally. I had a steering wheel shake, some low speed turn clunking, and even a clunk when turning the steering wheel back and forth 20 degrees with the car at a standstill. Thought for sure this would be several issues, some suspension, some steering.

Turns out it was all due to just rotten steering rack bushings. A couple hundred bucks and two hours later, the car is good as new, and they said everything in the suspension is nice and tight, though the guy who worked on it (who happens to own a white '96-'97 Cobra, hell maybe a member?) said the shocks are OE and should probably be replaced just due to the mileage on them, although they aren't leaking. I thought my steering was plenty tight before, now it's pin-tight, feels great. And luckily I didn't even have to get an alignment (though I think the car could probably use one, after six months of driving on rotten northern roads she's starting to wander left ever so slightly).

Just another minor incident that makes me think what a solid car I have overall--just like when I let the Ford dealer inspect the entire car after buying it and literally all they could find was a broken lug stud and a serpentine belt.

Nacho98 · Apr 30, 2012

Issue not solved.

Unfortunately it was solved for about two days, and all of a sudden today the clunking is back at low speed turns or just turning the wheel back and forth when the car is at a standstill. I get a lot less steering wheel shake but I can so very lightly feel it just at the right speed, so it's not eliminated entirely.

The shop said everything in the suspension was tight. Tires are new, one turned out to be defective and was replaced under warranty, all tires were rebalanced and rotated and the tire shop said the rims were round. I guess the only thing I can do is try one more tire rotation/balance and see if it goes away, then I know it's something with one of the current front wheels/tires.

Shifty Powers · May 1, 2012

dont waste ur time/money on that rotate/balance. thats not gunna cause the clunking noise...

Also.. Yuo have to be careful with balljoints and pressing out. Ford balljoints in our cars are meant to go like 200k(we know it doesnt always happen). But sometimes when pressed out, it will bend the A arm and the balljoint will not fit perfectly again, why MM sells it as one whole unit.

But why stay motorcraft? Upgrade that shit when it brakes!

Slykin · May 1, 2012

Don't stick with OEM, get Moog. There stuff is hands down, better quality. As far as what's wrong.. I don't think any of us can honestly diagnose it over the computer if an alignment guy can't find it after a couple times. I hope you can get it figured out soon though, I know i'd be going all OCD over it too.

Nacho98 · May 3, 2012

Thanks and yea it sucks, it's like 6-7 quick clunks in a row when turning. When the car is at a standstill, it used to be just one clunk when turning the wheel in either direction, now it's like 3 clunks.

I wonder if the rack is just plain shot...if the suspension is good and the tires/rims are good and the rack bushings are good, there isn't a lot left, especially since it does it at a standstill just turning the wheel. I should say though that the steering feels EXCELLENT, VERY tight, very smooth, centers itself just fine, isn't too hard, or any of the other symptoms of a bad rack. The car drifts ever so slightly left after a few hundred feet, but I'd chalk that up to alignment after 6 months of driving on potholes, it's not really steering wander. Just don't know what else it could even be. Rag joint maybe?

Nacho98 · Jun 1, 2012

Slight update:

Had it in at the Ford dealer this morning to get an oil change so I had them take a look, they aren't entirely sure. They could hear the clunking, but said when they shook the wheels nothing in the suspension moved but he could hear a little ting coming from the tie rods.

If it's not that, they think it's the rack, but the consultant I talked to said he really doesn't think the rack is the problem, he suggested starting with inner and outer tie rods.

Thing is, if the tie rods are still good enough where they don't even move when shaking the wheels, even if they are making a little noise, how could they possibly be responsible for such bad clunking if the rods themselves are still pretty good?

I have a sinking feeling the rack is actually the problem even though they suggest starting with the tie rods.

Worse though, I sure as hell don't want to throw a bunch of money at something only to find out it's something else. Already replaced the rack bushings which did nothing for me.

So I guess for now I'll just drive it as is until it's so bad it becomes completely obvious what's actually wrong before I throw any more money at it. Sucks ass having to do things that way, but it also sucks ass to throw money away when something can't be properly diagnosed.