How can you tell if you have shot tie rods?

 

Do you notice some funny thumps when turning, like when in 4x4? Any vibrations?
Lift the front end, get under truck and grab all rods with ball joints and move around with hand. Should be firm and not sloppy feeling. If you can move them (shake them) with out twisting there gone. For a 97 you should have changed them by now. There are many lawsuits going on about ford greaseless ball joints. When I pulled mine off the shaft was nearly gone. Check upper. lowers, steering linkage, etc. Replace all with a greased fitting, usually life warranty.

Hope this helps.

 

thanks!!!

just had my upper and lower joints replaced, i assume the shop would have noticed if the rods were shot while doing the work? assuming can be dangerous!!

I still notice a knocking/vibrating sound when going over potholes (only on the driver side front end), even with new shocks and ball joints. I brought it back to the shop and they did an "inspection", said they couldn't find anything.
I guess i would have to trust them, i'm sure they would have been pretty thorough, knowing that they would have my bu$iness for any repairs needed that they could find.

I'M LOST . . . and frustrated!!

 

Sorry, double posted . . .

 

Did you have the problem before ball joints and shocks changed? If not I suspect an installation issue with those parts. That said, the knocking/vibration after hitting pothole is exactly what I experienced. I drove mine for a another year or so but the tie rods were the problem. Maybe they weren't checked but I'm sure they did. Maybe they're still stiff enough that hand checking is not enough to tell until you put the weight of the engine, vehicle on them. He should have checked with a bar under the tire raised about 2" off the floor. Anyways mine had same signs on drivers side, hit a pothole a block away from home, shook the truck like hell, pulled into the driveway and the front tire collapsed...the teflon? coating in them had disintegrated by that point. Sorry about your fustration but keeping investigating.

Good luck

 

one of the first signs is sloppy steering. lots of play. taking a turn and the wheel doesnt want to come back things like that.

 

Jack up the front, tire off the ground.
Looking at the wheel, grab hold the left and right side of the tire, then try to "wiggle" the tire back and forth (as in steering the wheels left to right) not so hard that you turn the steering wheel. If it wiggles at all, that side needs a new tie rod end, do the same for both sides.
Grabbing hold of the top and bottom of the tire, giving it a wiggle, can indicate if the upper or lower ball joints need replacing too.

 

Excellent info,
Thanks all, i'll let you know!!