I'm just curious cause my truck is starting to feel a little sloppy lately. You know, that front wheels jumping around feeling. There's also a slight steering wheel pull that seems to go a different direction at each stop. Also over slight washboard stretches, the steering wheel is kind of moving back and forth in my hands. I figure it's time for shocks, since it's been about 40k since the last set. I'm going to replace them soon. The truck does not bounce more than once when tested though? Anyway, what are the symptoms of a bad balljoint?? Or is this tie rods, possibly?? I am going to do the rock the wheel top to bottom test, too. Just to be sure. Thanks in advance!,,,,98

BTW: It's a 4x2 with just over 80,000 miles on it

 

there can be several possibilities.look at the tierod ends first,the outers for sure,if they look differant from each other I.E. the bolt seems to sit a little lower than the other or they seem to "float in the socket when some one turns the wheel,replace them. the one that goes first generally is the pass.side. the upper ball joint is next: lift the wheel using a jack under the frame,not the arm.lift up enough to take the wieght of the wheel yet having it touching the ground enough so that it does not spin. push in at the top and see if it doesnt move when you push it. then have someone else push on it when you lay under it to look at the top ball joint and see how much it,s moving. if it looks like the bolt is moving around in the socket more than an 1/8 th of an inch on all sides it will need to be replaced. when ever you do take it in for alignment ,it would be a good idea to stop and pick up some eecentric bolts and cams. they,ll be needed and will be cheaper if you get them first. this is a start but looking and moving around some of the other sterring components will help also...goodluck .....a big thanks to Fred at the firestone on preston,he and i talked shop yesterday while under my truck when i got my alignment done

 

98
I have 141K on mine and I'm thinking they were the OE balljoints (they were non grease-able). I know I drove on them for more than 50K miles myself. My lowers were getting real bad, I mean in danger of one snapping bad. When you would cornor you could literally feel the joint sort of pop to one side and you'd feel a bump-bump-bump in the steering not to metion everything you described above. My frontend guy told me that at least on the 4x4's it's the lowers that go bad mostly but you should do them in pairs (upper and lowers).
I bought Moog because of a Ford tech reccomendation and the reccomendation of a few on here. They are greasable but wil cost you a little more. I paid $34 each for lowers and $64 each for uppers. Install and alignment was $155. It still has the aggrivating bump-bump feeling but not as bad at all ( that might be due to a bad steering shaft or something else). It know feels much better and is tight on all bumps and washboard roads.
With 40K on those shocks they could be bad but I wouldn't throw new ones on there yet if it doesn't bounce more than 2-3 times. If it will make you happy and the truck perform how you want it, then go for it.

Sorry about the book of a repsonse I wrote, LOL

 

Thanks guys,
I feel a little better about it now. I did a visual inspection, and didn't see anything. Of course I didn't have anyone to turn the wheel, I can do that tomorrow. All I know is that it likes to wander on slightly bumpy roads, and it didn't use to The uppers are a complete assembly, correct? And the lowers are a press in type I'll have to take somewhere to have done once I tear it down? This is going to work out well, I'll put the two inch drop springs in there while I'm in the process,,,,98

 

I'll probably need the alignment kit too??,,,98

 

Yea I think the top is a complete unit even on the 4x2's. You have to pull the spindle or axle ( at least on a 4x4) to get at the lower one. It's a job you can do yourself but without the right tools it akes a long time. It took my guy 3 hours to do all 4 and a alignment, at least that's what he charged me for. So if you do it yourself you might double that figure. If your adding drop coils, I would just take each lower to shop and let them press the new ones in and out. For the top if it's never been aligned you will need the caster/cam bolt kit. If it has been aligned I think they can be used and you should just mark their location and then have it realigned ASAP.

While it's out you could think about adding some polyurethane bushings. I wanted too, but couldn't find any and really didn't have the money at the time

 

My dream has been urethane bushings since I've had the truck! Finding them has been the problem, and the install is always time consuming from my experience. They always require some sort of special work that most shops just won't do. So, you end up installing them yourself I had a 67 6 cyl Mustang that was full urethane, it outhandled every car I've driven before or since! The truck has been aligned twice, and they've said both times that the alignment kit wasn't needed at that time. Either I'm lucky, or they didn't have them in stock, lol. As soon as I get this bumper cover thing out of the way this week, the front suspension is going to become the top priority!,,,,98

Thanks for the advice guys, guess I'll be in my driveway cursing like a sailor. I always end up doing this kind of work myself

 

Well, I just got the shocks out of the way this afternoon!! Glad that's over, hehehe. I only did the front first to see if it would help any. I bought Monroe Reflex shocks, and I have to say they helped more than I thought they would. The body roll is greatly reduced, and the wobbly feeling improved by half. There's still something not quite right, but I can deal with it until I get some help checking it out thoroughly. Monroe Reflex is a decent replacement shock, I am pleased with the ride!!,,,,98

 

I guess like hearing myself talk, LOL! The more I drive the truck with the new Reflex front shocks, the more impressed I am. The handling is GREAT! It also handles things like railroad crossings much smoother. Pulling into slanted driveways doesn't throw me into the door anymore. LOVE these shocks, doing the rears today,,,,,98

 

have you been greasing your idler arm on a regular basis? They get water splashed on them (Rain) and they go bad all the time and they will cause the concern you are talking about. I don't know if the idler is the same on a 4x2 as a 4x4 but when they go bad or out of grease the front of the truck will wander both left or right randomly. Which most other front end parts will cause a pull to one side or the other.

good luck-

 

I'm having my lower ball joints replaced tonight at the dealer. Got 70K on the truck. Will also be doing a front end alignment. Passenger side was in the worst shape but doing driver side, too. Symptom was sudden loud squeak on right front related to wheel movement up and down. Factory shocks are still OK.

Karl Nyhus, Minneapolis, MN,
1997 Pacific Green Ford F-150 SuperCab XL,
short box, 4.6L V8, 4x4, 3.08 axles, 5-speed manual tran,
LT265/75R16 load range D BF Goodrich All-Terrain T/A
VDO tachometer, Better Built toolbox,
Line-X spray-in liner, rust-proofed/undercoated,
argent styled steel wheels

 

The next thing I was going to check out is the idler arm. It looks really bad visually, but that could just be the grease overflow from 5 or so years. I'm going to clean it off and see what it really looks like. The wandering problem seem to clear up for the most part with the new shocks, but something still feels strange or shakey.,,,,,98

 

I thought of another thing, my truck used to wander a lot until I replaced the tires. It helped out quite a bit.

 

My tires will be replaced soon, tread blocks are starting to come loose. I don't have enough for new rims yet, so I guess it's gonna be cheap tires to fill in til I can get rims next year. sigh.,,,,,98

 

94K miles for the original ball joints and still going.