Questionwhen I drive I can feel the movement in the wheels and stearing wheel how do I fix the rods and joints on my 96 ford windstar Have no money to send it to the shop ty
AnswerHi Angel,
Unfortunately your front-end assembly does not know how much money you have in your pocket so they just go bad whenever they feel like it.
All I'd be able to do is help you figure out which component(s) is/are bad but those parts are hard working and designed to go bad. Once they start going bad, there is no 'fix' for them other than replacement.
I would jack and support the front end of the vehicle by the pinch-welds under the front of the front door on either side allowing the suspension to hang. Place the shifter in Neutral and insure the key is OFF, but not LOCKed. Have someone grab the tire on the left side of the vehicle and slightly steer it back and forth. They only need to move it about an inch or two or until the other tire starts to turn also. Look at the moving parts of the front-end. Any joint you see movement in, the component needs replacement. Your vehicle should have four tie-rod ends, one inner and one outer on each side. There should be a pitman arm on the left side and an idler on the right side connected by a center drag link that should have at least one joint in it. I'm pretty sure your vehicle only has lower ball joints as it uses struts. Ball joints should be checked by pulling the bottom of the tire outward while pushing the top of the tire inwards and visa-versa. As with the side-to-side motion, you want to just slightly move the tire inward and outward while looking at the lower ball joint. If it moves at all, it is bad and in need of replacement. Do that for both sides of the vehicle.
My advice on finding a good technician is: Steer clear of the dealership and 'chain' stores like Firestone, Sears, Pep Boys, Monro Muffler/Brake, Midas, etc. as they usually only employ ONE ASE Certified Tech just so they can say they do and chances are, that guy is the asst. manager or manager and is not in the store to diagnose/repair vehicles anyway. Find a service location in the link below or get some names out of the yellow-pages and do a drive-by. Garages that employ ASE Certified Technicians will be marked with the 'Blue-Seal' insignia. If unsure about whether a place employs Certified Techs, just ask to see their credentials. ALL ASE Certified Technicians will be PROUD to show and display their certificate(s).
Thanks for the question, I hope this information was helpful to you.
Fred
Knucklebusters Used Auto & Truck Parts, Inc.
www.knucklebusters.us
570-453-0910
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Click here: http://www.ase.com/bluesealsearch/locator.php
