Hello I've got a 97 2wd Exp with 120K on to odo. I just had my four ball joints and outer tie rod ends replaced. When I got the truck back from the alignment shop I noticed a shudder when turning at low speed. I notice it most when backing out of the driveway. The folks at the alignment shop said it might be the rack and pinion. Anything else I should try first? Any comments or suggestions appreciated. Thanks.
We see a lot of steering shudder when stopped or at low speeds when there is air in the PS fluid. The best way is to use an adapter on top of the PS reservoi and apply vacuum to the system to draw any entrained air out of the oil... *Most* times, just driving for a while can get rid of the problem, but not always...
I had a similar problem with my '95 XLT and took it to the dealer many times when it was new. It kept doing this until when I had about 50,000 miles I had the transmission fluid changed, and ever since, the problem disappeared! I have changed the fluid twice since then, and it has 116,000 miles on it and it's doing fine! I change the oil every 3000 miles, and do the other stuff that comes up.
If you have the optional traction lock differential, that could possibly be it. Changing differential fluid and adding the special oil additive should stop shuddering of rear axle.
I forgot to mention that I feel the shudder through the steering wheel and not really the rest of the truck. I also noticed right after I put the truck in reverse before I started backing out of the garage. It lasted maybe a second.
I've noticed this on my 2000 Limited, but I haven't considered it a big problem.
should I pursue this as something that should be repaired-the vehicle is still under extended warranty?
2000 Lim, 5.0 V8 75K miles
By all means... I do not consider this to be a "normal" condition and similar vehices that I have driven do not exhibit this.
Two things to remember, extended warranties can be fickle... ensure that these components are within the terms of your warranty. Also, it is a wise idea to make sure that your dealer checks OASIS for any possible guidance..... I do recall seeing TSBs for steering concerns such as this but can't remember model reference.
Jim Warman's right. It's air in your PS fluid. When the car is on the lift and the mechanic swings the wheels left and right from underneath with the engine off , air gets worked into the fluid. Driving it will gradually work the air out. Making lots of slow left and right turns may speed up the process.
thanks jim.
Two things to remember, extended warranties can be fickle... ensure that these components are within the terms of your warranty. Also, it is a wise idea to make sure that your dealer checks OASIS for any possible guidance..... I do recall seeing TSBs for steering concerns such as this but can't remember model reference.
Ron
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