While moving at 60 mph the vehicle hit a very slight pothole which caused the steering wheel to start shaking uncontrollably. The shaking continued until the vehicle came to a complete stop. When vehicle movment resumed the shake was gone and so far has not yet returned. Something however is not right to have caused this to happen. Any ideas???
Front End Shake
Jan 28, 2006
5 Replies
OK, start with the easiest thing first - check your tire pressures ASAP. The symptoms you describe could indicate severe over-inflation.
Simon H
If we knew what we were working on, it might help...
The vehicle is a 2001 Ford Explorer Sport
The only thing I can think of is that a big rock got stuck in the tire and when you slowed down it came loose and fell off.
The rack and pinion steering isn't really prone to this sort of behaviour..... Excess caster can sometimes induce a front end shake such as you describe. My first inclination would be to check the front end for loose/worn steering parts. Inner tie rod ends can be difficult to test appropriately... my preferred method is to have an assistant rock the wheel side to side while I grasp the tierod (with the weight on the wheels).
For tie rod ends, no play is acceptable...
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