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  • 2005 - 2014 S-197 Mustang -General/Talk-

Strangest problem in front end

  • Thread starter Thread starter V6_lives_matter
  • Start date Start date Sep 27, 2021
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Sep 27, 2021
#1
  • Sep 27, 2021
  • #1
I've been having the hardest time trying to locate the cause of my front end wobble. I drive a 2011 mustang with a 3.7 and used to drive on interstate back and forth to school until one day I got a terrible wobble. It only happens when I hit a bump going 60+ around a turn. It won't do it going straight at 60. I've checked everything and even tho everything looked good, I replaced parts anyways including lower control arms, wheel bearings, struts, outer tie rod ends and sway bar end links with no change at all. I checked inner tie rods for play as well. With no luck, I took it to a shop to get a second opinion and they said they found nothing and everything was tight. They said they believe the problem lies with the electric power steering rack. I've did some research on these but their symptoms appear even at low speed and going straight. I'm not convinced it's the electric power steering rack because the symptoms aren't the same and I also have a rattle sound like a bad ball joint that is too loud for it to be nothing. I've already replaced the ball joints though. If anyone has any ideas or experienced the same situation, your help would be greatly appreciated.
 

David Young

Active Member
Sep 16, 2012
182
18
38
Clinton, Tennessee
Sep 29, 2021
#2
  • Sep 29, 2021
  • #2
You've changed almost everything. Just for fun, I would rotate the tires and make sure the air pressure is 35 psi. Try that and see if anything changes. You 'might' have a bad tire on the front
 
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Sep 29, 2021
#3
  • Sep 29, 2021
  • #3
David Young said:
You've changed almost everything. Just for fun, I would rotate the tires and make sure the air pressure is 35 psi. Try that and see if anything changes. You 'might' have a bad tire on the front
Click to expand...
Sorry. I failed to mentioned that was the first thing I done. Had them balanced and rotated and eventually got new tires and nothing has helped. I'm suspecting the rattle noise I have going slow over rough road is the concern but as I stated previously, another shop also couldn't find anything loose. I'm confused
 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp
10 Year Member
Sep 1, 2010
7,387
2,745
194
Kearney, NE
Sep 29, 2021
#4
  • Sep 29, 2021
  • #4
Is there still a front subframe that bolts in on the S-197? Does it have bushings?
 

Bree

Active Member
Jan 12, 2021
215
87
38
Zanesville Ohio
Oct 2, 2021
#5
  • Oct 2, 2021
  • #5
Sway bar bushings
 

David Young

Active Member
Sep 16, 2012
182
18
38
Clinton, Tennessee
Oct 4, 2021
#6
  • Oct 4, 2021
  • #6
I hate to say it but I think it must be your electric power steering rack. I've read, it has an automatic adjustment that it does when you hit a bump in the road to 'automatically' correct the steering. I think it has gone bad.
 

manicmechanic007

5 Year Member
Sep 26, 2017
2,524
709
143
Roy, Utah
Oct 5, 2021
#7
  • Oct 5, 2021
  • #7
Soooo Glad I do not work for Ford anymore
You are in for a dealer visit
I agree you need a new rack or you have a ton of fix a flat in one front tire
 

manicmechanic007

5 Year Member
Sep 26, 2017
2,524
709
143
Roy, Utah
Jan 18, 2022
#8
  • Jan 18, 2022
  • #8
V6 Lives Matter,
Did you get it fixed?
What was the trouble?
 
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Jan 20, 2022
#9
  • Jan 20, 2022
  • #9
David Young said:
I hate to say it but I think it must be your electric power steering rack. I've read, it has an automatic adjustment that it does when you hit a bump in the road to 'automatically' correct the steering. I think it has gone bad.
Click to expand...
I thought so too but the only thing that makes me believe it's not the power steering is all the issues with the power steering happen when you hit a bump going straight or thru a turn. Mine doesn't happen if I'm going straight. Only in turns. Plus I do hear something kinda loose. The problem is finding it. I may have to mount a GoPro under there one day as I'm driving because everything myself and another shop looked at is pretty tight.
 
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Jan 20, 2022
#10
  • Jan 20, 2022
  • #10
manicmechanic007 said:
V6 Lives Matter,
Did you get it fixed?
What was the trouble?
Click to expand...
Not yet. I did find a sway bar end link loose. I tightened it up but I just need to drive it on interstate to get it up to speed. Just haven't been able to with this snow
 
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Jan 20, 2022
#11
  • Jan 20, 2022
  • #11
manicmechanic007 said:
V6 Lives Matter,
Did you get it fixed?
What was the trouble?
Click to expand...
Not yet. I did find a sway bar end link loose. I tightened it up but I just need to drive it on interstate to get it up to speed. Just haven't been able to with this snow
7991LXnSHO said:
Is there still a front subframe that bolts in on the S-197? Does it have bushings?
Click to expand...
i don't believe it does have bushings.
 

manicmechanic007

5 Year Member
Sep 26, 2017
2,524
709
143
Roy, Utah
Jan 20, 2022
#12
  • Jan 20, 2022
  • #12
If the electric epas rack is making any noise at all that is a sign of motor failure
These racks lock right the f up when the motor fails
Replace it or have it replaced
The thousand bucks is not worth the fear factor
 

manicmechanic007

5 Year Member
Sep 26, 2017
2,524
709
143
Roy, Utah
Jan 20, 2022
#13
  • Jan 20, 2022
  • #13
Back to your wobble
Check your tires real close for radial runout and tread deflection
The Ford spec is .060 which is quite round and straight true
That is a hard spec to meet for some tire manufacturers and I used to see a lot of bad tires fighting complaints like yours
 

2Blue2

will be trying this sex one when I can find it
Mod Dude
Mar 5, 2019
4,430
2,893
163
Oahu
Jan 22, 2022
#14
  • Jan 22, 2022
  • #14
manicmechanic007 said:
Check your tires real close for radial runout and tread deflection
Click to expand...
Is tire shaving / truing even thing anymore?
 
K

kendawg73

Well-Known Member
Feb 5, 2014
474
102
64
Jan 31, 2022
#15
  • Jan 31, 2022
  • #15
You say you hear a rattle like something is loose when hitting a bump? Check those (not sure of the correct name) end link bars for the front sway bar... it's that little bar with the little joint on each end.. one end is connected to the strut and the other to the sway bar end.

I have a 2010 Hyundai Tuscon that has that same setup... that was making noise in the front like the front end was going to fall off when hitting even the smallest bump.. Check everything and seemd fine... had 100k miles so figured it was stut bearings... so I got new struts and the mounts ect.. rip it apart and when I took of the drivers side swaybard link, I found the problem... the one end was loose as hell (it's like a little balljoint) when it was on the car you couldn't tell it was loose, even with the wheel jacked up... only after unbolting it.. worth cecking.
 

7991LXnSHO

wanna catch the space herp
10 Year Member
Sep 1, 2010
7,387
2,745
194
Kearney, NE
Jan 31, 2022
#16
  • Jan 31, 2022
  • #16
kendawg73 said:
You say you hear a rattle like something is loose when hitting a bump? Check those (not sure of the correct name) end link bars for the front sway bar... it's that little bar with the little joint on each end.. one end is connected to the strut and the other to the sway bar end.

I have a 2010 Hyundai Tuscon that has that same setup... that was making noise in the front like the front end was going to fall off when hitting even the smallest bump.. Check everything and seemd fine... had 100k miles so figured it was stut bearings... so I got new struts and the mounts ect.. rip it apart and when I took of the drivers side swaybard link, I found the problem... the one end was loose as hell (it's like a little balljoint) when it was on the car you couldn't tell it was loose, even with the wheel jacked up... only after unbolting it.. worth cecking.
Click to expand...
You have the right term, end links. I had another vehicle with the solid end links as you describe, and they were a regular maintenance issue.
 
Reactions: 2Blue2
V

V6_lives_matter

New Member
Sep 27, 2021
6
1
1
Marion, NC
Feb 2, 2022
#17
  • Feb 2, 2022
  • #17
kendawg73 said:
You say you hear a rattle like something is loose when hitting a bump? Check those (not sure of the correct name) end link bars for the front sway bar... it's that little bar with the little joint on each end.. one end is connected to the strut and the other to the sway bar end.

I have a 2010 Hyundai Tuscon that has that same setup... that was making noise in the front like the front end was going to fall off when hitting even the smallest bump.. Check everything and seemd fine... had 100k miles so figured it was stut bearings... so I got new struts and the mounts ect.. rip it apart and when I took of the drivers side swaybard link, I found the problem... the one end was loose as hell (it's like a little balljoint) when it was on the car you couldn't tell it was loose, even with the wheel jacked up... only after unbolting it.. worth cecking.
Click to expand...
I found the issue then I came back to see that you suggested it lol it was the driver side sway bar end link. Funny thing was that it never made a noise until recently which led me straight to it. It had been just barely loose where you couldn't turn the nut by hand but loose enough for it to start to rattle. Tightened it with some lock tight as well and it ended up coming loose again. I had to put a second nut behind that first nut. Drove on interstate and finally no more wobble. This has been an issue for quite some time but seeing how it never made a rattle noise until here recently, it was hard to find. I was starting to think it was the steering rack.
 
Reactions: 2Blue2
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