Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and john112deere
New Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2007
- Messages
- 72
- Reaction score
- 1
- Points
- 0
- Location
- central Vermont
- Vehicle Year
- 1997/2009
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 2.3 / 4.0
- Transmission
- Manual
I've got a '97 Ranger, 2wd, with about 247k on the clock. 4-cyl, XLT, sprung pretty low and soft since it was new.
Lately (it's been getting worse for a while now) it's been handling almost scary-bad on the interstate at times, usually in cross-winds, and it also has crappy tracking and bad on-center feel at all speeds.
I've been over everything in the steering and suspension a couple times, and everything feels tight.
I'm starting to suspect a bad belt in one of the front tires, so right now I've got them on the back, and my studded snow tires on the front (not a good long-term solution, obviously). That improved the highway handling a little, but it's still got crappy tracking and on-center feel in the steering.
What it feels like to me is too little toe-in, though a couple shops have checked it and said it's fine.
Can I just crank the toe in a little bit myself, see if it improves? And, perhaps more importantly, can I just undo it by the same amount and be back where I was before I started if I'm not happy with the results?
Thanks!
I'd really appreciate any suggestions other than tires, or better ways to check for a bad tire, on the whole thing, too. It's still safe to drive, but I don't like it, and I'm very frustrated that I can't figure out what's wrong with this truck.
Lately (it's been getting worse for a while now) it's been handling almost scary-bad on the interstate at times, usually in cross-winds, and it also has crappy tracking and bad on-center feel at all speeds.
I've been over everything in the steering and suspension a couple times, and everything feels tight.
I'm starting to suspect a bad belt in one of the front tires, so right now I've got them on the back, and my studded snow tires on the front (not a good long-term solution, obviously). That improved the highway handling a little, but it's still got crappy tracking and on-center feel in the steering.
What it feels like to me is too little toe-in, though a couple shops have checked it and said it's fine.
Can I just crank the toe in a little bit myself, see if it improves? And, perhaps more importantly, can I just undo it by the same amount and be back where I was before I started if I'm not happy with the results?
Thanks!
I'd really appreciate any suggestions other than tires, or better ways to check for a bad tire, on the whole thing, too. It's still safe to drive, but I don't like it, and I'm very frustrated that I can't figure out what's wrong with this truck.
