Welcome Visitor! Please take a few seconds and MAKG
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2007
- Messages
- 4,634
- Reaction score
- 19
- Points
- 0
- Location
- California central coast
- Vehicle Year
- 1991
- Make / Model
- Ford
- Engine Size
- 4.0L
- Transmission
- Manual
The Prizm got a flat yesterday, so the wife drove it into Wheel Works. Of course, they did an inspection, and came up with a worn balljoint and two worn inner tie rods.
I inspected them myself this afternoon, and I really don't feel anything wrong with it, except for a tiny bit of play (questionably detectible -- it's THAT small) in the left side inner tie rod. I don't have much experience with rack & pinion steering, but the parts are cheap (less than $25 apiece) and the thing is pushing 300K miles, and they are original, so I'm considering it anyway.
There is SOMETHING loose in front -- you can feel it a little at high speed (I think it's the left side driveaxle or side gear), and a separate substantial shake on braking. I think it just needs a major brake job (pads, rotors and new slide bolts; maybe calipers).
Wheel Works also reported a leaking left rear wheel cylinder. It's a bit damp; they scared the crap out of my wife; I think it can wait until the next rear brake job (~20% on shoes) unless it gets a lot worse. Due to the shudder, I may just do all four brakes in a few weeks.
Are there any "gotchas" inspecting these things with drooping but assembled suspension, or am I fooling myself by not disassembling and manhandling them? That balljoint really doesn't seem problematic to me.
This particular shop (Campbell, CA) has identified non-problems before; specifically, they blamed the previous brake shudder on rear wheel torque struts and even pried them claiming the bushings were shot. I replaced them and it didn't make a damn bit of difference; what DID was replacing the near-spec front rotors. I wonder if they tried to fleece my wife. They certainly tried to scare her, claiming the balljoint was at risk of dropping the wheel off (which might have been true if it were a LOT worse).
I inspected them myself this afternoon, and I really don't feel anything wrong with it, except for a tiny bit of play (questionably detectible -- it's THAT small) in the left side inner tie rod. I don't have much experience with rack & pinion steering, but the parts are cheap (less than $25 apiece) and the thing is pushing 300K miles, and they are original, so I'm considering it anyway.
There is SOMETHING loose in front -- you can feel it a little at high speed (I think it's the left side driveaxle or side gear), and a separate substantial shake on braking. I think it just needs a major brake job (pads, rotors and new slide bolts; maybe calipers).
Wheel Works also reported a leaking left rear wheel cylinder. It's a bit damp; they scared the crap out of my wife; I think it can wait until the next rear brake job (~20% on shoes) unless it gets a lot worse. Due to the shudder, I may just do all four brakes in a few weeks.
Are there any "gotchas" inspecting these things with drooping but assembled suspension, or am I fooling myself by not disassembling and manhandling them? That balljoint really doesn't seem problematic to me.
This particular shop (Campbell, CA) has identified non-problems before; specifically, they blamed the previous brake shudder on rear wheel torque struts and even pried them claiming the bushings were shot. I replaced them and it didn't make a damn bit of difference; what DID was replacing the near-spec front rotors. I wonder if they tried to fleece my wife. They certainly tried to scare her, claiming the balljoint was at risk of dropping the wheel off (which might have been true if it were a LOT worse).
