89 bronco question

[Samuelbarthelemy]

I just bought an 89 broncoII 4x4 v6 4speed w/OD. Runs great and tranny is good driving at highway speeds if I hit a pothole or something the steering goes crazy, steering wheel is loose like not very reactive, guy I bought it from said it needs a f alignment and rear shocks, I was just wondering if that sounds right to you guys. help or tips, thanks. That and any lift kits you guys would suggest, nothing big just ittle bigger then stock tires on it, or does anyone know what the biggest tires you rims with stock heighT.

 

[Robert_1967]

you need to jack the front end up off the ground and check the balljoints, and tierods, also the pitman arm.
Sounds like the front end is loose and needs work.

My ranger had alot of play in the front end till I replaced the tie rods and tie rod ends, you can get a full set off e-bay from around 60 to 80 dollors


Robert

 

[extremeema]

i have an 89' bronco nothign like that is wrong with my husbands.

 

[jackofroses]

i wouldnt have a front end place do your alignment until you make sure that you know what parts are worn out. you can get each and every part for reasonable coin , and they are fairly easy to change out...(except the pitman arm)....with oversized tires , theyll often scallop (from slamming the brakes at high speeds) and then wont be round anymore...that'll give you trouble on road...another thought is that you may have a bent sway(stabilizer) bar. or even a bad (or no) steering stabilizer (horizontal shock )...

you can crudely check your front end alignment by .... putting both wheels on stands (off the ground) , then take a third stand , and hold a screwdriver , piece of metal , or marker very still against the tire (where it touches the road) turn the wheel so the mark goes all the way around the tire (anywhere on the tread) , repeat for other tire.

now measure this distance between the marks (youll need a friend) in front and back.
they should measure the same (no matter what that measurement is).

 

[Samuelbarthelemy]

Thanks

thanks everyone, I will buy new tie rods. I appreciate you all getting back to me. iIwill post some pictures when I get those repairs completed

 

[TeamExploder]

Don't know which you plan on doing but I would recommend doing both inner and outers. And inspect your ball joints before you start because if they need done and you can afford it you might as well do those while your in there.

 

[Samuelbarthelemy]

The guy I bought it from said he just replaced the balljoints and bearings. Also any one know what size shocks I need (is there any that would fit stock height and a 3inch so I don't have to buy a new one when I lift it

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Sounds like something is loose, any competent mechanic could tell you just what parts are bad.

Wheel bearings need to be properly tightened or else they will cause problems.

Bronco IIs did not come factory with steering stabilizers. And with stock tires or slightly larger than stock tires there is no need for it. (If you need one in that situation, you're trying to mask the problem instead of fix it).

Worn suspension bushings can also be contributing to the problem. I would highly recommend jacking up the front of the truck, supporting it on jackstands, and start inspecting things and yanking on stuff to see what moves that shouldn't. I've seen trashed radius arm mounts and bushings before that were the cause of bad handling.

An alignment is a good idea. But make sure everything is fixed first and take it to a reputable place that has experience working with TTB (Twin Traction Beam) and TIB (Twin I-Beam) front suspensions.

If you're doing a body lift, there is no need for longer shocks. If you're doing a suspension lift, the stock shocks are good for up to 2" of lift. You can buy lift shocks for it but they may not fit very well in stock form. I have gone through a junkyard before in search of new looking shocks to fit my truck so I could get it by until I got my suspension work done.