in need of help!

[STX87ranger]

So right now my tire is leaning on the passanger side like / | so. not that bad just a slight lean to it and it keeps throwing off my alignment pretty bad. what could this be? Tie rod end? Ive found out that the truck turns really sharp. like ive never seen my other ranger turn as sharp as this one im having problems with. but only turns sharp to the right. anything would help! Thank you
-Dalton.

 

[brokemechanic3000]

could be a bent ttb arm. It has nothing to do with the toe have camber checked. sagged/broken spring

 

[STX87ranger]

Dont say bent... lol that would SUCK. What are correct specs for the camber? i thought it was sagging springs so i put spring assists in. and i think it helped a little. is it bad to have say four spring assist in one side? there is currently two in there. and i have to more left. i can try that tomorrow..

 

[upnsmoke]

Is it two or four wheel drive? I'm assuming it's an 87. You mean the tire is leaning relative to the ground, not necessarily pointing toward or away from the other one, right? Just trying to figure out the basics of what you're dealing with.

I would raise the front of the truck up and have a look at ball joints, wheel bearings, tie rod ends and drag link, beam pivot bushings, and radius arm bushings. I wouldn't suspect all those things as a direct cause of your problem, but it doesn't hurt to check while you are at it. I would have someone tilt the tire around while you watch bushings, ball joints, and the like for movement. I would suspect you have a loose ball joint or joints, or a wheel bearing problem before anything else, just going by what you have said so far. Let us know what you find.

 

[upnsmoke]

If you think your springs are sagged really bad, stock height springs can be had pretty cheap. Summit has them as low as $70 a set -click me. If you want them you can get some springs that will give you a moderate lift as well. click me

 

[doorgunner]

Leaning: (Camber) top of the tire is leaning toward the engine or away from the engine.

Turned: (Toe) front of the tire is "turned" toward the other tire or away from the other tire.

Definately check EVERYTHING while you're under the truck......

JACKSTANDS!!!!

 

[kimcrwbr1]

Take it to your local frame and axel and get a safety check. They will tell you what it needs for free. I put the parts in and give them the alignment as a courtesy.

 

[wildbill23c]

I've seen several older and newer rangers like this, probably a bearing or bushing that's worn out or even non-existent anymore. My 84 Bronco 2 leans to the rear passenger side but I think its a spring issue.

 

[STX87ranger]

Upnsmoke the truck is STX 87 4.5 lift 31's. camber. Top passanger tire is leaning towards engine. The ball joints are fine, The shop said the boot on the tie rod end looks worn. The Cross member has a crack in it. i currently do not know how to post pics. but i can send them via Text. So if you text me and let me know what you wanna see i can send pictures out. 406-546-8525.
i shall check wheel bearings and radius arms and pivots later today. Thank you
-Dalton.

 

[upnsmoke]

Hey Dalton, a cracked crossmember could definitely be a problem. A loose tie rod end will cause toe and/or steering issues, but will not necessarily effect camber. I drove around with an open boot on an inner tie rod end on my own truck for a couple years. I'm not saying that is good to do, but if it is not actually loose it is unlikely to be an immediate problem. I can't get picture texts, but opening a photobucket account is no harder than registering with this forum was. You can upload pictures to the photobucket account, and then use that to post them here. There is a better chance of coming up with a solution if more people see it anyway.

Just to give us more information about your truck, what kind of lift do you have? I would suspect there is a chance your lift kit played a role in cracking the crossmember, depending on which one is cracked. Do you know if it is the one that has the beam pivots and engine mounts or the one that holds the radius arms? It could be worth it to have someone put it on a lift and have a look at it, like kimcrwbr1 says. Even if you don't pay someone to fix it, you could at least get an idea of what is wrong with it.

 

[STX87ranger]

I think its rancho lift. Cross member is cracked to the passenger side Arm. Just a small crack. It does not move or wobble also I just list computer so still in the making of getting one.my phone is being crap online. I will post pics as soon as I can. I'll also try and get it to a shop and see what they say. Thanks.

 

[STX87ranger]

I meant to say I just lost my computer. So my phone is the only thing I got right now

 

[upnsmoke]

Keep an eye on that crossmember, and if your lift has drop brackets, make sure they haven't come loose. Let us know what you find.