A few months ago, I did an alignment in my Cherokee and noticed that the left knuckle ball joints were tight. Not bad, but a bit on the tight side.
Over the last few months, it's been driving weirder and weider. Doesn't track straight, and I had to put a LOT of force to move the wheel - even going down the highway! Steering wasn't precise and if you hit a bump in a turn, it would take off in any random direction.
Since I was going to be putting a new front axle in, I did ball joints on the new front axle.
Swapped it in yesterday. It's a completely different vehicle.
The steering is feather light, it tracks straight as an arrow, and the steering is super precise. It drives just as nice as my car!
The other thing it was doing lately, was the power steering pump would ALWAYS whine when pulling into a parking spot. Not any more!
The left knuckle was SEIZED ... couldn't move it by hand at all. The right ball joints were lose (as in ready to fall out).
Glad I finally did my axle swap!
I'm all over the road now because I am so used to having to put so much pressure on the steering wheel. Minor adjustments (road changes, directin, etc) I end up putting wayyy too much pressure on the wheel and swerve over one way or another.
I can actually maneuver in parking spots with one hand! Before, it felt like there was no power steering!
Over the last few months, it's been driving weirder and weider. Doesn't track straight, and I had to put a LOT of force to move the wheel - even going down the highway! Steering wasn't precise and if you hit a bump in a turn, it would take off in any random direction.
Since I was going to be putting a new front axle in, I did ball joints on the new front axle.
Swapped it in yesterday. It's a completely different vehicle.
The steering is feather light, it tracks straight as an arrow, and the steering is super precise. It drives just as nice as my car!
The other thing it was doing lately, was the power steering pump would ALWAYS whine when pulling into a parking spot. Not any more!
The left knuckle was SEIZED ... couldn't move it by hand at all. The right ball joints were lose (as in ready to fall out).
Glad I finally did my axle swap!
I'm all over the road now because I am so used to having to put so much pressure on the steering wheel. Minor adjustments (road changes, directin, etc) I end up putting wayyy too much pressure on the wheel and swerve over one way or another.
I can actually maneuver in parking spots with one hand! Before, it felt like there was no power steering!
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