Vibration on Turns

[TallPaul]

I just got my 2001 Ranger back from the shop. One of the things they did was to replace the bushings on the anti-sway bar (front) because of a clunk noise I was hearing at low speeds. Ever since I picked the Ranger up I am getting a vibration when I steer for a 90 degree turn at low speeds, say 5-10 mph.

I figure it must be a coincidence. PS fluid is not low and I had changed some of it last spring by 2 or 3 reservoir drain and refills. I do see some oil wetting on the bottom of the left boot on the rack to the tie rod, but it is not heavy or dripping.

But could the anti-sway bar bushings cause this, say if they were not lubed? Could there be some other worn part that was masked by the loose anti-sway bar bushings and now is revealed?

 

[Rand]

or the shop busted something when they were taking stuff apart for the repair.

 

[Propflux01]

Poly bushings? If so they are harder and transfer more noise and vibrations. You might be feeling the vibes of the PS pump.

 

[default]

Where does the vibration come from? Does the whole truck shake?

 

[TallPaul]

Yeah, the whole truck shook when I tried it this am, or so it felt like it, but that may be the smoothness of the parking structure floor vs regular pavement, as in my driveway it felt more like just the front end shaking.

 

[dailydriver]

I know that once you replace the factory installed, OEM, high pressure hose from the power steering pump to the rack with an aftermarket one, you usually get a strange shudder/vibration through the steering wheel (due to less than OEM level, or NONE whatsoever, NVH attenuation in the aftermarket hoses

).

I've never heard of (even the hardest poly) sway bar bushings causing this though, unless it is like previously mentioned (by Tim H.), they just amplified a vibration which was already there to the point of you REALLY feeling it.

 

[TallPaul]

Well, it didn't do it this afternoon so I am wondering if the anti-sway bar bushings just needed to wear in.

 

[mechtech2]

Shoes and other stuff has to seat and break in
before they wear out.
Hopefully, that is what is happening.
Hard bushings or any overtightening will make things be felt more.

 

[mattd]

More than likely its got the "ford shakes". For some reason, on those trucks, when you move the wheel back and forth with the engine off, the system becomes air bound. It will vibrate quickly while turning at low speed. The cure for is is to go do figure 8's in the parking lot.

 

[01rangerxl]

If it goes away I wouldn't worry about it, but if the sway bar bushings were causing vibration, I'd expect them to make a lot of noise too. I doubt they are the cause, but you never know.

My OE bushings got "crunchy" somewhere around 80-90K miles. I threw some new Moog poly bushings under it with a lot of grease, and the noise went away until this month. Sudden colder temps brought the noise back, but no vibration at all. I've only ever had audible noise from the sway bar, never vibration in the steering.