Pigeon Toed Front end

[barrett86]

ok so my front end is pigeon toed and when i first bought my bronco i replaced the tie-rod ends, now after driving it , it is pigeon toed and im chewing up tires left and right, one guy tells me my ball joints are shot, and another shop tells me i need an alignment. what do you think is the most accurate answer. i need to know to better spend my money wisely.

 

[bidibronco]

I believe that if you get the ball joints done you "should" have the alignment done as well.

 

[Seabronc]

ok so my front end is pigeon toed and when i first bought my bronco i replaced the tie-rod ends, now after driving it , it is pigeon toed and im chewing up tires left and right, one guy tells me my ball joints are shot, and another shop tells me i need an alignment. what do you think is the most accurate answer. i need to know to better spend my money wisely.

Can you see the toe in? Has this happened since the tie rods? If so, then you most likely did it to yourself when you did the tie rod ends. Have you jacked it up to see if you have play in the ball joints?

>-

 

[Broncobill78]

After you did the tie-rods you *should* have had it aligned. Did you ? If not then that's your problem. Also, when the alignment is done they'll *tell* you exactly what's bad. A reputable shop won't align a truck with bad ball-joints, they'll tell you to fix them & bring it back or offer to fix it for you. Bring it to an alignment shop & ask them to take a look at it. If you're cool they'll align it and you're done otherwise they'll tell you what you need to fix.

 

[barrett86]

after the tie rod ends where done it sat for about a year, i did a vast amount of replacing and put many many wrench hours into her, and then she sat because of title problems, well got everything handled and started driving it, and i took it to my dads work to get aligned and the guy said my ball joints were shot and that they needed to be replace, on the passanger side there is slight play up and down but no play at all on the driver side. so idk what to do.

 

[Broncobill78]

Well, gosh. I'm not trying to be an a$$ but you've brought it to an alignment shop & they told you that the ball joints are junk. So where's the problem ? If you doubt their word or you just need to hear it again (and trust me, I'm in touch with that.) then bring it to another shop and get a 2nd opinion. I mean, bad ball-joits are bad ball-joints & no number of alignmets will fix that. You might find a shop that will align it for you regardless of what shape it's in but *that's* not a shop I'd visit twice.

 

[barrett86]

very true butttt, i need to get a second opinion, since i dont have my cousin around anymore, he s a Senior Master Ford Certified Tech, AKA a position some ppl work their whole life to get and he is one. he knows broncos and every nut bolt , blah blah blah about them so i miss having him around for my help so i reach out to my fellow bronco owners. thanks guys.

 

[Broncobill78]

I hear ya man, but front ends are one of those things that are pretty much impossible to *really* diagnose online. The best advise I can give you is to take it to a 2nd or 3rd shop and get a few more professional opinions. Good shops won't charge you for an estimate and after hearing from 1 or 2 more pros you should feel pretty comfortable with knowing what needs to be done. The only thing it will cost you is some time.

 

[Seabronc]

i took it to my dads work to get aligned and the guy said my ball joints were shot and that they needed to be replace, on the passanger side there is slight play up and down but no play at all on the driver side. so idk what to do.

If you have play in them, you have a problem, you may only be able to get a slight movement by hand but that is only the proverbial "Tip of the Iceberg" compared to how your truck is able to get them to move. Do you actually think someone in the shop your dad works at is going to try to rip you off? Me maybe, but you?? If your cousin isn't there to check with, you got to find someone you can trust .

Good luck,

>-

 

[barrett86]

very true, ill take it to another shop tomorrow cuz im off but when i put it in 4x4 now since its slick outside, im seriously ALL OVER the FN road, its out of control like i go from lane to lane cuz its so bad., its gunna cause me to wreck, now would that be because a bad u-joint on the driver axle like the other problem i asked about or something else.

 

[Seabronc]

very true, ill take it to another shop tomorrow cuz im off but when i put it in 4x4 now since its slick outside, im seriously ALL OVER the FN road, its out of control like i go from lane to lane cuz its so bad., its gunna cause me to wreck, now would that be because a bad u-joint on the driver axle like the other problem i asked about or something else.

Yes it will, it all front end related. Take that off the road before you get hurt or someone else gets hurt or worse.

>-

 

[Broncobill78]

I gotta agree, if you're darting all over the road you've got a worn front end, no doubt about it. If you can move it at ALL with your hands then stop & think just how much MORE mechanical advantage the power steering (that's *hydraulically* assisted. Ever see how much pressure your PS pump generates to do it's job ?) not to mention how much force is placed on those joints by a 6000lb object traveling at 50mph. The numbers are staggering, any motion you can make in them with your hand is *easily* magnified by a 10X (actually it's WAY more than 10x) when you're driving. If you're having trouble controlling it then you really don't need anybody to tell you there's a problem do you ? Take it to another shop if you have reason to distrust your Dad's but get it fixed.

 

[barrett86]

it only does it in 4x4 not 2x4 so yah,

 

[Xearo69]

it only does it in 4x4 not 2x4 so yah,

yah my truck is all over the place similarly but in 2wd.. its not real bad otherwise i wouldnt drive it.. i stopped taking it on the freeway however beacuse that was a bit dangerous!!! i wish i just had a new truck lol

man my old subaru was the shit!!! never had problems and it weighed half as much and had a locked rearend.

 

[4X4RedNeck]

Hmm. Ball joints can be a good investment, especially if you see that there is play. But also, wheel bearings can go to **** on you and chew up tires, but if you can see that the front end is pigeon toed check the tie rods again. People do make mistakes. Take it to several mechanics if you have to.

 

[barrett86]

would it just be my tie rods tightened too far, or what

 

[4X4RedNeck]

That could very much be a possibility. Take it in if you want to and see what different mechanics have to say. Point em in that direction and let them come up with some diagnostics.