Issue with Steering Wheel Shaking

[Triton]

Hi guys.. I've got an '03 with 75k miles. I'm starting to notice a little bit of 'shaking' in the steering wheel lately. The issue is definately worse when braking, however I seem to notice it to a lesser extend occasionally when accelerating as well. The front end was just replaced a couple months ago and the alignment was set at the time. I was going to go ahead and machine (or replace) my rotors this weekend and check the pads. Is this likely to just be an issue with the rotors, or could this be an issue with the steering instead?

Thanks

[SLOWBRA]

Warped rotors could certainly cause this. If your rotors and pads are old I would definitely start there.

[2manytrucks]

check your tire wear and possibly think about getting it re-aligned now that every thing has settled. If you are lowered think about using the Lightning specs.

[SoCal Waite]

Who did the front end work? What kind of parts did they use? Do they warranty their work or the parts? If you are getting it both braking and accelerating it is likely worn parts. I would get tie rod ends and/or idler/pitman arm(s)

Don't turn your rotors, just get new ones. Ford specs the rotors for our trucks to be non serviceable.

[harleyhank]

Have you had clunk-washers installed before front end alignment was done??? Like SoCal Waite said replace rotors don't turn. I would go back to the shop that done the R&R of your front end parts and have then recheck their work ...good luck.
.

[Triton]

I actually had a friend of mine here from the site (Breaker85) help me out with replacing the front end a couple of months ago. We replaced the clunk washers at the time and used XFR parts. Jake normally does excellent work but I will double check the front end as well.

Thanks for the help!

[SoCal Waite]

If you got the parts from The Tire Club, unless they were in XFR boxes, I wouldn't trust them. I bought 2 front end kits from them, and they were supposed to be XFR parts. None of them were.

The first kit I received was short several parts. They did send the parts I needed at no cost, only my inconvenience. Then after installing all the parts I took my truck to the alignment shop to find out that the LBJ's I got were loose from the get go, and needed to be replaced before a good alignment could be set. So I again called The Tire Club and made them send me new ball joints and pay for the alignment that I had to pay for and would have to redo.

The second kit I received contained the same junk LBJ's as the first kit as well as 2 Left Hand Upper Control Arms!! When I found this I already had the truck in pieces and needed the parts ASAP, so I went to the parts store and picked up 2 Moog UCA's and 2 Moog LBJ's. When I called the The Tire Club to tell them, they said "Just send them back at your expense, and we'll refund you the cost." Needless to say I still have all the crap parts taking up space in my garage as shipping them all back would've cost ME $63, which is about what I suspect they would refunded me, give or take.

All that said, check your LBJ's. Jack it up, take a wheel off the front, and use a pry bar to move the spindle up and down/back and forth looking for sloppiness. Here is a video of my Brand New LBJ's:

https://youtu.be/rb4ItapE6WU

The rest of you, learn from my pain, stay very far away from The Tire Club, they are crooks.

[harleyhank]

So SoCal Waite I hate to hear about so much trouble with the Tire Club. I believe Merlin used XRF front end parts.And it seems they worked for him.
To get in contact with XRF you can reach them at 1-877-674-4030 and see if they can help on the parts in the garage collecting dust. Hope you get this all sorted out. Good luck . & that you get good alignment, bad alignments eat up tires as we all know.

[BRIANV]

My steering wheel shakes only under hard acceleration. Which is all the time