Suspension System-General Information Ford Explorer Sport Trac I

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General Specifications

Suspension System General Specifications (1 Of 2)

Suspension System General Specifications (2 Of 2)

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Wheel Alignment Angles

Caster and camber are adjusted by means of eccentric cams on the upper control arm mounting bolts. Toe is adjusted by the use of the front wheel spindle tie-rod (3280).

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Camber is the vertical tilt of the wheel when viewed from the front. Camber can be positive or negative and has a direct effect on tire wear.

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Caster is the deviation from vertical of an imaginary line drawn through the ball joints when viewed from the side. The caster specifications in this section will give the vehicle the best directional stability characteristics when loaded and driven. The caster setting is not related to tire wear.

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The vehicle toe setting

1. affects tire wear and directional stability.
2. must be checked after adding aftermarket equipment, such as a snowplow or body.

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Dogtracking is the condition in which the rear axle is not square to the chassis. Heavily crowned roads can give the illusion of dogtracking.

Wander

Wander is the tendency, of the vehicle to require frequent, random left and right steering wheel (3600). corrections to maintain a straight path down a level road.

Shimmy

Shimmy, as observed by the driver, is large, consistent, rotational oscillations of the steering wheel resulting from large, side-to-side (lateral) tire/wheel movements.

Shimmy is usually experienced near 64 km/h (40 mph), and can begin or be amplified when the tire contacts pot holes or irregularities in the road surface.

Nibble

Sometimes confused with shimmy, nibble is a condition resulting from tire interaction with various road surfaces and observed by the driver as small rotational oscillations of the steering wheel.

Poor Returnability/Sticky Steering

Poor returnability and sticky steering is used to describe the poor return of the steering wheel to center after a turn or the steering correction is completed.

Drift/Pull

Pull is a tugging sensation, felt by the hands on the steering wheel, that must be overcome to keep the vehicle going straight.

Inspection and Verification

1. Road test. Verify the customer's concern by performing a road test on a smooth road.
2. Inspect tires. Check the tire pressure with all normal loads in the vehicle and the tires cold. Verify that all tires are sized to specification. Drift describes what a vehicle with this condition does with hands off the steering wheel. A vehicle-related drift/pull, on a flat road, will cause a consistent deviation from the straight-ahead path and require constant steering input in the opposite direction to counteract the effect. Drift/pull may be induced by conditions external to the vehicle (i.e., wind, road camber). Poor Groove Feel Poor groove feel is characterized by little or no buildup of turning effort felt in the steering wheel as the wheel is rocked slowly left and right within very small turns around center or straight-ahead (under 20 degrees of steering wheel turn). Efforts may be said to be "flat on center." Under 20 degrees of turn, most of the turning effort that builds up comes from the mesh of gear teeth in the steering gear (3504). In this range, the steering wheel is not yet turned enough to feel the effort from the self-aligning forces at the road wheel or tire patch. In the diagnosis of a readability problem, it is important to understand the difference between wander and poor groove feel. Inspect the tires for incorrect wear and damage.
3. Inspect chassis and underbody. Remove any excessive accumulation of mud, dirt or road deposits from the chassis and underbody.
4. Inspect for aftermarket equipment. Check for aftermarket changes to the steering, suspension, wheel and tire components (such as competition, heavy duty, etc.) The specifications shown in this manual do not apply to vehicles equipped with aftermarket equipment. Visual Inspection Chart Mechanical Front wheel bearing(s) Loose or damaged front or rear suspension components Loose, damaged or missing suspension fastener(s) Loose or damaged shackle(s) Incorrect spring usage Damaged or sagging spring(s) Incorrect torsion bar usage Damaged or sagging torsion bar(s) Damaged or leaking shock absorber(s) Worn or damaged suspension bushing(s) Loose, worn or damaged steering system components Damaged axle components
5. If an obvious cause for an observed or reported condition is found, correct the cause (if possible) before proceeding to the next step.
6. If the fault is not visually evident, determine the symptom and proceed to the following symptom chart.

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1. Raise and support the vehicle.
2. Prior to carrying out any inspection of the ball joints, inspect the front wheel bearings (1216).
3. Position a safety stand beneath the front suspension lower arm (3079) to be tested.
4. While an assistant pulls and pushes the bottom of the tire, observe the relative movement between the lower spindle arm and the front suspension lower arm ball joint (3050). Any movement at or exceeding the specification indicates a worn or damaged lower ball joint. Install a new ball joint as necessary. For additional information, refer to «FRONT - 2WD»(/ford/explorer-sport-trac/i-2000-2005/remont/suspension-front/#front-suspension-2wd) or «FRONT - 4WD TORSION BAR»(/ford/explorer-sport-trac/i-2000-2005/remont/suspension-front/#front-suspension-4wd-torsion-bar) .
5. While an assistant pulls and pushes the top of the tire, observe the relative movement between the upper spindle arm and the front suspension upper ball joint. Movement at or exceeding the specification indicates a worn or damaged upper ball joint or loose pinch bolt joint. Tighten pinch bolt and nut as necessary. Install a new upper ball joint as necessary.

Wheel Bearing Inspection

1. Raise the vehicle until the tire is off the floor.
2. Grasp each front tire at the top and bottom and move the wheel inward and outward while lifting the weight of the tire off the front wheel bearing. NOTE: Make sure the wheel rotates freely and the brake pads are retracted sufficiently to allow movement of the tire and wheel assembly.
3. If the tire and wheel (hub) is loose on the wheel spindle or does not rotate freely, perform one of the following actions. On 4x2 vehicles, adjust the front wheel bearings. For additional information, see «WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTMENT»(/ford/explorer-sport-trac/i-2000-2005/remont/suspension-front/#front-suspension-2wd__wheel-bearing-adjustment) . On 4x4 vehicles, install a new wheel hub (1104). For additional information, see «WHEEL BEARINGS»(/ford/explorer-sport-trac/i-2000-2005/remont/suspension-front/#front-suspension-4wd-torsion-bar__wheel-bearings) .

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1. Remove the nuts and alignment plates.
2. Install the cams and the nuts
3. To increase the LF caster and camber, use the following steps. To increase caster, move the front of the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard and move the rear of the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard To increase camber, move the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard equally.
4. To decrease the LF caster and camber, use the following steps. To decrease caster, move the front of the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard and move the rear of the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard To decrease camber, move the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard equally.
5. Tighten the nuts.
6. To increase the RF caster and camber, use the following steps. To increase caster, move the front of the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard and move the rear of the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard To increase camber, move the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard equally.
7. To decrease the RF caster and camber, use the following steps. To decrease caster, move the front of the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard and move the rear of the front suspension arm bushing joint outboard To decrease camber, move the front suspension arm bushing joint inboard equally.
8. Increase the caster split. Loosen the nuts. Adjust the caster set bolts forward.
9. Decrease the caster split. Loosen the nuts Adjust the caster set bolts rearward
10. Tighten the nuts.
11. Check and if necessary adjust the front toe. For additional information, refer to «TOE ADJUSTMENT»(/ford/explorer-sport-trac/i-2000-2005/remont/suspension-front/#suspension-system-general-information) in this section.

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1. Start the engine (6007) and center the steering wheel (3600).
2. Turn the engine off, and hold the steering wheel in the "straight forward " position by attaching a rigid link from the steering wheel to the brake pedal.
3. Check the toe settings; follow the manufacturer's instructions.
4. Remove the clamps. NOTE: Do not allow the steering gear bellows to twist when the front wheel spindle tie-rod (3280) is rotated.
5. Loosen the nuts. Clean and lubricate the nut(s) and front wheel spindle tie-rod threads.
6. Rotate the front wheel spindle tie-rods.
7. Tighten the nuts.
8. Install the clamps.
9. Recheck the toe settings; follow the manufacturer's instructions.

See also:
• FRONT - 2WD
• FRONT - 4WD TORSION BAR
• WHEEL BEARING ADJUSTMENT
• WHEEL BEARINGS
• TOE ADJUSTMENT