Re: FORD ESCORT '94 STEERING/TRACKING PROBLEMS

Reporting back. Steering wheel turns equal turns right and left. The
wheel base length are equal. The steering rods are showing almost
equal threads before they meet with the adjusting nuts on each of the
track ends. I didn't take the track rod ends off since I don't think
this would lead to the tracking actually drifting out after it has
been adjusted. I feel pretty sure this would only be due to worn
joints/bushes although I admit this is purely a guess and I could be
wrong. The track rod ends show no signs of untoward free play.
Checked pretty much everything for tightness. The n/s lower suspension
arm looks to be the only place where I can actually see deterioration.
The balljoint which is pinch-bolted to the hub has a badly split
rubber - almost definitely caused by a balljoint separator sometime in
the last couple of years (not down to me - so must be one of the
mechanics I've used, though I can't think of recent job that would
have required separation) and the rubbers around the bushes on the
other end of the arms show signs of cracking but are sound. So far,
from what I can see myself, it would seem that I should replace the n/
s lower sus arm but then I'm only back to where I was after Ford
fitted both o/s and n/s two years ago after which the tracking was a
problem. Having said this, the part isn't an expensive one so I guess
it could be worth a try. It's only when you spend some time looking
this way and that at a problem that quirky things start showing up. I
hadn't really noticed it before but looking at the car from the front,
with the steering in the straight ahead position, the wheels look to
lean slightly in at the top, in other words they are not vertical and
the wheels seem slightly splayed. Not sure if this would indicate a
problem. Taking everything into account
I'm now wondering whether the tracking was adjusted properly. I think
I might just take up the suggestion to find someone of sound mind to
recheck the tracking preferrably the good old fashioned Dunlop tool
mentioned ! Thanks for all your help. ATB Larry
.

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