2000 Lincoln LS pulls really hard while driving

H

Hatdaddyin00LS

New LVC Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
Louisville
Hey fine folks of LVC. Please help if someone has had this problem in the past or knows what my issue may be. About a month ago i was driving along and my driver's side wheel spindle came completely off. I had that replaced and it cost me nearly 500.00 but all was well for about two weeks. Last week i was driving along and I hit a bit of a pot hole, the car bottomed out a bit and it made a loud noise and my car has not been the same since. When I am driving the car, it wants to pull really hard to the left or the right. It almost feels what some mechanics would describe as 'body roll,' to attempt to explain my issue a little better. I have since got underneath the car and can not physically see anything wrong with it. I am a FT college student and i work FT so I really need to get this issue solved as cheaply as possible. It doesn't do it at any particular rate of speed or anything, the car just seems to 'yank,' back in forth while driving, period. The steering still seems to be working fine and the car responds to me turning but you can feel the car trying to yank to either the left or right side. The tires on the car are a bit bald but still doesnt seem to be a plausible explanation for my problems. Please help or attempt to send me in the right direction. I know that my explanation is pretty limited but thats the best way to describe it. If someone needs me to explain something a little better in an attempt to help me out I will try my hardest. The car is literally making turns by itself. ANY HELP would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks a lot!!!
 
I had the exact same problem when I first bought my LS. It would jerk back and forth going down the road, almost as if I was driving in a nasty deep groove in the road. I would jack it up and check for play in the ball joints, wheel bearings and tie rods and had no play. One day I looked under it while it was still on the ground and found the ball joint nuts, (someone tried to double nut it), were loose. I tightened the nuts and the problem went away. Ultimately they loosened back up again so I replaced the ball joints and haven't had the problem since.
Check you ball joints. Even if they don't look loose, try to tighten them and see what happens. If they are loose, you should replace them or at least the lock nuts.
 
Something broke loose. Could be ball joints. Could be outer tie rods.
Get the car up on ramps and start poking around. If it's not the ball joints, then you'll almost certainly have to pay a shop to do an alignment.
 
I had the same problem. I was advised by the dealer to replace the lower ball joints and tie rod ends, and by an independent to replace the lower ball joints and upper control arm bushings (i.e. the entire UCA).

I replaced the ball joints and it resolved the issue. I'm going to have another inspection done later this year before I drive from GA to CO.
 
Hatdaddyin00LS said:
Hey fine folks of LVC. Please help if someone has had this problem in the past or knows what my issue may be. About a month ago i was driving along and my driver's side wheel spindle came completely off. I had that replaced and it cost me nearly 500.00 but all was well for about two weeks. Last week i was driving along and I hit a bit of a pot hole, the car bottomed out a bit and it made a loud noise and my car has not been the same since. When I am driving the car, it wants to pull really hard to the left or the right. It almost feels what some mechanics would describe as 'body roll,' to attempt to explain my issue a little better. I have since got underneath the car and can not physically see anything wrong with it. I am a FT college student and i work FT so I really need to get this issue solved as cheaply as possible. It doesn't do it at any particular rate of speed or anything, the car just seems to 'yank,' back in forth while driving, period. The steering still seems to be working fine and the car responds to me turning but you can feel the car trying to yank to either the left or right side. The tires on the car are a bit bald but still doesnt seem to be a plausible explanation for my problems. Please help or attempt to send me in the right direction. I know that my explanation is pretty limited but thats the best way to describe it. If someone needs me to explain something a little better in an attempt to help me out I will try my hardest. The car is literally making turns by itself. ANY HELP would be GREATLY APPRECIATED. Thanks a lot!!!
Click to expand...


This is the reason imnot driving my LS currently (along with chances of snow)

I wouldnt say mine yanks, but it does drift sid to side on its own. Nerve racking when you are taking turns on the highway or high speed limit road. Feels like im on a boat lol
 
holy @#$%@! That is really scary.
You're lucky you didn't learn about that while sitting in a ditch. Is that the original ball joint?
 
Good thing you caught that before something catastrophic happened. Good catch. Hope it didn't gall out your control arms too much. I think I read @Rollin had to replace his because of worn ball joints.
 
@oddball: its aftermarket. I replaced them around 98k (@128,6xx now)

@jmtiseo: so am i, i ride with my wife and son in the car daily

Op, get yours checked out yet?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

No members online now.
Total: 90 (members: 0, guests: 90)
Back
Top