1995 Chrysler New Yorker Rack and Pinion / suspension ?

Hello
Just a couple of questions or thoughts so we are on the same page. You started having a vibration as you described so that led you to replace the front struts???? Or this started afterwards? I am going to assume it was there and replacing the struts made no difference.

When you had the front end aligned after the strut replacement, they ensured that your tie rods, ball joints etc were just fine.

Now when you say you have good tires, how many miles are on them? Are you sure they are balanced correctly a high speed balance is extremely important. Is there mud or another substance stuck to the inside of the tire rim that you can see once the tire is removed? You may have thrown a weight.

The inside of the tire may have slight cord separation. A rim could be slightly bent. When the tires were installed they were not tightened in a crisscross method and or not torque correctly.

My thought my friend is it isnt the rack. I can send you the directions for removing it you have to take the manifolds and certain other things off but you don't remove the engine. Just let me know an it is there. However I don't want you doing something right now that really to me doesn't appear to be the problem. So let me know after you have reviewed all of this.

I would highly suggest you first, move the front tires to the rear and see how that does. If your tires are worn and been on there a while, replace them. By the way, Tire Rack is an excellent place to get your tires from.

Thank you for your response. I purchased the car from my grandfather's estate and do not know if the strut replacement was due to the vibration, or just being worn out. I also do not know if the tires are balanced correctly,so I suppose an alignment and re-balancing is in order.

These problems arose after I noticed a rear suspension link was broken, and in fact not even connected. I replaced the part and rotated the rear tires to the front. So this may be in the tires, but why then is the steering so difficult in a tight turn at low speed? I did wiggle the front end on both sides and felt no play in the ball joints.

I checked out the tires, no wear patterns that would indicate sever alignment problems, or separated belts etc. I suppose I suspected the rack when I learned this car is notorious for bad suspension, and eliminated the other suspension related parts. I will get an alignment and have the tires re-balanced and see what happens.

Thanks a lot.

Hello You bring up another thought, how long has the car been sitting?? Also, that broke link. Depending on how long the car has sat the tires may have a flat spot or weak, or slightly separated. The back may be just as bad as the front depending on how long it sat. Tires are wild. I drive a 95 Impala SS, with Z rated tiress..150 mph +. But if the car sits on a hot day I can get a slight flat spot because they are so soft of a tire. That is a lot of weight just sitting on one spot. Look how many tires large aircraft have. If small or large aircraft are to sit for a certain length of time, they are to be towed to rotate the tires. I think you tires are the vibration myself. And remember, a re balance of a bad tire internally only means you still have a bad tire that may still not be balanced. And don't forget......a high speed balance.

As for the hard turns at low speed, well, it has been sitting. Heck, I get stiff when I sit too long. My suggestion here is get a good lube job on the front end components. Get the front end checked and aligned to include the rear end if your model requires it and a really good lube.

Drive it for a little bit and let things loosen up. The last thing I would do is that rack. Let me know what you find out.

I've been driving it since August on a regualr basis. The steering has seemed to loosen us some but not entirely. I doubt that a flat spot is the problem given ive put 2000 miles on the car since august. I only noticed the broken link arm when i was rotating the tires. which took away a vibration on the highway when cornering. My thousht is still that there is somethign gogin on int he fron end. Just havent found it yet.

Ok I took it to a shop today and to make it short, the wheel bearings are bad. I thought there were ok, but after inspection, and feeling the red hot hub.....yeah. So any help on dissasembly, I have all the bolts loose, is the wheel flange pressed on? I have access to a puller if so, or do i just need to spray it with penetrant and coax it with a hammer and torch? Anything else I need to watch out for in the replacement. I am doing both sides. I will have the parts tomorrow am am trying to dissasemble so I can get Iback on the road.

Hello - Glad you found the problem. I have attached the info you requested. Just a couple of notes, looks like you can use a pry bar but the note tells you to be careful not to bend the finger. Also, it tells you to always use a new stub shaft nut when installing. Careful on the sensor.....they can be a bear. I have tore them up before as they almost weld to the knuckle. Some of them I have been able to use the same size socket and on the back side, tap the socket and that drives it out. That's all I got on this.........good luck. Raise and support vehicle then remove tire and wheel assemblies. Remove front caliper assembly and rotor from the steering knuckle as outlined in the "Disc Brakes" unit repair section. Remove ABS speed sensor as follows: Remove bolt retaining sensor to steering knuckle.

Slide sensor from steering knuckle. If sensor is stuck into knuckle do not use pliers on sensor body. Using a suitable punch, tap on sensor body ear to rock sensor loose from knuckle. Remove hub and bearing to stub axle retaining nut.

Remove hub bolts, then remove hub and bearing assembly from steering knuckle by sliding it straight off end of stub axle. If metal seal on hub and bearing assembly is seized to steering knuckle and becomes dislodged on hub and bearing assembly during removal, or when removing hub and bearing, the flinger disc on hub becomes damaged, hub and bearing assembly must be replaced.

If hub and bearing will not slide out of knuckle, insert a pry bar between hub and steering knuckle and gently pry hub and bearing from knuckle. Reverse procedure to install, noting the following: Always use a new stub shaft nut when installing. Tighten stub shaft nut, then lower vehicle and, with brakes applied, torque stub shaft nut to 120 ft-lbs .

OK got it all apart. While I have your attention I have another question. Back in August the turn signals stopped working, and the automatic down drivers window started working. I replaced the flasher relay, and nothing. I replaced the battery as it was old and weak, and suddenly the turn signals started workign again, but the drivers window does not (the automatic down function, the wondow still works). Does the battery replacement have somethign to do with this, or jsut a coincidence? all other electrical parts work fine; knock on wood, except the drivers auto down window. I suspect a bad ground.... any thoughts?

Hello

Well, once you get the wagon wheels back on and it’s drivable – go to Auto Zone or O’Reilly’s and for free they can pull the codes to the car. Most important. Once they check your codes, if they find something and you don’t get it fixed and need to get back with us, please make sure you tell us exactly what the code was, number and all. Example, if the code was E0568 O2 Sensor bad. Then make sure you give us all of that. While there for free also they can bring their tester out and check your battery, alternator and starter. This is most important since the car has been sitting – even though you have been driving it.

Let me know the results and we can take if from there. Glad the wheels are coming along.

OK wheel bearings are replaced, it rides smooth. New problem, when I hit 70 the steering column starts to bounce up and down, sometimes worse than others. It does go straight down the road if you let go of the wheel. I did not have them check the wheel balance when I had the bearing problem discovered. I suppose that is what youre going to tell me next. I did inspect the tires, and so did the technician. No evidence of thrown weights , and no seperated belts. I'm going to drive it down the interstate this afternoon and see how bad it is. I live in the country and the roads are not the best. So maybe a smooth road will give a better idea. Too bad my grandfater did not believe in preventative maintenance.

Hello - akamario When you say the steering column starts to bounce up and down, are you talking about the steering wheel level adjustment is not holding the steering wheel tight in a proper position or you can move the entire column in and out? I would suggest you check all of the connections from the steering wheel down to the rack. There may be a grease fitting where the column connects to the rack, lube it. Ensure it is secure all the way. Inspecting the tires is good.........but putting them on a high speed balance is the best thing. Even though it may have not thrown a weight that doesn't mean the tire is properly balanced since it has been sitting and even though you have been driving it. If you don't get the smooth ride you are looking for - go for the high speed spin balance.

Heh. that made me laugh, but I suppose you have to start with he simplest thing first and go from there. The bounce is coming from the front end, sorry I didn't specify, I suppose a better way to explain it would be a slow frequency vibration. Ever driven down an exceptionally bumpy road, like a wash boarded gravel road at moderate speed and the steering wheel starts to jump around, almost as if the suspension cant compensate quick enough? It's like that, but I'm on a smooth road. Only happens at 60 mph and up, below that there is noting coming through the wheel, its rides pretty nice.

When I steer to the right at 60moh and above I get a rapid "thump thump thump" I called the dealer and they told me to spray WD-40 on the strut mount? I looked and Im not sure what I'm aiming for. I got the repair history for the car. evidently the struts are not new as i was told depite still being new looking. It does have new tie rods ends and everything else in the front end is still tight, so what is this stut mount that I need to juice up woth WD-40?

Hello - akamario, I have attached a pic of the mount. It is the very top item. I would make sure all the nuts/bolts are good and tight with the weight on the wheels. Ball joints can be an issue too. But.....I am still going to go back to that high speed balance on the tire thing. All 4 and then if you still have the sound move the rear to the front. You would be amazed at noises etc that tires can have/make.

I had all the tires rebalanced, nad you are right about that. The tires that were on the front i moved to the back and thats when all these problems started coming up. The tires that were on the back are almost new, I discovered one rim was bent so I have a spare on for that one currently. The other almost new tire was on the drivers front, and I was still getting a terrible shake in the wheel... but that one balanced out ok, so I took that one off, and stole another spare off of my Dad's Concorde. I put the original tires that were on the front, back on the front, and it runs much smoother that it did. the only noticeable problem in the front end now is the thumping. I plan on putting new tires in the car once I figure out these suspension problems. So for now there are 2 old tires on the front and 2- spares ( full size spares) on the rear axle. And I am looking for some used wheels that match the originals. I have not dismounted the almost new tire yet to check it out, either the rim is slightly bent or there is a tire problem that I cant see with the naked eye. I'm going to take the tires to a shop and have them look at them.

My input - get all the tires/rims fixed first.....you may not have a problem.