[Boghog]

Hello All.
I'm new to this forum and am looking for a little technical help.I just purchased a used 02 Tribute.It has some quirks but thats to be expected with 130K miles on it.My questions are 1st has anyone had issues with tires wearing on the LF inside edge and 2nd I get this nasty metalic noise from the front end when I go over a speed bump

[mod]Moved to Problems and Solutions.[/mod]

 

[Squishy]

Hi Boghog, welcome to the forums. I moved this post over to Problems and Solutions.

LF tire wearing on the inside sounds like an alignment problem, either camber (tire is going down the road tilted on the inside edge) or toe (tire is not straight, and the inside edge is the leading edge being dragged down the road). An alignment shop should be able to correct it for you.

For the noise going over bumps, I would start with sway bar links. Those are the really thin metal rods, about ten inches long, that connect to the strut on each side of the car. They tend to wear out around or before (sometimes way before) the mileage you have on it. If they don't feel loose in the socket and you can turn it side-to-side without the metallic noises, then put the car on a steady jack stand, leaving one front wheel on the ground, and pull/pry at suspension components until you find something loose. It helps to start with the tire on and grabbing it at 3- and 9-o'clock, then checking for play when you try to rock it back and forth. Repeat using 6- and 12-o'clock.

 

[Tribby]

I agree with Squishy. I would check your sway bar links. It is a very common problem and hundreds of people on the Escape forums had to replace them. Lucky it is quite cheep to do, especially if you do it yourself :thumb:

 

[stone]

I had my sway bar links replaced a while back. As regards the uneven tyre wear, it might possibly need a wheel alignment.

 

[CrashNburn]

mine makes that clunk on a regular basis, its just a link kit, the tire wear is most likely caused by a warn ball joint, or bad wheel bearings.

 

[Boghog]

Thanks for all the feedback...you guys did good and that builds a sense of trust.As a former Mazda Master(boy it's tough to get old) Tech,I still tinker a bit.I agree on the alignment for the tire wear as the camber is out so far you can see it.Guess I'll have to get a set of camber bolts to add a bit more pos camber and maybe it'll handle better.Not so sure on the links.that usually makes noise over all bumps not just speed bumps.Could be swaybar bushings dried out and moaning with the extra travel over the big bumps.but,i'll definately check both.

 

[jpark]

The sway bar bushings are the easiest things to check.

If they're shrunken or cracked, you're right---the sway bar will make noise. If one or both are missing, you'll hear metallic noises as the bar moves inside the bushing brackets.

 

[Squishy]

If the sound only appears with a large degree of suspension travel, then I'm not so sure about the links either. In addition to the sway bar bushings, check that your struts are still good. I have seen a case where the rear struts on a Neon seized up so badly that speed bumps or even a quick right turn would compress the strut, where it would seize and lift the tire off the ground for a second, then come down with a bang. (And yes, they actually used struts in the rear)