i am looking at buying a 99 ranger 2.5 4cyl from a buddy at work. He told me it has a issue but doesnt know what it is so i went and test drove the truck. Ran and rode great but when turning at slow speeds or just turning the wheel back and forth stopped the truck shakes and has a slight whine noise. The only thing is it doesnt always shake and shimmy with the slow turns id say about 80% of the time. The light whining noise is always their and does not change pitch.....could be how these motors sound never drove one before. Any ideas

thanks Jeff

 

Sounds like the power steering pump has issues. Mine whines all the time, several others I know of do also, but then there are some that dont. Just a Ford thing with power steering pumps.
The way you describe the shaking it seems it is doing it when idling or sitting still ... which sounds like maybe the drive belt may be worn and slipping when the motor is running slow... but it could be other issues from a tie rod end worn to a worn ball joints also. You need someone that live near you that is mechanically inclined to check it out while you turn the wheel, it's hard to diagnose for sure without actually seeing and hearing it.

 

If you turn the wheel and feel shaking in the steering wheel, theres air in the PS system. Check the fluid add if needed. Do tight low speed circles to work the air out of the rack. Recheck the fluid level.

 

Sometimes worn ball joints put things under more friction and cause resistance to turning as well. It does sound like a steering issue, but it's hard to say just what it might be.

Either the steering is weak, or the force required to steer it is excessive -- either gives you the same result. Are the tires fully inflated? Soft tires increase steering force also.

 

Prolly a stupid question but was there snow on the ground? Mine will do the same thing. Its because the tires are grabbging then slipping the grabbing then slipping as the tires move

 

no snow and the tires are toe'd out slightly.....just trying to figure it out getting a good price if i buy it

 

bump

 

bump....... What?


Have you checked items listed above?

 

just looking for other ideas i havent been back to pick the truck up yet.

 

Ideas are great -- doesn't tell you what the problem actually is. We can neither diagnose it nor repair it or even give you a good idea of how much it will take to fix it. Bumping the topic doesn't change that, lol...

 

@malydeen
Not quite sure how old this is. BUT.. my 01 2.3l is having this issue and YES there was snow on the ground!!!! also a big piece of now knocked a sensor out of the PS system (I replaced it.). Did you solve your issue?!?!?!?! Thanks :)