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1992 Ranger Custom, 3.0 V6, auto, standard cab, 6ft bed
I’m pretty sure this has always been this way since I bought the truck over a year ago. This bushing is bent. I investigated and found it when I noticed my steering wheel, when driving straight, is very slightly turned to the left. It wasn’t noticeable before but now I know about it, it bugs me sorta. Could this bent bushing cause the misalignment? The bent bushing is on the left side, the left bushing (drivers side). I’m about to go take a picture, and will post a better one maybe when I get home.
Also... how the bell could that get bent!? Wouldn’t a lot of other stuff get hit before making contact with the bushing? Everything else looks unscathed... it’s a mystery. Only thing I can think of is an example like someone drove off into a ditch or a drop with nothing but one good sized rock below, and landed directly on it with the bushing.. or drove forward out of something and hit a rock or something sticking up high enough... but there’s stuff in the way...idk... I’m more just wondering if it affects the steering wheel being to the left very slightly going straight
welp things only get bent from a force acting upon it. Check the lower A arms and frame for damage, hammer marks, welds, mysterious paint, etc. Its almost like that wheel hit a curb hard or was hit by another car and bent some ****. Is the tie rod mysteriously new? ive seen them bust and the wheel flip back and bend **** as well.
Alignment may be as good as it gets with bent parts. Check on the inside of that fender for color matching the rest of the truck.
I’ve checked over and over but I’ll do another good check and drag the ramps or floor jack out tomorrow. Previous owner told me about how he bent the bumper with good detail. Reversed backwards and accidentally steered into a drop off the road, sort of like a ditch but it’s a drop where trees and **** is beyond the road. When he went in it stopped the truck since it was at an angle and the bumper went into the ground or something. Didn’t get out to look just drove it back out onto the road. May have been from that he said. No other major accidents or anything close to that.
Anyway the sway bar looked fine. I’ll take more pictures of everything around there and please tell me if you see anything off... I’ll post tomorrow.
Wait that wheel may have hit a curb. Like driving almost along side it hitting it only at a slight angle at maybe 10mph in a slight incline leaving a parking lot with a sidewalk on the left. This may have caused it if your curb theory is true.
05-23-2018
