I drive a good pos 2006 f150. Its a hand me down which was handed down with a lot of problems that I’ve fixed for the most part. I’m now in a position where I can save for a new vehicle and get rid of some stress in my life.
The most recent problem is that whenever my front right tire makes a rotation, my steering wheel jerks to the right a bit, and my ride is a bit bumpy at most speeds. With the research I’ve done, I’ve narrowed it down to either a bad tire, tie rod, ball joint or bearing.
While I haven’t fixed anything like that before, I’ve fixed other things myself, the most fun one being the starter. Some of my friends are well versed in the mechanical world, although they’re a couple hours away. My dilemma: do I attempt it myself for 100-200 in parts? Or do I take it to the mechanic? How much you reckon a Florida mechanic would charge for something like that today?
Tire deformations that cause pulling to the side can be verified by swapping wheels on the same axis (should not be performed on a rainy/snowy day when tires are directional). If the car begins to pull to the opposite directlon, you have the answer.
That is what I read and figured. If it’s a bad tire, I could take a good hour switching the front two, and then theoretically the wheel would jerk to the opposite side as well as the other symptoms. However, I fear it’s more than just the tire that’s fubar. The tread on it looks fine although that may be something I can’t just see.