Binding when accelerating

[Matthew82]

New Expd owner here. First off let me start by saying I LOVE my Expedition. There's the good here's the not so good, while accelerating it feels like something is binding up or moving out of place and it feels like it's being pushed left and right (doesn't feel like a pull as much as it feels like a push). I've crawled under it to check the control arms for bad rust or to see if they were broken (they were not). It does it the worst when in OD around 1200-1500 RPMs. I can hit the accelerator to make it downshift and it stops "binding" but that's when it "pushes" me to the left and right. Also when I stop with the wheels turned left it feels like something is binding up. I haven't ever experienced anything like this before. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[JUST4FUN]

check the brakes, after driving it see if one hub is hotter that the others

 

[1997SCEBFEX]

I offer:
*Suspension check too. If you stand on the rear bumper and get off, then get back on, does it sag more than just a little. Also try the side-to-side shimmy shake to see if it's overly wobbly.
*Motor mounts perhaps.
*Any recent trans work & something is loose.
* +1 on a potential drag from a bad caliper perhaps.

PanHandler.

 

[Matthew82]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll definitely check those. Friend of mine said could be parking brake hanging?

 

[toms89]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll definitely check those. Friend of mine said could be parking brake hanging?

I did have my driverside parking brake cable sieze up on me. Check your parking brake cables (3 total) for freedom of movement. When it happened on mine it really resisted backing up.

Does your steering wheel pull hard to either side?

Double check your rear control arms!! They tend to rust out but the paint can remain and hide it. If the steering wheel is not pulling one direction or the other that has me thinking its in the rear axle alignment.

 

[Matthew82]

I did have my driverside parking brake cable sieze up on me. Check your parking brake cables (3 total) for freedom of movement. When it happened on mine it really resisted backing up.

Does your steering wheel pull hard to either side?

Double check your rear control arms!! They tend to rust out but the paint can remain and hide it. If the steering wheel is not pulling one direction or the other that has me thinking its in the rear axle alignment.

It pulls left and right. Also feels like something is binding/moving under the middle of the expedition

 

[toms89]

Do you have 4wd and does it work?

2000 expedition correct??

 

[Matthew82]

Do you have 4wd and does it work?

2000 expedition correct??

Yes and yes

 

[toms89]

If you feel it pull the steering wheel I would focus on the front end. I agree with what was said above and would add check the CV joints, and front drivetrain.

Put front end on jack stands and check for freedom of movement. Turn the steering to the left where you experience the binding and see if its in the drivetrain or brakes. You should be able to rotate either wheel by hand if both wheels are in the air. There will be some resistance as the brakes do drag but you should be able to rotate them with out binding up. The differential will force the other wheel to spin the opposite direction unless the front driveshaft is allowed to spin.

 

[Matthew82]

If you feel it pull the steering wheel I would focus on the front end. I agree with what was said above and would add check the CV joints, and front drivetrain.

Put front end on jack stands and check for freedom of movement. Turn the steering to the left where you experience the binding and see if its in the drivetrain or brakes. You should be able to rotate either wheel by hand if both wheels are in the air. There will be some resistance as the brakes do drag but you should be able to rotate them with out binding up. The differential will force the other wheel to spin the opposite direction unless the front driveshaft is allowed to spin.

Ok I'll give that a try. I'm fairly mechanically inclined so hopefully I can get it figured out. I'll do that this evening and I'll keep y'all updated on what I find out

 

[Matthew82]

Update: After climbing all under the front and rear nothing is broken or seems out of place. It feels more like it's coming from front passenger side but we couldn't find anything loose, broken, or anything of the sort. Control arms are a little rusty but not broken, rusted through, or rusted too thin. Any other ideas?

 

[01yellerCobra]

What about something in one of the diffs? Front or rear. Maybe something like a spider gear is broken and cause the diff to act weird.

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[Matthew82]

What about something in one of the diffs? Front or rear. Maybe something like a spider gear is broken and cause the diff to act weird.

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I don't know. Going to take it to a driveline shop today if I have time and see what they will charge me to figure out what's wrong with it

 

[Matthew82]

Is there any way to disable the AWD to make it truly 2wd? Wanted to see if it could be done to see if it stops (rule out or nowwow down to front differential).

 

[toms89]

Is there any way to disable the AWD to make it truly 2wd? Wanted to see if it could be done to see if it stops (rule out or nowwow down to front differential).

You can only disable power being applied to front drivetrain by pulling fuse but front cv joints, differential and driveshaft will still spin because the front wheels are spinning.

Unfortunately the 2000 expy has no center axle disconnect or IWE's.

 

[toms89]

Did you get a chance to put front end on jackstands and observe front drivetrain as you spin the wheels by hand???? Really interested in doing this at full turn where you said it locks up.

 

[mindgame]

You can remove and drive without the front half shafts to see if you have an issue with the front differential or the half-shafts without issues..

 

[Matthew82]

Did you get a chance to put front end on jackstands and observe front drivetrain as you spin the wheels by hand???? Really interested in doing this at full turn where you said it locks up.

I haven't yet I've been extremely busy and someone decided they needed my floor jack more than I did so I have to get a jack now