[Shotimes] Diagnostic help with broken SHO

[Dave Kegel]

Subframe mounts and or bolts.  Your motor mounts were probably never
bad.

Dave Kegel

-----Original Message-----
From: shotimes-admin@autox.team.net
[mailto:shotimes-admin@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of Steve Tatro
Sent: Friday, March 24, 2006 3:38 PM
To: SHOtimes
Subject: [Shotimes] Diagnostic help with broken SHO


This is regarding my '93 ATX.

Early last week I was driving. Took a hard right corner, and I heard
something break. In an instant my steering wheel was off-center and the
car drove funny.

It felt just like the time a few years ago my front motor mount broke,
so I assumed it was the same thing. Give it some gas, the car jerks to
the left (imagine some serious torque steer) and when you let off the
gas it straightens out. To verify, when I got home I opened the hood,
started the car, put it in drive, and gave it some gas. The motor was
rocking all over the place. Great, almost positive it's the motor mount.

Took it to my friendly neighborhood Goodyear - they've always been
upfront with me and I can't say I've ever felt cheated by them. It was
too cold to try to learn how to change a motor mount myself anyway. Good
thing I took it in, because it turns out both the front and rear mounts
were bad. Replaced the front, couldn't get the back replaced until
yesterday since it was out of stock everywhere.

The problem is the car still had the same symptoms. New mounts all
around and the engine was still rocking. Took it back today and demanded
that Goodyear return the front mount as defective and replace it for
free. They did, after agreeing that there was nothing else they could
find wrong and they knew of nothing else that could cause an engine to
move like it was.

So, about an hour ago, they got another new front mount installed.
Problem is, the engine still rocks around and the car still pulls to the
left when you give it some gas and corrects itself when you let off the
gas.  Also, I should mention that the steering wheel is off-center when
the wheels are tracking (somewhat) straight.

They're at a loss. I'm at a loss. The Ford tech I spoke to on the phone
is at a loss. The only other discernable problem in the front end is a
slightly loose ball joint on the right side.

Does anyone have any additional ideas? This car's served me well for 9
years now but it's about to take a trip to it's final resting place -
the junkyard!

Thanks,

Steve Tatro
Red/Black '93 ATX with 187k miles
Monroe, Ohio

P.S.  Thanks to those that are reading this that have already replied to
my SHO Forum post. _______________________________________________
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