Needle bearing....

So I’m at 19k miles and I’m starting to feel a vibe under my left foot when in 2wd. I’m assuming it’s a needle bearing. If I take it to the dealer will I have any luck getting them to put in an ECGS instead of a stock one again? Or is there a chance it’s something else? Also knocked my steering out of alignment on a rutted our trail this weekend, I know they won’t help me with that.

 

Yea I'd be worried about what else you knocked out of alignment. Like bending and whatnot.

 

This. Diagnose issues first, then determine the fix. If the fix is that needle bearing, upgrade to the ECGS one. Otherwise, fix what's not working right.

 

The vibe was happening well before this weekend, but I get it. I’m just having all the symptoms of a bad bearing.

 

Once you narrow it down, go for it. Otherwise, the wear on a stock unit is better than replacing a part that's not worn yet. Get as much life as you can without damaging anything else. Diagnose first, then fix/replace/upgrade.

 

Do you have a lift? And I'd expect that it'd be difficult or impossible to have a dealership swap out the needle bearing for a solid aftermarket bushing that they can't warranty the work on. Would be cheaper to find an independent shop to do it anyways.

If you want to do it preemptively just in case, then I'd suggest you get your front end inspected thoroughly due to that rough rut. Stuff doesn't all of a sudden just bump out of alignment. Something is wrong and it can be a bent spindle, tie rods, and other items. Once you identify what the issue is you can have both the front end repair and the bushing done to save on labor.

 

Definitely agree. If it started after that rut, you either broke or bent something. If you're lifted, then that situation could have exacerbated your bushing issue. It's still not diagnosed. Check your vehicle first, even if you're lifted.

 

So the alignment is off by about 3 degrees to the left, so little that I didn’t notice until I was driving home from work today.
The reason I asked about the bearing was because it’s still under warranty. Was just thinking if they knew it was and issue I could get the labor free. I’ve been under the truck and nothing is bent or loose, at least not enough for me to tell. That might change when I get it up on a lift.
I thought my slider took most of the hit as I gotta but of a debt in the tube but apparently not!

Had fun though.

 

What do you mean 3° left?

 

Have to have the steering wheel 3deg to the left to go straight

 

Sounds like you knocked your alignment out. Pretty normal for off-roading. Toe adjustments can fix it off it's pulling or the steering wheel is off-center. Other alignment settings can do the same. Make sure nothing is bent/leaking and get an alignment and report back.

 

Will do, sounds like this is the weekend for me to throw the 885s I picked up on and a new set of tires. 19k might be a bit less than most get out of a set of stock tires but the switchbacks up the mountain are tough on them.

Thanks for the advice by the way, I’m thinking about hitting up firestone for the alignment since they have the lifetime alignment deal. Might help me save some tires from wearing out too soon down the line.

 

Their lifetime alignment is great for saving money, but their techs are mediocre when it comes to adjustments. I use mine for alignments after upgrades and a quick "toe-and-go" after a weekend of wheeling. They're not good for much more, but they definitely save you money

 

Haha cool so you’ve got the same deal? They don’t give you any grief for coming in fairly frequently? I don’t think I would let them do anything other than an alignment or a mount an balance.

Sounds like they aren’t especially proficient and dialing in and aftermarket setup like trying to get a bit more forward to avoid rubbing

 

I once went to mine 4 times in one month. There's no stipulation I'm tracking, but now I don't push it. That month was upgrade, wheel, upgrade, wheel, upgrade, wheel lol. In that last three months I've had 4 alignments from them. No issues and they log it every time I show up and all their stores track your services. Just play dumb. I always specify minimum 2.5° positive caster, all other alignment specs as close to stock without violating that caster spec and torque my LCA bolts to 130 ft./lb.s, if they don't I turn right around and have them fix it. No one likes working for free lol

 

Yea if you're talking about a warranty needle replacement with ecgs bushing then that is an absolute hard no. They will replace it if bad but only with another needle bearing

 

Definitely this. The dealer will only replace with factory parts. Everything else is out-of-pocket and may/will void warranty.

 

Womp womp.

Guess I’ll just have them put a new one in... when that goes bad I’ll swap it myself.

I had a friend of a friend get lucky on a mustang he had, threw a rod and had the dealer rebuild under warranty.... but he left some cash in an envelope and forged internals in the passenger seat when he dropped it off.

It would be cool if we could have a different service manager for those who are reasonable about what could/should be covered by a warranty and some stuff they could “help us out with” while they’re in there lol

 

Sadly, not everyone is an enthusiast