Ford Explorer, Maintaince And Repair Manual, Page: 873 / 1119

While rotating the wheel assembly, tighten the adjusting nut to 17−25 ft. lbs. in order to seat the
bearings. Loosen the adjusting nut a half turn. Retighten the adjusting nut 18−20 inch lbs. 4.
Place the retainer on the adjusting nut. The castellations on the retainer must be in alignment with the
cotter pin holes in the spindle. Once this is accomplished install a new cotter pin and bend the ends to
insure its being locked in place. 5.
Check for proper wheel rotation. If correct, install the grease cap and wheel cover. If rotation is noisy
or rough recheck your work and correct as required. 6.
Lower the vehicle and tighten the lug nuts to 100 ft. lbs., if the wheel was removed. Before driving
the vehicle pump the brake pedal several times to restore normal brake pedal travel. 7.
CAUTION
If the wheel was removed, retighten the wheel lug nuts to specification after about 500 miles of driving.
Failure to do this could result in the wheel coming off while the vehicle is in motion possibly causing loss of
vehicle control or collision.
Wheel Alignment
If the tires are worn unevenly, if the vehicle is not stable on the highway or if the handling seems uneven in
spirited driving, the wheel alignment should be checked. If an alignment problem is suspected, first check for
improper tire inflation and other possible causes. These can be worn suspension or steering components,
accident damage or even unmatched tires. If any worn or damaged components are found, they must be
replaced before the wheels can be properly aligned. Wheel alignment requires very expensive equipment and
involves minute adjustments which must be accurate; it should only be performed by a trained technician.
Take your vehicle to a properly equipped shop.
Following is a description of the alignment angles which are adjustable on most vehicles and how they affect
vehicle handling. Although these angles can apply to both the front and rear wheels, usually only the front
suspension is adjustable.
CASTER
Looking at a vehicle from the side, caster angle describes the steering axis rather than a wheel angle. The
steering knuckle is attached to a control arm or strut at the top and a control arm at the bottom. The wheel
pivots around the line between these points to steer the vehicle. When the upper point is tilted back, this is
described as positive caster. Having a positive caster tends to make the wheels self−centering, increasing
directional stability. Excessive positive caster makes the wheels hard to steer, while an uneven caster will
cause a pull to one side. Overloading the vehicle or sagging rear springs will affect caster, as will raising the
rear of the vehicle. If the rear of the vehicle is lower than normal, the caster becomes more positive.
Caster affects straight−line stability. Caster wheels used on shopping carts, for example, employ
positive caster
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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
Wheel Alignment 887