one time i was told my tie rods are going bad and last tire change i was told my ball joints are going bad. the steering is super tight and no problems with pulling.. but the tire on outside shows ware. so what is it? or neightor

i have a 1990 xj 40 with 62k original miles. any suggestions? imputes.

also my power steering leeking crazy. i am not seeing a hose broke or swolen like i found before. is there something on pump that will cause this? if so where do i look and how to fix

 

Check your fittings most likely the ones on the steering rack.

 

To check your tie rod: jack the front left side of the car up and put on jackstand.

Then grab the tire at the 9 and 3 o'clock possitions and push and pull the tire to the center of the car. As if you are forcefully trying to turn the car. If you feel any play your one or both tie rod ends maybe/is probably bad. You can get under the car and inspect the inner tie rod for play, worn, or missing boot. Inner tie rod ends do not usually wear out unless they bend. You can then inspect the outer. If the boots on the outer tie rods are cracked or missing then you should replace them even if they are fairly new. No boot = loss of grease for lubrication and an introduction of water and dirt which will make them fail much quicker.


To check ball joints check their rubber boots as before. If they are broken the ball joint needs to be replaced. This time grab the tire from the 12 and 6 o'clock and wiggle the tire in and out. You should put some back into this one. If you have movement either the ball joints are going bad or your wheel bearing is going. A friend inspecting for joint movement can help decide which.

Wheel bearings will usually squeal when going bad though.

If I had to guess, since you say your steering is tight and feels good but you have tire wear on the outer treads of the tire. Bad tie rods will usually put the toe out of whack cuasing the whole tire to wear faster on an even scale.

However ball joints can cause erratic camber and caster. Excessive camber would describe the outside wear you describe. Do the checks yourself and see if you find anything. Like I say I bet ball joints but it could be tie rods or (not unlikely) both.

A lot of shops have deals where they will discount the alignment cost for a tie rod instalation. Also have deals if you do pairs or whathaveyou. It saves labor time...make that comparison before you decided to replace the lower but not the uper ball joint because it was extra. Don't trust it to last you much longer.