Three problems related to ball joint have been reported for the 1997 Ford Expedition. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
While driving on the highway, as soon as I go faster than 55mph the vehicle down by the wheels, starts shaking. I can feel it in the steering wheel. I suspect it's the ball joints but not sure. It also wobbles when turning going as slow as 25 mph.
Theres a clunking noise coming from vehicle while driving, took vehicle to dealer, and dealer informed consumer that linkage broke from stablizer bar. Consumer took the vehicle for alignment and dealer told her that both ball joints were very bad and would have to be replaced at her cost.
It took some time before I could determine the source of the squeak because it was an intermittent problem. The oem pitman arm is a sealed unit with insufficent lubrication & no provision for lubrication. This is a steering component & should be recalled. All steering & suspension moving components such as tie-rod ends & ball joints should be required to have provisions for lubrication. My vehicle has been repaired but I have observed several vehicles of the same model with the same problem during parking lot turns. This is a steering component & should be a safety recall, not a TSB. There is no safe substitute for proper vehicle maintenance, no matter what the manufacturers tell you about sealed components. Moving parts with grease fittings are sealed also. If factory sealed components without grease fittings were adequate then the bearing hubs on my boat trailer wouldn't have grease fittings. I have been an ase master technician since 1977.