Wheel Wobble?

[Peter W.]

Ok, so here is what I noticed. I put my car in reverse and turned the car all the way to the left, and my brother was looking at my passenger front tire, and noticed when i move the car the tire, as it is moving, wobbles or shifts. It is hard to explain but I am going to try my hardest. Once the wobble is about to occur, I feel like a thud once it occurs and my brother tells me that the top of the wheel and tire moves in then goes back out. Does anyone know why this would happen. I also notice the car drift from left to right while driving. I think it is definately due to this free play of the wheel going from an in to out motion. Any info would be great. Thanks

 

[$Hot-Rod$]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Check your lug nuts. They may be loose. :roll:

 

[Peter W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Checked the lugs, they are all tight. Can it maybe be some kind of rod or bushing?

 

[The Devils Own Chariot]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Wow that sounds serious. Good luck.

 

[turbodig]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Upper or lower ball joint bad?

 

[NJ93TY]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Ok, so here is what I noticed. I put my car in reverse and turned the car all the way to the left, and my brother was looking at my passenger front tire, and noticed when i move the car the tire, as it is moving, wobbles or shifts. It is hard to explain but I am going to try my hardest. Once the wobble is about to occur, I feel like a thud once it occurs and my brother tells me that the top of the wheel and tire moves in then goes back out. Does anyone know why this would happen. I also notice the car drift from left to right while driving. I think it is definately due to this free play of the wheel going from an in to out motion. Any info would be great. Thanks

Peter, You stated the car drifts left and right while driving. Check your control arm bushings. If one is loose the arm will shift and this will change when you acclerate or brake. Especially the upper ones. From what you described that what is sounds like. Also like others said check yout lug nuts and obvious things. I had a loose control arm on a suburban once and when you braked the steering wheel went one way and when you acclerated it went the other way. Hope this helps.

 

[Don W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Does the problem go away when you don't turn "all the way?" If so then I would have to say you have to check your half-shafts. I don't know of a good reliable way to do that though, sorry. What I do know is I had that problem and changed my half-shafts and the problem virtually disappeared. I've seen here that a bad transfer case can cause this as well.

If the truck is drifting left to right while driving have a trusted pro look at it. Could be ball joints (these will be worn if mileage is high), anything loose/worn in the drag-link tie-rod assembly. And it could just be alignment. The slightest bit of toe-out will act like this.

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

If you knwo how to do a shake down do it. Sounds like a combo of bad wheel bearigns and CV shafts to me. This happened to me. If you drive it down the highway, and punch it, you should snap a shaft. What you can do, jack up your truck, grab the wheel, try to lift it up and down, if you can, that is your bad wheel bearing. Then, take your tire off, reach in to the inner CV shaft hub and grab it tightly. then with your other hand, grab the outer piece and hold the inner still while you turn the outer back and fourth, if it moves, you have bad half shafts. So far I can tell you that the bad VC wil cause both of these parts to fail together. I have replaced wheel bearings and shafts 5 times since september and finally listened to DaveP and Blake that it was the VC. I changed the VC out and haven't had the problem since.

 

[vinnieTy]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

If you knwo how to do a shake down do it. Sounds like a combo of bad wheel bearigns and CV shafts to me. This happened to me. If you drive it down the highway, and punch it, you should snap a shaft. What you can do, jack up your truck, grab the wheel, try to lift it up and down, if you can, that is your bad wheel bearing. Then, take your tire off, reach in to the inner CV shaft hub and grab it tightly. then with your other hand, grab the outer piece and hold the inner still while you turn the outer back and fourth, if it moves, you have bad half shafts. So far I can tell you that the bad VC wil cause both of these parts to fail together. I have replaced wheel bearings and shafts 5 times since september and finally listened to DaveP and Blake that it was the VC. I changed the VC out and haven't had the problem since.

Sorry but what is VC?

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

What you can do, jack up your truck, grab the wheel, try to lift it up and down, if you can, that is your bad wheel bearing.

That's only one possible problem,

First and more specificly you need to jack it up under the control arm as close as possible to the lower ball joint NOT THE FRAME.

Then shake it in and out as well as up and down.

To help isolate if it's bad
Bearing
Ball Joint Upper or Lower
Control Arm Bushings Upper or Lower

 

[TYTILIDIE]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

VC is viscous coupler.

Roy, I agree he could have bad ball joints, and that would cause a wobble, but do you think that would cause a thud? I have had several bad ball joints upper and lower and never heard any noise form them. Just a nice vibration.

 

[Peter W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Thanks for all the information guys. I will have to bring it to a mechanic because this sounds like a professional needs to look at it. What would be a round about price range to fix one of these problems like half shafts or ball joints, etc.. so I don't get robbed from the person who fixes my truck? Thanks again. Peter

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Roy, I agree he could have bad ball joints, and that would cause a wobble, but do you think that would cause a thud? I have had several bad ball joints upper and lower and never heard any noise form them. Just a nice vibration.

If they were bad enough they could do all kinds of weird shit. Stranger stuff has happened.

Thanks for all the information guys. I will have to bring it to a mechanic because this sounds like a professional needs to look at it. What would be a round about price range to fix one of these problems like half shafts or ball joints, etc.. so I don't get robbed from the person who fixes my truck? Thanks again. Peter

Depending on where your at and the mechanics rates,

Half shafts run about $100-$150 each depending new or reman'd (both are fine) and about $50-$100 each to put them in.

Ball joints are about $50-$75 each and probably about a $100 a side to install depending. Plus $50-$100 for an alignment afterwards.

Hub/bearing setups can go all over seen them for $150-$300 ish, and about $50 each to install.

Now this is all just ball park numbers, but should get you close, if anything have them give you an estimate, post it, and we will dissect it. :tup:

 

[bizkit]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

We had a guy years back that chased something like this for awhile. He finally came up with the upper inner a-arm bolts were loose. The camber / caster adjustment is on these bolts, and there are eccentric washers that when you turn the bolt, it moves the arm in/out. Would definitely cause some weird noises, driving issues, and the visible wobble. Look carefully at the washers. If they're moving, you'll see evidence of it.

This is exactly what is happening to mine. My upper inner a-arm bolts can be tightened as hard as you can (opened up a snap-on wrench tight) with the alignment perfect, then you go for a short drive and the camber/caster is all out of whack again. The cam that the bolt goes through is turning even though the bolt is completely tight. What do I have to change to fix this? Just those rubber washers in there?

 

[Don W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Never seen this. The washers do not have a round hole in them. They have 'flats' on two sides. The idea is when you turn the head of the bolt, BOTH washers are turned to get the camber/caster adjusting-action. The washer under the nut HAS to be able to 'slide' on the bolt, or it won't tighten. both sides. Could the washer on the nut-side be rusted to the bolt???

There aren't any "rubber washers". They're a kind of raised-lip washer, but not rubber. (are you looking at the BUSHING, which is on the inside of the frame bracket? These are rubber). The entire bolt, nut and two washers is serviced as an assembly by GM. Someone on here said they were pricey. Like $20.00 each.

Take the nut off the 'problem' bolt. See if the washer is loose on the bolt. Maybe it just needs some rust-buster on it so it will tighten. I don't know. But here's some ideas. :tup:

X2 Except that for a crummy $20.00 just replace them and be done with it. Your time (never-mind the mechanics) is worth more than that. That washer has to stay put on the bolt likes been said. I'd almost bet someone in the past, or present?, tried to force it and stripped where the bolt and washer connect.:2cents:

 

[bizkit]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Well the washers aren't stripped, they still turn with the bolt, but you can see just a *little* wear on the bolt where it's been rattling inside the mounting holes, and I think the bushings are probably the culprit as they seem dried up/wore out letting the a-arm still move around a little even when the bolts are tight. Both tires are coming out of alignment in the same way. All the ball joints etc etc are good (checked by me and a couple J-man mechanics) I guess now I'm pressing out those bushings and putting in new ones. Any other ideas??

Thanks,

 

[Black Knight]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

If the washer is ratteling around after the bolt is tight, then they're not tight enough for whatever reason.

Spend $20 each and just get a new one, IIRC places like Napa sell them also for way less, or for even less get a couple from a wrecking yard. It's just a bolt.

 

[Peter W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Well my brother brought my truck to the mechanic, and it was a loose bolt on the control arm. Bad news is that all four rims are bent. Thanks for all the input!!!

 

[NJ93TY]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

Good, glad you got that taken care of. If the rims are bent its time to upgrade to some new ones!

 

[Peter W.]

Re: Wheel Wobble?

That's what I am looking into, but I don't know the correct offset for these trucks. I know the bolt pattern is 5x120 but the offset I can't find. I want to go as wide as possible in the front and back without using spacers. Any ideas of what I can go with on my truck? I want to go with 18's or 19's. Any help would be great.