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I am working on a southern car for once, and not a Rust Belt Beauty. The symtom is a steering wheel that will shimmy as the car is driven, even on newly paved roads. I suspect tie-rod ends or a flat spot on the front tires as the car did sit for awhile. I don’t see a flat spot when I roll the tires so I don’t think that is it.
I can grab the tie-rod and with little effort move it side to side. I figured I would grab a video of this and show it, so here is the video, please tell me what you think.
thanks for your help as always,
-Ed
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Tie rods are supposed to have movement like that, it’s a ball and socket joint and requires compliance like that to facilitate suspension travel.
If you’re getting a shimmy in your steering wheel the most likely culprit (99%) is tire related. Either they are out of balance, a rim is bent or one or more is separating. This can be confirmed by rotating the front tires to the rear, assuming the rear tires are in shape the vibration will move from the steering wheel to your bum. Seriously you’ll feel it in the seat.
Well, I was thinking that, but I am moving this with almost zero effort. Its not like I am doing much to move it. 🙂
If you grab the rotor and move it as if you were steering and can see slop where the tire rod connects you need a new tie rod end. What you are showing in the video is normal. The tie rod end is a ball joint. Plus, I like seeing that the grease seal is not leaking.
barneyb, yea I know they should move some, but in my experience, they are tighter and need a wrench on the tie-rod to move it back and forth, thus why I asked, cause the boots where good and it didn’t really more back and forth. Thanks for your input, I was thinking it could be something else as well.
ukrkoz, did you mean to show a link? if so, please post, I would like to see your experiences with this.
Tonight my game plan is to rotate the tires and check the other side of the car while I am swapping the tires. If the tire swap doesn’t fix it, then I’ll start looking at the wheel bearings. I hope these wheel bearing are like GM and not Honda. I like the cassette type in GM land where I can swap one out quickly.
thanks everyone for your help.
Well, it is the tie-rod ends. I pulled the right side (passenger side one) off since I saw a little bit of grease on the knuckle around it, but not like a huge amount that would normally be the tell tail sign. Well, the boot didn’t rupture, but it somehow lost all the grease. The boots end is very loose around the shaft of the ball joint so that could be why. It moves with the touch of a finger.
On the bright side I got the Canister Vent Control valve to move again by soaking it in PB Blaster for 3 days so I shouldn’t need a new one of those, hurray internets.
Thanks everyone, toss on new ends, the Canister Vent Control Valve when it totally moves independently and then I am rolling deep. Toss on 2 tires and off to inspection
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