Help! Wobble of Death
#1
Help! Wobble of Death
I was getting on the expressway and i got up to about 60 and my truck started some mad shakes. The entire truck was shaking extremely bad.
i just found out the day before I need a new front left ball joint. i decided to do it myself but I am going to wait till my spring break (2 weeks). But I dont think that is the problem. The Truck was shaking, but the steering wheel wasn't. It was really smooth and steady.
My tires need to be balanced, but i'm just gonna replace them when I fix the ball joint. I was running on an empty tank of gas, so i thought that was the problem...but then i filled up and it wasnt.
I washed my truck today...and noticed the right side leaf spring is shifted, and the bottom leaf is about an inch lower than on the left side (I have a stock suspension, Uncranked). Since the steering wheel was not shaking I think its the rear.
Oh and I noticed before I pulled it in the garage, that when i turned right semi-sharply it made a clink. Like something shifted. Like the leaf. Very small/minor feel.
So could it be the shifted leaf? I dont think It's the tires because they have been like this for a while and this has never happened. Or could it be that the mechanic at Midas (which my dad took my truck to without my knowledge. Little pissed to say the least) who I was told took a pry bar to move my wheel enough to show my dad that the ball joint needed to be replaced.
Let me know what you think. Any help would be appreciated.
i just found out the day before I need a new front left ball joint. i decided to do it myself but I am going to wait till my spring break (2 weeks). But I dont think that is the problem. The Truck was shaking, but the steering wheel wasn't. It was really smooth and steady.
My tires need to be balanced, but i'm just gonna replace them when I fix the ball joint. I was running on an empty tank of gas, so i thought that was the problem...but then i filled up and it wasnt.
I washed my truck today...and noticed the right side leaf spring is shifted, and the bottom leaf is about an inch lower than on the left side (I have a stock suspension, Uncranked). Since the steering wheel was not shaking I think its the rear.
Oh and I noticed before I pulled it in the garage, that when i turned right semi-sharply it made a clink. Like something shifted. Like the leaf. Very small/minor feel.
So could it be the shifted leaf? I dont think It's the tires because they have been like this for a while and this has never happened. Or could it be that the mechanic at Midas (which my dad took my truck to without my knowledge. Little pissed to say the least) who I was told took a pry bar to move my wheel enough to show my dad that the ball joint needed to be replaced.
Let me know what you think. Any help would be appreciated.
#3
#4
Nothing Is broke that I can tell. The shocks I tried moving them with my hands and jumping on the bed and they seemed fine, and the sway and U bolts are fine too. here is a picture of my leaf's
Drivers Side
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kmatug...e2.jpg&.src=ph
Pass Side
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kmatug...e2.jpg&.src=ph
See how the Pass side, the bottom leaf is an inch lower? A few days ago that one was shifted to the right about an inch. I have never had a truck before, so I dont know if that is normal with the leafs.
Drivers Side
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kmatug...e2.jpg&.src=ph
Pass Side
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/kmatug...e2.jpg&.src=ph
See how the Pass side, the bottom leaf is an inch lower? A few days ago that one was shifted to the right about an inch. I have never had a truck before, so I dont know if that is normal with the leafs.
Last edited by weaselbob74; 02-26-2006 at 11:10 PM.
#5
maybe you didnt put the lug nuts on tight enough?? How hard is it shaking, sounds like you got up to speed and stuff started falling off? A friend of mine took his car somewhere and dropped it off for tie rods, came home and drove it the next morning and the wheels werent even tight, they only put 2 lug nuts on, and they loosened up by the next day, broke all the studs off.....but if he didnt take the wheel off i dont know what happend....
Rocky
Rocky
#6
Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Acworth, GA
Posts: 2,099
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The leafs are like that because the drivers side sits lower b/c of the gas tank, but the front semi-corrects this with the torsion bar adjustments.
Balance your tires and replace the wornout balljoint that CAN cause vibrations and come re-post.
It's like saying your truck isn't getting good gas mileage and you have a blown head-gasket that you need to replace...
Balance your tires and replace the wornout balljoint that CAN cause vibrations and come re-post.
It's like saying your truck isn't getting good gas mileage and you have a blown head-gasket that you need to replace...
#7
Originally Posted by 034x4
Balance your tires and replace the wornout balljoint that CAN cause vibrations and come re-post.
Its funny how this just started happening after it came from that shop...I don't trust mechanics
#8
That IS how you check ball joints. You take it up on the hoist, put a jack under the lower control arm and let it back down so that the weight of the vehicle is still on the suspension and you can put a pry bar underneath the tire to see if there is any movement in the ball joints. There is generally a zero tolerance on these parts meaning if they move whatsoever they're no good. From my experience blazers and s10's are the most prone to this but no matter the vehicle they do go bad and cause vibrations. Also get it aligned after the ball joint is replaced because the camber angles will be out of specification.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post