Front End Hop
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 125
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From: Spokane, Wa.
Front End Hop
Hey All,
Happy Friday !!! I was coming home with a small open trailer this morning and I noticed what felt like something between a hop and a wobble in my front end. Sort of a much milder version than what you experience if you try to turn too tight in 4 wheel drive. Now the front end has always felt a tad like it floats and wanders, nothing like this. I crawled underneath and couldn't find anything obvious so I jacked up the front end one tire at a time expecting to find a bad wheel bearing. Well, bearings seem good, but there was a fair amount of play when twisting the wheel side to side ( as if you were turning ) Seems like it was about 2 inches total at the tire, and I could watch play dissipate a little at each joint in the tie rod system, with no play at the box ( which is a good thing right ?? ) So what I'm guessing is that both tie rod ends are shot, and possibly the middle joints. I've priced the tie rod ends and they don't seem too expensive or hard to replace, but what about the joints where the left and right rods come together ? How much wiggle should you have in a tie rod end anyhow ? Am I barking up the wrong tree ?
*ANY* input is appreciated.
Thanks !!!
-Scott in Spokane
Happy Friday !!! I was coming home with a small open trailer this morning and I noticed what felt like something between a hop and a wobble in my front end. Sort of a much milder version than what you experience if you try to turn too tight in 4 wheel drive. Now the front end has always felt a tad like it floats and wanders, nothing like this. I crawled underneath and couldn't find anything obvious so I jacked up the front end one tire at a time expecting to find a bad wheel bearing. Well, bearings seem good, but there was a fair amount of play when twisting the wheel side to side ( as if you were turning ) Seems like it was about 2 inches total at the tire, and I could watch play dissipate a little at each joint in the tie rod system, with no play at the box ( which is a good thing right ?? ) So what I'm guessing is that both tie rod ends are shot, and possibly the middle joints. I've priced the tie rod ends and they don't seem too expensive or hard to replace, but what about the joints where the left and right rods come together ? How much wiggle should you have in a tie rod end anyhow ? Am I barking up the wrong tree ?
*ANY* input is appreciated.
Thanks !!!
-Scott in Spokane
Junior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 77
Likes: 0
From: York, PA
i had a problem with my 78 bronc where it would get a bad death wobble almost radomly. turned out to be the raduis arm bushings. they wearent expensive and didnt take any special tools, mostly just time to replace.
if your axle is moving side to side at all i would take a good look at the track bar.
is your steering box tight? is the frame flexing at all. i would suspect these things last but worth checking.
if your axle is moving side to side at all i would take a good look at the track bar.
is your steering box tight? is the frame flexing at all. i would suspect these things last but worth checking.
