Scary front end!
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 126
Likes: 0
From: Noble, LA
Scary front end!
Have a 88' Bronco II 4X4 with a Dana 28 front end. Front tires have been wearing really bad past few months. Figured just needed alignment. On a VA disability pension so money is really tight. Anyways, was walking toward it the other day on a parking lot and and looked at it and i couldn't believe it. No wonder the tires are wearing. They're both leaning INWARD at the top really bad...looks like an upside down V. Never seen tires leaning inward like that. Ya thing maybe LOWER BALL JOINTS? <!-- / message --><!-- BEGIN TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig --><!-- END TEMPLATE: ad_showthread_firstpost_sig -->
Posting Guru
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 1,915
Likes: 1
From: Yokosuka, Honshu, Japan
Could be ball joints, could be wheel bearings, could be the camber needs adjustment. Easiest way to tell is jack one side up at a time with the jack under the axle beam and try to move the tire/wheel with your hands both 'front' and 'rear' of tire and 'top' and 'bottom' of tire. If the latter of the two shows more movement, then more than likely it's a ball joint - probably upper, but I personally would replace all of them. The stock parts on these things aren't greaseable and they eventually wear out. Usually, the drag link is the first thing to go, and it's usually the end that connects to the pitman arm on the steering box. I had to completely rebuild the front end on my '86 Ranger I used to own, and a previous owner had already replaced the drag link on my BII.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
Once your lower ball joints go that bad, it will be visible with about 1/4" gap between the rubber and metal. You might want to check the radius arm bushings too.
Jack it up as previously mentioned and if you have a friend to help, one can lie under the vehicle while the other lifts up on the tire with a long pry bar. Ball joint movement will be obvious.
Jack it up as previously mentioned and if you have a friend to help, one can lie under the vehicle while the other lifts up on the tire with a long pry bar. Ball joint movement will be obvious.
