Re: Mushy Front Suspension

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2009/6/26 13:39:58

Edit: Owen types sooooo much faster than I do.

Ah, the benefits of taking typing in high school! Plus that's were the girls were. Earned by beer money in college typing term papers and the like, I seem to recall something like 10 cents a page - boy does that date me. I guess I still do about 75 words a minute.

Jay, jack up the front end so the wheels are off the ground. Put a couple of jackstands under the frame so the suspension is hanging free. Crawl under while a friend grasps each front tire at 12 and 6 o-clock and rocks, see where the play is if any - could be kingpins or could just be loose wheel bearings and/or adjustment. Could also be upper and/or lower knuckle pins.

Then have your friend grasp the wheels at 3 and 9 pm and move in and out, look for play in the steering idler, tie rod ends, etc.

Lastly, have your friend move the steering wheel back and forth about 1/2 turn each side of center, and see what you see.

The above should pretty much identify what looseness exists and where. Let us know what you observe.