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how do i know if my tie rods gone bad?

bigbrent

Full Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2011
Messages
212
Location
durham nc, cullowhee nc
the steering wheel shakes when i drive down the road.  :E: i live in the mountains and when i take a sharp turn the whole truck starts to shake. been doing it even since i got up into the mountains. and the inside of my tire are wearing a lot fast then my rest of my tires.  :help: !
 
I had to replace a tie rod end a few months ago. The only thing I felt was a clunk when I backed out of the driveway. Previous two oil changes the Goodyear dealer I go to could not find anything. Then last oil change they said it was real bad.

What are you driving? Year, mileage, 1500/2500, etc?
 
JAckup truck... support..
move tire back and forth vertically and horizontally and check ball joints to see if excessive play.

sometimes when bad you can just move the bars with your hand and see excessive play.
 
This sounds more like Ball Joints than Tie Rod ends.
If it wasn't for the inside of the tires wearing, it could be shocks, but since you have the wear, this strongly suggests ball joints.
Put a jack under the lower control arm, right below where the ball joint is and jack it up a couple inches. Have a friens take a long pry bar and lift the tire up and down. You will see play in the joint.
If the tie rod ends were bad, you would see "feathering" on the treads. Almost like someone took a sander to your tires, across the treads.
I suggest you get this fixed quickly. If the ball joints let go (and they will) your screwed BIG time.
 
jmuller62 said:
I suggest you get this fixed quickly. If the ball joints let go (and they will) your screwed BIG time.

I agree it sounds like ball joints. I believe that if it were the tie rods you would feel a popping when you turned the truck, not shaking. If you think it is the ball joints, GET THEM FIXED QUICK! As someone who lost an upper ball joint at 45 mpg let me tell you that you do not want to experience that. I lost one in a 1992 Sonoma and suffered serious damage to my upper A arm. I don't even want to imagine what could happen with the full weight of an Av crushing an A arm.  :9:
 
On the Sonoma it was just drilling out the rivets from the old one and installing the new with the rivets that came with it. All and all it only took an hour or so. Could be different on the Av, however.


BCmountaineer said:
how involved is the ball joint replacement job?
 
BCmountaineer said:
how involved is the ball joint replacement job?
I haven't had to do one on the Avy yet, but I did replace them on my last vehicle, a 95 suburban.
Autozone and Advance Auto Parts will loan you a ball joint press to press out the old ones.
Looks like a deformed C Clamp.
 
A lot of local small repair places will look at the vehicle for no charge since they expect you will have them do the repair. The Goodyear auto tech place I get my oil changes has never charged me for diagnostics, and for most regular work I have then do it such as brakes, tires, ball joints, tie rod ends, batteries, etc. I trust them, their cost is reasonable.
 
took it to mechanic and he said my hub bearing was bad on my driver side. replaced it for 214 stopped shaking when i drove to turn left but the truck still shakes when i turn right went back and said it could be the outer arm thats bad on the passenger side. or since i drove around on the bad hub bearing so long cause my tries are so worn out on the inside that i should jsut get new tires or get them rotated. does this sound about right. if there are any mechanics on the page.
 
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