i just recently bought this car and it has a lot of front end issues, it feels like everything is lose and when i tun the slight bid one way or the other it grabs and goes that way, feels like the tires are wabbling but i have had people watch me drive down the road and nothing so i dont have a clue. any advice, thanks

 

Run the car up on ramps or jack it up and have someone move the steering wheel. Look and see where the slack is in the system. It may be that the front end needs greasing or it may be that the joints are shot. It may be in the steering box as well. You'll just have to look and see where the slack in the system is at.

 

from your desc sounds like a hung ball joint or other joint. if your turning and it is not going to fast then all of a sudden goes that way fast...pretty scarry huh... i had a bad u joint on my p/u that would do that same thing. i would check ball joints, tie rods ect.

 

Loose/bad front end fixes:

Add wonderbar (do it!!!!)

Check if there are any cracks near where the steering box mounts on the chassis.

Replace idler arm, inner/outer tierods, centerlink (probably a good first thing)

Replace ball joints/A-arm bushings

Adjust/replace steering box (most likely not necessary)

Replace steering intermediate shaft (helps a little on most cars or a lot on really worn ones)

Replace strut mounts if necessary (won't get rid of a lot of play, but maybe a rattle like for me and makes the steering easier to negotiate on rough roads)

Edit: And an alignment can help A LOT if your car needs it.

 

Thanks guys and just one more thing were is the best place to get this stuff? Local parts store???????

 

Napa stores have great steering linkage parts (or get the moog stuff online nearly anywhere). Can also get the strut mounts there, however spohn sells billet aluminum ones which I'm really fond of.

Wonderbar=Spohn or TDS, but I'm partial to the TDS one, or go to a junkyard and you can get a factory one.

Ball joints/a-arm bushings=napa, I'm waiting for spohn to come out with factory style tubular a-arms so I can avoid doing to balljoints.

Intermetiate shaft=mines not bad so I don't know yet.