Hey fellas I have an 89 trans am and my driver front wheel seems to roll funny..I know the description is elementary but there seems to be some unstability as I'm driving along especially making right turns...had the car about a month now..I have the blac ws6 rims on it...to my surprise the guy who previously owned it has a rear rim on the driver front.. not sure if that effects te handling.. but my front end is tight sway bar tie rods adj sleeves etc are all tight and good.. I do need struts other than that this loping wobble is very nerving..what could it be?......also when in reverse and I turn the wheel to where front side of tire is inside of the wheel well it feels like it wants to collaspe...thanks in advance

 

could be a bad wheel bearing.

the rear wheels should not be on the front, they will usually run the tie rod, you should correct this issue.

there is an inherent design flaw with the 3rd gne front geometry, and at lower speeds the front end will push/lift a wheel. its normal.

the tire could be shot too, the sidewall could be damaged letting the entire tire flex and roll like you are describing

 

when the wheel bearing goes it usually clicks doesnt it? or is that a hit or miss symptom?...yes it does rub the tie rod and i have to find a set of those wheels cause there is essentially one front wheel on the car..3 rear wheels. the offsets are different i know besides on the back of the rim it actually says rear lol..to correct the push/lift phenomena could i get performance struts that will keep the tire to the ground?

 

if you mean that the whole front end of the car wobbles, thats gonna be your idler arm.

 

No. Normal.

The following is from How to Tune and Modify your 1982-1998 Camaro by Jason Scott:

"The problem stems from high forces transmitted from the steering box to the chassis, especially under low-speed cornering, such as when maneuvering around a shopping mall parking lot. Fat performance tires present a great deal of resistance at low speeds, which imparts considerable stress into the steering system, and ultimately attempts to rip the steering box from its mounting surface--especially during "full-lock" turns, where steering torque is greatest. Over time, these forces weaken the chassis surface around the steering box and can result in torn metal.

"Whether the chassis is weakened or torn at the steering box, the result is the same--steering actions are delayed while the chassis flexes, leading to unresponsive and erratic steering. Ironically, though the damage stems from low-speed steering, the resulting problem is far more serious at high speeds than low ones.

"It is possible to repair the damaged area, though the best solution is to avoid the problem in the first place by installing a brace [Wonderbar] that reinforces the steering box mounting area."

JamesC

 

Ok I think u described what going on but I only experience this on the driver front wheel...the passenger side feels tight and hugs corners well

 

Also feels like it wants to get away from me while driving...I hear small clicking and popping when I apply the brakes or come to a stop

 

If that only happens when you apply the brakes, have you checked them? Everything tight, nothing loose. Pads look okay?

 

no not only when braking...i hear it also as soon as i put the car into reverse something will click or pop on the tire or surrounding area but only happens at low speeds or cruising through the parking lot

 

hi there, is this the Wonderbar your talking about? and has anyone here had any experience with them? my firebird drives fine most of the time, but when i accelerate hard my steering will pull hard to left and keep pulling to the left until i stop the car and wiggle my steering wheel around.

 

I love how everyone has a diagnosis and tells all of there knowledge on third gens. While this info is true and should be considered as good information. The fact remains that he has a REAR WHEEL on his drivers front,that rubs the tie rod! This needs to be corrected, before any other diagnosis are made.
Put a proper wheel on the front and see how the car handles. The click or pop noise is probably the balljoint. Then start looking for other problems. JMHO

 

Welcome to TGO. The Wonderbar reinforces the steering box area. Though initially found as a BandAid on IROCs and their 16-inch wheels, the Wonderbar has seemingly become a performance piece that many manufacturers offer and that many members have swapped in. Common on the board. Recommended.

JamesC

 

While I agree with the statement J91 said about getting the proper wheels on the car first, it sounds to me like you have multiple problems.

1) wrong wheel offset on one side will make the scrub radius' on the front tires different and will cause the car to pull about in an unstable manor.

2) sounds like a ball joint could be bad due to your description of the wobble when turning.

3) the low speed clicking noise is most likely your brake pads clicking about inside the Delco Moraine single piston calipers (an inherent factory defect). You need to try and rebend the pad "clips" to tighten them over the top of the caliper on the outside pads. A wuick diagnos of this is to simply slightly depress the brake pedal at low speeds and listen if the noise disappears since the pads become taught against the rotors and stop clicking about rattling inside the caliper.

 

I just had that ball joint adj sleeves and tie rods replaced within the last 2-3 weeks...I planned to upgrade the calipers anyhow... I also forgot to mention when making a right turn the tire makes a skreeching sound even at low speeds.

 

Change the rim!

 

Might sound silly but can that cause all these. Issues? Also I have to find some more black ws6 rims.. no of anywhere or anyone who has them?

 

look the rim doesn't fit right. It rubs! That being the case it's effecting everything else to some degree. Initially we know this is a problem. Eliminate this problem and go from there....

 

you are correct on that which satisfies perfect logic...so i gotta find some rims now...

 

Now you are on the right track. Some other very valid points were made, (wonderbar, brake rattle etc.) however, get rid of the intial problem and then see if any of the other issues are effecting your handling.