s'up guys!? happy new year and stuff

I have a little question. last time when the gta was running and I was getting an oil change I checked out the bottom of the car and was mainly looking for bad spots etc.

just before the mechanic was done he lowered the car down so he could check the tires and he grabbed the right front tire and it was lose as hell. it didn't just move left and right but UP and DOWN?. the left wheel was just fine and solid.

what's causing that? tie rods? or the spindle maybe?

I didn't have money to fix it then or now but I'm hoping it won't cost too much when I get the dough to fix it.

-simon

 

i believe balljoints would cause that. unless you didn't tighten your wheel nuts... that might be it too

 

Well if the tire moves all over than you prolly have some bad ball joints or your rotor isn't completely tightened to the spindle. At least I think this is right...

 

Is the top mount of the strut tight? If that was loose the whole suspension assembly might have some up and down slop.

Hmm... By up and down, so you mean the whole wheel up and down, or the top of the wheel rocking in and out?

 

if you where facing the wheel and held it at both ends. then moved your arms up and down it would go with you.

the other wheel is fine. it'll only turn in and out.

if my car is kind of at a 45 degree angle if the left wheel drivers side is touching pavement and the right wheel is just coming off of a curb or whatever that right wheel will drop before the car does.

 

Also sounds like a wheel bearing ??

Mark

 

When you're checking the bearings on the right front sometimes the idler arm will pop up giving the impression that something is shot even though the suspension is OK.

Jack the car up so that the wheels are about four inches of the ground - use a prybar to check the ball joint play and then using your hands rock the wheel from left to right to check the bearings - while you're doing this look at the idler to see if it's popping up.

Also, once you start moving the suspension around with a prybar you should be able to see if it is one of the other things that have been mentioned like a loose strut or something.

Sounds like you've got something going on there though - I mentioned the bit about idler arm mainly because it's another thing to be aware of.