JoKEpLaYeR

I'll get some pics up tomorrow, I've got class tonight. My passenger side wheel has a really odd motion path right now. When I steer hard right or are going straight, it sits normal/perpendicular to the ground.... but when I steer hard left, it goes toe in HARD!!!!

Sits like this:
\--o--| on hard left and |--o--| on straight and hard right.

Looks like the wheel is gonna fall off, or fold under the truck. I'd assume that the "top" of the 'wheel attachment system' is where the problem lies.... so that leads me to assume ball joints? Thoughts?

86tuning

jack it up on stands and wiggle around... you'll see what's worn out really quick that way.

Any visible movement in any of the balljoints or tie rod ends = worn out piece.

The lower balljoints can have up to 1/16" VERTICAL movement when checked with a prybar, see the service manual for details.

JoKEpLaYeR

Someone mentioned a bent idler arm could be the root of the problem.... thoughts?

slosurfer

Worn out bushings in your idler arm will allow for a ton more movement than normal. Not sure if it would do that but it's worth checking.

MudHippy

No not the idler arm. If it's bent the only thing that would change would be the toe-in adjustment. Oh, and what you call "toe in" is really "top out" or positive camber. Something just occured to me though...

O.k., so what I see happening in my head is one of your lower control arm bushings is loose, or rather the cam bolt is. When you turn left the lower control arm is being pulled out of alignment. Then it gets pushed back into alignment when you turn straight or right.

The one that I'm guessing is loose is the front right camber adjustment bolt.

It could also maybe be loose wheel bearings or one of your ball joints too.

JoKEpLaYeR

Idler arm is only about a year old. Does the steering arm have bushings on it too? I've never cleaned the grease off of it to look.

MudHippy

If you mean the pitman arm, no bushings. Why is there grease on it? On the tie-rod end hopefully.

ovrrdrive

I agree with you... That's the only thing that it could possibly be. It's either a loose cam bolt or a worn out bushing in the LCA.

slosurfer

I agree about the LCA's, also when was the last time your wheel bearings were packed?