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Could be loose lugs/ not torqued to spec. , bad wheel bearing, bad ball joint(s), bad steering arm joint, bad rack and pinion power steering unit, or other steering components. Check lugs first, loosen and retighten while slightly jacked up to take some pressure off of the wheel use a torque wrench set to 100 ft lbs. Then raise wheel about and inch off the floor, use a crowbar to pry up on the wheel several times while observing your ball joints for excessive movement. Very much play at all, replace ball joints, works better to replace them as a pair, top and bottom. If OK, raise wheel a bit further, and grab the top and bottom of the wheel and push/pull in and out to check for play in the wheel bearing. Pretty much any play, replace wheel bearing. If ok, do the same with a side to side motion while observing the steering control arm. Look for play. Play in the joint, replace joint. Play in other steering components, replace suspect component. That's about all the stuff could make the wheel wobble unless the rim itself is bent.
Knocking or rattling noise on rough ground, steering wander. Jack vehicle up grab the wheel at the top and bottom and try and rock the wheel, if yes ball joint? Then side to side, if yes track rod or steering rack? If movement in all directions suspect wheel bearing.
Raise your front end off the ground and put up on jack stands for safety. With tire off the ground grad it with one hand at the 12 O'clock position and the other at the 6 O'clock position and pull it in and out and see if it moves and seems loose. Do this again at the 3 O'clock and 9 O'clock positions and see if it moves or seems loose. It should be firm with NO looseness. If it is not firm, this could be a sign of a loose or bad wheel bearing. Take off tire and remove the cap on the wheel hub and see if the bearing nut has come loose. On a truck of this vintage there should be a cotter pin going through a groove in the nut that goes through the end of the axel threads.
While under there check out the end of the tie rods for looseness. There may be rubber bushings that are worn out and need replacing. If they are cracked and dried out, these should be visable. To test the ball joints, use a prybar and insert it in or around the ball joint area and lift, pry or push to see if the ball joint is loose, it should have NO movement. Also bouncing could be a sign that the shock absorbers are worn and need replacing. If there are wet areas where the hydraulic fluid in the shock is leaking , it should, be replaced.
check for loose tie rod ends. Check for loose suspension ball joints and rubbers . Have a wheel alignment done . Check bearing adjustment.. If it is a 4 wheel drive check the condition of the steering shock absorber as they wear out and do not help in the steering control.
Check wheels and steering for loose parts, wheel, hub/bearing, check to make sure all nuts and bolts are tight, Check Inner and outer CV joints for damaged boots and make sure the hub nut is tight. Grease the components that have grease fittings, tie rod ends and ball joints usually. Check the brake calipers for tight mountings, the upper ball joints should be inspected for wear, as should any steering linkage component. Also check suspension arms for worn or degraded bushings, upper and lower, and that their mounting bolts are tight to frame.
Also look for plastic parts that are loose- it they can move close to a tire, they may be a possible source of the noise as well. Including a dust shield rubbing against the steering shaft- llok for bright areas where something may be rubbing against it.
Could be a wheel bearing, ball joint or tie rod end. All of these components keep the wheel tight to the chassis and suspension of the car. If there is play in the wheel or the steering wheel doesn't seem as responsive I would imagine you have some loose parts in your steering or suspension system. This can be very dangerous as wheels can fall off the car while driving if the condition is bad enough. Take it to a shop ASAP and have them look at your steering and suspension system!
Did you tell the shop to do this or did they find something wrong with those parts? "wheel bushings" ??? Are you talking about hub bearings or ball joints? Bad ball joints can give you wandering or a really bad shake (called death wobble). Has anyone checked the steering box to be sure it hasn't started to tear off the chassis? Is it internally worn? There are too many parts up there that can make a noise for me to comment intelligently about that. If there, I'd need to test drive it. Check the steering damper (sideways shock that attaches to the steering linkage. that can allow wander over bumps. Also, adding alignment caster (more than factory setting) will tend to stabilize the front end. I run way more than factory setting on all of mine. It can wear the steering pump, but it only takes about a year off it's normal life if even that much. So, you may get nine years from it instead of ten. I hope at least one item I've mentioned helps you. If you don't understand any part of this or have a question, just ask!!
That is normal, play in the steering is the sum result of the play in each of the ball joints. Too much collective play and the vehicle wanders.
The replacements have made the steering more responsive. Sometimes it is too responsive. They will loosen up as they are broken in by use. Within a few weeks steering will more natural again.
I would advise having the alignment rechecked at two weeks. The breakin process can throw off the alignment and ruin tires pretty fast.
Wandering is usually caused by toe-out. Did the aligner use front wheel drive specifications for this rear wheel drive truck? A front wheel drive toes in when the wheels are pulling the car, but the front wheels on your truck drag back to a toe-out position if steering parts are worn. Try pushing the fronts of the front wheels apart. They should still be at least a 16th of an inch closer in the front than in the rear of the tires.
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