wobble,wobble,wobble!!!

[furnitureguy-123]

Around town my 66 stepside drives just fine. When I get on the highway at around 55-60 mph my front end has a wobble that comes and goes. It will wobble,wobble,wobble and then smooth out. Then repeat, and repeat etc. I just had all of the tires rotated and balanced with a very reputable dealer, but it didnt help. I have manual steering. I can feel it in the steering wheel and not so much in the floor. Could it be my shocks are worn out? I have very little play in the steering. I have not had it aligned yet.
What ya tink

[Bullitt390]

Wheel bearings or king pins.

Josh

[m-mman]

Check the free play in the steering gear.

Turn the steering wheel and look at the tires. You should not have more than 10-15 degrees of play before you seen the tires move slightly.

Sometimes this play can adjusted out, sometimes it needs a rebuild.

[fordman]

Wheel bearings or king pins.

Josh

[Alvin in AZ]

"something's loose" -Ford mechanic buddy when I asked about the same thing :)

Get someone to rock the steering wheel back and forth and feel each joint for play.
I bet you'll find "everything's a little bit loose". ;)
Repair and/or replace all of that loose stuff. :)

The king pins are tough to detect play in, especially "end play".
I too agree with Josh and will take it one step farther...
I say go ahead and fix those two things he mentioned, no matter what you detect.
Remove the knuckles, clean them up and take 'em to the automotive machine shop. :)

It'll drive like new when you get done. :)

Alvin in AZ
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/toe-in1.jpg
http://www.panix.com/~alvinj/file12/toe-in2.jpg

[furnitureguy-123]

Thanks guys!!!!

I have replaced the wheel bearings so the next step will be the king pins, and the steering mech. Could this be caused by mis alignment?
I will start at the beginning and end at the end, wherever that may be.

[m-mman]

Steering linkage it just that, linkage.

At every point where someting touches something else there are two metal surfaces that slide/rub together. (Worm shaft to sector in the steering gear, ball type joints in the pitman arms & tie rod ends, spindles at the I beams, Bearings at the spindles)
After years of use every one of these points can have a LITTLE wear. Not much at any single point, but add it all up and there can be a lot of play OVERALL that will allow your wheels to wobble.

Any front end repair should always begin with a complete inspection of ALL moving points and then repair or replace where ever wear exists.

The list above is compiled from people's experience describing common places that are known to develop signifigant wear.

Want to fix your problem? Properly insepect each point for wear that is out of tolerance and then repair or replace those parts.

Bad alignment does not cause wear on the parts.
It is wear in the parts that allow the wheels/tires to not stay in proper alignment and go down the road straight.

[Alvin in AZ]

What M-M said! :)

I have replaced the wheel bearings so the next step will be the king pins...

You had it half way apart! :)
Why didn't you keep going and remove the steering knuckles and get the king
pins replaced at the same time?

Alvin in AZ

[furnitureguy-123]

Good question!!! I guess the other day was the first opportunity I had to get it out on the highway. I have done everything else to a vehicle, (including the rebuild of my transmission), but I have never messed with the king pins. Are they hard to replace? Are they rebuildable? Any advice on the matter?

Thanks again!!!!

[cep62]

Dont overlook the tires old Bias plies or radials with a broken belt can start the motion.
so can big off road tires (the Jeep guys call "death wobble")

[Sam I Am]

Is the king pin right next to the spindle, or under the coil spring?

[cep62]

It's the pin the spindle turn on.

[furnitureguy-123]

Is there a reliable way of checking wear in the king pins b4 you tear everything apart?
This is all very good info. I do have a service manual and so far I couldn't do without.
Thanks to everyone!!!!

[91Bear]

What about radius arm bushings?

[Alvin in AZ]

Is there a reliable way of checking wear in the king pins b4 you tear everything apart?

In my experience...
King pins aren't easy to check like ball joints are. :/
There's play "up and down" that's tough to check too.
They will fool you into thinking they are good. BTDT
You've got "wobble wobble wobble". ;)
Just friggin change 'em, you'll be glad you did. ;)
...replacing the king pins and their bearings is a
-key- part of the "wobble wobble wobble fix". :)

You can do it. :)
Just do it. :)

Between the time I spent carefully typing out posts for
you and you working hard at trying to -not- do the job...
...the job could have been done already! Believe it? ;)

Alvin in AZ
ps- how old are you?