Front tire wobble

[K-CAR_WAGON]

I would think a good front end shop would be able to find the source of "bam bam bam" noise if it is repeatable. Maybe someting is loose in the front end - resulting in the "wobble". In general it is a good idea to replace struts in pairs - if you decide to replace. The strut mounts are usually also shot on old K-cars.

A sticky calipher on one side can usually be observed by high resitance when turning the wheel while its off the ground (compare both sides), noises or excessive heat. A warped rotor can sometimes be detected by measuring runout with a gage or felt in brake pedal vibration.

Bad hub assembly bearings are sometimes evident by noise, feel, and/or vibration.

Imbalanced drivehaft is sometimes evident by vibrations at certain speeds.

Ball joints were checked and ok?

Is it just a tire wobble or also vibration evident through the steering wheel. I still would not completely rule out the tires. Sometimes an alignment issue causes a tire to wear in an irregular pattern causing imbalance and gradually the vibration increases. However, if its severe the wear pattern should show up on the tire.

Your alignment shop checked everything - even the parameters that can not be adjusted on your car?

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Thanks again K-Car Wagon..

I am taking it in as soon as i have time and someone to follow me down there to drop it off.

I leave before 7 to go to work, and don't get home till 5 or 6 here the last 2 weeks.

It is definitely a wobble. Have you ever had a radial belt "slip" and you go driving down the road and the car wobbles constantly with out let up?
If so "bingo'! Except, my car wobbles worse on acceleration up to about 45 miles a hour, then at speeds at 60 to 70 mph.

I notice it in the steering very little if at all, its the front of car (passenger side) that wobbles, when I first noticed it, i thought my tire was low on air or flat.

I paid close attention today, it seems it wobbles bad, when I am accelerating, if I let off on the gas pedal it "almost"totally backs off, feeling it ever so slightly, but if you start to accelerate again, here comes the wobble.

When Braking everything is fine, no vibration of any kind in the car.

I also turned the wheels so I could get a close look at the tread, and surprizeingly there are no dips, or uneven wear, for now, but I am sure there will be if this goes unchecked.

Tie Rods and supposedly the entire front end was checked out by the Tire Chain store where i bought the tires, and knowing them, they always seem to always want to "replace" something, they shocked me by finding nothing. Thats when I took it in to my mechanic, he had it 2 days, and when he called for me to come and pick it up, he told me the front of my car was tight, but, that the passenger side axle was a rebuilt one, and it possibly could be causing the wobble. He told me he does not like to use re-built anything if it can be helped at all.

Anyways.....i do appreciate you taking the time to throw these ideas at me.

Thanks

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Well....took it to my mechanic after my doc appointment, He got in, we took off down the road, crawling along until the on-ramp to the 4 lane highway.... just as I hit 32 mph......the front end, mainly the passenger side started wobbling.....he said "damn" it is bad, then I took the next off-ramp, got to the stop sign, stopped turned right, and POP....he was like...it didn't do this when I took it out for a test drive...I told him I told ya, ya have to get above 30 mph and accelerate slowly......

anyways.... got it back to the shop, got it on the lift, and 3 of them started going all over the front end with crow-bars, pushing and checking it all out.

Lower ball joint on passenger side was so loose, he said he could just push it out quite easily.....and the axle yet again was wore out!!! "lucky me"!!

anyways........parts ordered, they will be in Monday, I drove the car home and parked it!!

Its all clean and shiney and undrivable!!!!

I was wondering IF the investment of the complete spring/strut (he called them something??) would be worth investing in??? it would probably run about $700. he said they cost more, but less labor intensive, because they don't have to compress the old spring, and all that, they just take out the old, and install the new complete. I have the weekend to ponder it, they have them in stock where he gets his parts.

[Jacks1986Lebaron]

Well... I just picked it up!!! No more wobble!!! No more POP, and the bam, bam, bam noise was the heat shield above the catalytic converter...it had come loose!!!

Whew!! Thats done................next???