I've been noticing over the last week or two that almost every time the truck is parked you can clearly tell that one of the front wheels is angled more than the other. I replaced lower ball joints, upper control arms and outer tie rods last summer followed by an alignment. Has my alignment gone bad or is this something else? I've heard idler arms like to go bad, I know they're in the steering system but I don't know if they would cause this.

Thanks in advance.

 

When you are driving the vehicle is the steering wheel perfectly straight while driving down a straight level road? Are you noticing any unusual tire wear on the front tires? Is there more looseness in the wheel then there usually is? Is there more feedback from the road coming back through the wheel? Any strange noises you believe to be suspension related?

 

Steering wheel is not always perfectly straight when going down a straight road, it's pretty inconsistent, sometimes it's straight and sometimes pulls to the right. The tires do not appear to have any unusual wear. I did notice a little looseness in the wheel recently. No noises and now that I think about it there has been more feedback through the wheel but I would have to go take it out and really focus to give you more of an exact answer.

 

Bump, any ideas? I really don't want to take it to get aligned again if that's not the problem.

 

Jakc up the front and shack it down and see if their is anythign loos.

 

Well I would raise the truck support it with jacks under lower control arms. Use a pry bar in between both ball joints and check for looseness. Next shake wheel grab wheel a 12 and 6 position and try to move it. If looseness is felt find out where it is. Next set truck back down on the ground have someone turn the wheel back and forth but just enough so they take the slack or play out of the wheel. While you are under there look for one part that is moving while another is standing still or not moving near as much. Replace this part wither it be pitman arm idler arm or tierods. Now if you do not see any parts not moving with the others but there is a looseness in the wheel, take your hand and put it on the steering shaft right before the steering gear. Take your other hand put it on the pitman arm. Try to move the part of the shaft closest to the steering wheel you should feel the same movement on the other end of the gear if you do not it may be time for a new gear or a gear adjustment.

Right now I have a bad steering gear. I dont have the money to fix it till uncle sam decides to pay me so I am just dealing with it. A few more symptoms of a worn steering gear are hard then loose steering, p/s leaks, excess feedback to the driver, can cause alignment to be on then off then on again.

 

a better way to check out the front end is to wiggle the wheel while the truck is jacked up. Wiggle both sides in and out (3 and 9 oclock) then look which part has play in it. Also i wouldn't jam a pry bar in between, it puts extra stress on the cv shaft. Take your pry bar underneath the tire while jacked up on the lower control arm and try to wiggle tire up and down.