Euro Posted July 5, 2008 Report Posted July 5, 2008 Ok, I know how to tell normally how a strut is bad, but when I was at Discount Tire a couple weeks ago getting my tires rotated, they wouldn't do it because my passenger side front wheel had some good amount of play going L to R, as in hands at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions. They showed me that, and I was well damn, I guess I need tie rod ends? The guy goes no, it looks like a strut is bad. Uh...how would a bad strut make the wheel move left to right? It is a bad tie rod end right? Quote
EviLette Posted July 5, 2008 Report Posted July 5, 2008 I would think so. But I'm not a genius. I had -toast- suspension on my car and they still aligned it. Quote
1990lumina Posted July 5, 2008 Report Posted July 5, 2008 Yes it's probably tie rod ends. Struts normally leak oil and stuff, or just are worn out and make the car ride like hell. Quote
Euro Posted July 5, 2008 Author Report Posted July 5, 2008 Yes it's probably tie rod ends. Struts normally leak oil and stuff, or just are worn out and make the car ride like hell. That's what I thought! Sweet, the tie rod ends are most likely covered under my warranty! Quote
Venom Posted July 5, 2008 Report Posted July 5, 2008 I would start there with the tie rods, cant imagine a bad strut causing that. Quote
shyguy164 Posted July 5, 2008 Report Posted July 5, 2008 So if you hold your hands at 9 and 3 on the wheel, it moves left to right or in and out? In and out from the bottom is a ball joint. When you say left and right, do you mean towards the front and rear of the car or are you actually turning the wheel left and right like the steering rack would? Quote
Euro Posted July 6, 2008 Author Report Posted July 6, 2008 What I mean is, I hold the tire at 9 and 3, and it moves side to side. Quote
rockfangd Posted July 6, 2008 Report Posted July 6, 2008 ok but this is going to sound funny but if anyone has ever worked on the old caravans you would know a strut can cause play like that, but i have never seen it on anything but the old caravans, the strut goes and and the piston that comes out of the strut moves back and forth in the strut until someday it pops out lol. . But for this i would lift the side that is supposed to have play and grab the tie rod end while someone shakes the wheel left and right Quote
GOT2B GM Posted July 6, 2008 Report Posted July 6, 2008 make sure it doesnt have up and down play too, or it could be a wheel bearing. Quote
Euro Posted July 7, 2008 Author Report Posted July 7, 2008 took it to my guy this morning, he said the pass. side outer tie rod end was toast So, 2 outer tie rod ends, new serp. belt, alignment for $133 Quote
GPX Posted July 22, 2008 Report Posted July 22, 2008 took it to my guy this morning, he said the pass. side outer tie rod end was toast So, 2 outer tie rod ends, new serp. belt, alignment for $133 Sounds like a great deal! I was going to say that you should be able to easily see/feel bad tie-rod ends. A mechanic told me that if you can twist that joint with your hand and make it move, it's shot. You don't even need to feel play. Oh, they're such perfectionists! Quote
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