Corksil

Hey I have a 94 del slo VTEC. My alignment is off and the car pulls a little bit to the right. Actually it swerves to the right.. And it eats tires in the front-right corner.

I tried to get an alignment for it but when mechanic lifted the car the entire front right wheel was clunking back and forth. He told me that the OEM bushings were destroyed and had to be replaced. I put poly ones in everywhere (pain in the ***.)

I thought the problem would be fixed but when I jack the front-right tire up it still clunks back and forth when you grab it and shake. I can look in there with the wheel off and it looks like the tie rod ball joint is sliding in and out..

I hit a big *** rock a month ago on the front right corner and it bent my rim and destroyed it. What could get damaged by an impact like this, is it the tie rod? nothing is bent under there, I had the entire thing apart for my poly bushings install.

thaks

Corksil

bump weasels...

now that everyone is awake in the states. damn timezone differences

Jackal6042

Hitting a big rock could have busted the ball joint. If the knuckle assembly moves as much as you are saying I'd say replace the ball joints and maybe even the tie rod end.

Vindicator9000

Yes, that.

Could it also possibly be a hub/bearing problem? Is the entire knuckle moving, or is just the hub moving?

civicgsr

Ball joint and possibly wheel bearing.

If you're going to have one replaced, you may as well replace the other. It will save you time and labor costs.

I don't have the tools to do the actual bearing and ball joint repair, so I remove the knuckle and take it to a machine shop.

Jackal6042

Labor costs? What are those???

Yeah if you don't have the right tools it isn't easy. Wheel bearing you just need to remove the knuckle, use a larger socket and pound out the hub from the back side with the knuckle in a vise. A slide hammer puller can get the bearing out.

Ball joint can be whacked out too. The Factory Service Manual talks about using all these special tools but you can use big sockets to perform the same function for pressing in/out the ball joint.

Corksil

yeh, special tools. None of those. Apparently you need a hydraulic press to get OEM bushings out and get the polyurethane ones in.. I used big sockets and a bench vice. Back to business..

The entire knuckle clunks back and forth, and I say clunk because it moves like atleast an 1/8 inch. Enough to pick up some speed and make a clunk when it stops.

Alright so knowing what I know now let me sum up the question again..

Is it bad that I can see the tie rod sliding in and out of the steering rack? When I look around with the tire off and jiggle the hub/rotor/knuckle back and forth, I can follow the tie rod end into the car where the ball joint is. I can see a lot of free-play in the ball joint, like the ball is wiggling around in the joint. When I grab the tie rod and jiggle it, the ball slides in and out of the joint. I don't think it's supposed to do that..

Jackal6042

Yeah there shouldn't be that much free play... Replace the ball joints and tie rod ends and we will go from there. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Tie...ht_1803wt_1167

You can get all the lower stuff for like $60 on ebay and its not bad quality replacements. You can probably find the uppers for like $30 on ebay.

o0Jash0o

wheel bearings? it should not move like that even if the tie rods r disconnected completely.

but if the ends r sliding in an out ide replace those too. after all is said an done go to fire stone and pay for the life time alignment package. pay once align that car every ****in day for the rest of ur life if u feel like it. save u money in the long run while u work this issue out. any time u mess with the suspension an alignment is a good idea especially on tie rods and or raising/ lowering the car

Jackal6042

Yeah bearings might be a good idea as well. I started him off with the ball joints and tie rod ends because he said it is the whole knuckle that is "klunking" and not just the hub.

Corksil

tie rod ends in the mail, inners and outers for both sides. they're even sending me new dust booties :D

if this doesn't fix it, I'll check wheel bearing and balljoints but im 99% that they're fine.