I just got four new BFG Traction T/A all-season tires (great road feel, better than the Dunlop SP 5000 Asymetrics that I had). I had a left tie rod end, it was replaced and the car aligned. A few weeks later, the suspension started creaking going over bumps, I thought it was just the cold. Now, it's warmed up and this has been going on for two weeks. Besides all the noise (from the left front), the car pulls to the left on braking, which made me suspect my recent brake job, but then I noticed it pulls to the right on even moderate acceleration, not brake related!
Is this a ball joint, and shouldn't that have been discovered during alignment, like the tie rod end?
Dean Payne

 

my front end shakes bad under light braking but does nothing on heavy braking......wierd

 

sounds like some1 did a bad job on the alignment.....lift up the car on the lift and check ball joints, tie rods, etc.

 

The problem was a bad ball joint, replaced for $114 parts/labor. They didn't charge me for re-doing the alignment, "We should have caught that bad ball joint when we replaced the tie rod." I think I'll keep them in mind, they do good work for a reasonable price and will own up to a possible mistake. (Herchick's Tire in Macedonia, Ohio).
This was a textbook bad ball joint: squeak/groan from one side, pulls to the same side under braking, pulls to the opposite side under moderate acceleration (not only foot-to-the-floor). That must have been due to some play in the ball joint affecting the suspension geometry. Oh, and the steering was getting heavy, and would not return to center after a turn. All is corrected with the new ball joint. I looked at the bad part, it didn't seem to turn real hard and only had a little play, but obviously, that was enough.

 

Good information, thanks for the post.