Tire wobble when turned sharp 73 blazer

[73blazer73]

I have not driven this 73 blazer before today, bought it dirt cheap knowing it needed some work. I got the motor running, rewired it, I just put new rotors on, new brake pads, repacked wheel bearings, new wheel studs, new rims and new tires. . Finally ready to take it for a spin and see how it drives... Drove straight no pulling, braked well, then I tried a u-turn, the front wheels wobbled real bad and at a certain point it just started going straight even with the wheels turned. Any suggestions on what to start checking would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[JoshHefnerX]

So it only wobbles at a certain point in the steering angle? Is it both directions?

 

[73blazer73]

Right and left and yeah just making normal turns I didn't notice it. It was just when it was a sharp turn

 

[dremu]

Likely candidates are tie rod and drag link ends, ball joints, spindle nuts. Easy to diagnose:

Jack front end up under axle. Grab tire at top and bottom (12 and 6 o'clock), wiggle. If it moves up-and-down noticeably, think loose spindle nuts or worn out ball joints. (You said you did the wheel bearings, so you know about the tighten until they drag, then back off a smidge and set the outer locking nut thing?) Worst case take the tire and brakes off again (sucks, I know). If you can move the spindle so the knuckle moves, get thee to the parts store for some Moog ball joints.

Also grab the tire on the sides (3 and 9 o'clock) and wiggle. If it moves side-to-side, think steering (drag link or tie rod ends). These you work through one at a time -- try to move them by hand. If they have any slop, that's bad. (Note they may turn a bit, that's okay, but if the end moves at all inside the ball end ... like a mortar inside a pestle, say ... that's bad.)

Also depends on what you mean by "wobble" ... could be brakes, i.e. pads not seated, warped rotors (I know you said they're new, but it happens) ... but if the wobbling only occurs at the ends of the steering arc I'm inclined to suspect steering more than brakes.

-- A

 

[Fordum]

Does it have locking hubs, and if so, are they unlocked? All the things previously mentioned are the most likely. Jack up each front wheel and look for slop. But the going straight when the wheels are turned is strange unless the front wheels did not turn when you turned the steering.

However, I have seen some really weird steering stuff when someone put a spool in the front end and tried driving on hard surfaced roads with the hubs locked. It did a lot of stuff like you are describing.
Since its new to you, there is no telling what a previous owner might have done. An instant test would be to jack up one front wheel and try to turn it with the other on the ground.
If the hubs are not unlocking, and the front end is locked you would not be able to turn the tire. Its fairly unlikely, but the symptoms sure sound like an aggressive locker in the front end with the hubs locked.
Otherwise, its going to be in the ball joints or steering. Try turning the steering wheel with the engine off. If you have something wrong in the box, or linkage letting the steering wheel turn without turning the tires, its going to show up when you honk down on the steering wheel with the power steering off.

 

[JoshHefnerX]

Does the back end have any kind of locker? That could make the front end scrub a little.

 

[Fordum]

Does the back end have any kind of locker? That could make the front end scrub a little.

I thought about that too. A front end locker would be more dramatic, but a spool in the rear would be squirrely too.

 

[4xfrankie]

ball joints

 

[diesel4me]

If its got the original NP-203 "full time 4wd" t-case in it still and the original front axle,it'll have drive slugs,not hubs,that are "locked" all the time,and the t-case needs to be put in the "2-hi" for it to unlock the third differential in the case...not doing so will make it get axle wrap and bind up on turns..if someone put a 2wd conversion kit in the case to lock the third diff,but didn't put on locking hubs too,that'll make it crab walk on sharp turns,and strain the axles and transfer case a lot,maybe even break something..

Even my '82 K2500 will do that weird crab walk in 4wd with the hubs locked on dry surfaces,I think its due to the front diff not having 100% matched gearing--as an example,a truck with 4:10 gears in the rear will have a 4:09 ratio 10 bolt up front,they cant always perfectly match gears of different size--but "close enough" not to hurt anything,but will make a noticeable amount of tire scrubbing and lurching on sharp turns..