CCCP

What's the procedure for checking these? I see the tech guys at autox's shaking the front wheels but what is it they're looking for? Excessive wobble? Don't all cars have some of that? I also heard that you should have the car jacked up? What exactly is the procedure and what should I be looking for?

Skip

The tire shake tech does is to check both tie rods and wheel bearings. Generally, on the front, the up-down (where you grab the top of the tire or spoke and pull/push) is to test wheel bearings and the side-to-side (as in trying to turn the wheel) is to test tie rods (and also wheel bearings). A certain amount of wheel bearing play is acceptable, but on the late model cars (past early 80's, say) there should not be too much. Many old-hats prefer to keep a little play in the 914 and older 911 cars - or, they're too cheap to buy good grease (j/k ) Excessive wobble is subjective, but you are basically warned away from anything resembling a clunk during this test. It is best to test for this play with the car lifted, IMHO. Tie rods are a bit tougher to feel because the steering has some many joints - so, to minimize the movement you should at least have someone holding the steering wheel (not simply locked - the lock has much play).

Maybe at your next event, ask the tech to give a bit more than a pass/fail opinion. I know I pass a lot of cars that I would personally have spent some quality time with. I usually let the driver/owner know about it strictly as a courtesy.

The procedure for wheel bearing maintenance is on Clark's Garage and also on our Tech-Session.com websites.

Good Luck!

CCCP

Thanks skip. So the ball joints are not tested in either movement? And how many inches (centimeters?) of play should there be in either direction?

Travis - sflraver

The easiest way to correctly check the ball joints is to pull the pinch bolts and remove the ball joint pin from the spindle.

Just take off the wheel on the side you are checking. Then remove the pinch bolt and slide the ball joint pin down out of the pinch. Push the hanging spindle out of the way and feel the ball joint for play. It needs to move smoothly and should not be able to be pressed down in its pocket by hand.

Skip

Sorry, missed that part of the question.... what Travis said ^^^

You can check for gross ball joint wear by prying in between the spindle and the arm - but, that's not quite precise enough sometimes. Big issues with any ball joints (includes tie rods) is that they move well without too much play and are well lubricated. A visual inspection under the grease boot is a great idea - you can sometimes see if binding has occured.

SoCal Driver

You can lock the steering rack to check the tie rod ends. There is a plastic plug on the front where a pointed bolt can be screwed in. The point of the bolt will sit into a matching dimple in the gear rack. Other wise you get the slop in the steering locking bolt as was described and any wear in the steering link u-joints. A knowledgeable alignment shop will know about the centering bolt as this is used for the toe in.

With the steering unlocked, engine off for those with power steering and the front wheels sitting on the ground, grab the steering wheel with thumb and finger and turn it back and forth lightly. If you can feel a little free movement you may have worn u-joints in the steering link. Usually the top one right below the brake booster. Get someone to sit in the car and lightly turn the steering wheel back and forth while you use a flash light to observe the u-joint. If it's worn you will know it. This is often confused with worn tie rod ends.

CCCP

Thanks for all the help guys. Just one last qestion. With the car jacked up exactly how much should I be able to jiggle the wheel? Inches? cm?

Travis - sflraver

none would be great and it gets worse from there.