[BurntOrngeLonghorn84]

So for a while now if i hit a bump hard my truck will want to track hard to the right but will eventually correct itself (usually if i turn it off/on or place in park??), however today was really bad when I put it in 4 wheel drive (overall i thought the truck drove like sh*t - compared to my previous tacoma)

Even out of four wheel drive my truck wanted to track any place I hit a bump in the road. If I hit a bump on the driver's side it wanted to track hard to the driver's side, and vise versa for the passenger. I actually felt like a hazard to other drivers on the roadway.

I know I need an alignment pretty bad, but is this because there's something loose down there?

 

[jc1843]

You have some worn parts-- first jack it up-- and check the wheel bearings, the idler arm and pitman arm. Probably need all three.

It is not safe to drive it like that!

 

[BurntOrngeLonghorn84]

So the idler arm and pitman arms i'm good with, however, i'm unsure about the wheel bearings with the 4 wheel drive. Is it an easy replacement (doesn't require a shop press - which i don't have), or is it easer to replace the whole hub assembly?

Thanks,

Chad

 

[BurntOrngeLonghorn84]

Verdict

Verdict is worn idler and pitman arms. I did the wheel test for the bearings and there was no play so the bearings are still good.

Since I got to go home early due to the snow I was able to pull into the garage and switch them out...much better now.

Thanks for the hint jc1843

 

[LBZ_Duramax]

You need to go and get an alignment now so you dont wear out your tires

 

[BurntOrngeLonghorn84]

Yeah I needed one anyway so I took it up to the shop after I test drove it but they were backlogged so i had to leave my truck overnight...picked it up at about 8 this morning.

They said they've never seen a toe out as bad as mine...

Just for my future knowledge since i didn't tackle the bearings this time...do you need a shop press to install the bearings into the hub, or am I completly off with this?

 

[joelsmith]

have you checked your ball joints?

 

[BurntOrngeLonghorn84]

have you checked your ball joints?

Well when I tried to rock the tire back and forth on a vertical axis there was absolutely no play, the only play was left to right and with the new idler and pitman arms and that was reduced dramatically.

How would I know a ball joint is bad w/o the tire shake test?

On a side note how much did you pay for the arm braces and how was the install, Should i have done it while replacing the arms?

Update: I read that it requires the truck to be realigned, so I think i'll hold off until then.

 

[Tankercomm]

First off, you dont need any press or special tools other than a 22mm wrench to change your wheel bearings/hubs. Its all one assembly.

Second your tie rod ends could be going too, hence why there is still SOME play. If you get new ones get them a little beafier than your stocks. It will save you a headache down the road later if your in the hills.