# Excessive Wheel Play despite new parts! Cannot figure the cause, please help!



## badmaxx (Aug 26, 2010)

I have a '90 2WD HB on which I've replaced the following parts:

Upper Control Arms - Fabtech (raised front end, about 2.5 inches)
Upper Ball Joints - Moog
Lower Control Arms/Ball Joint OEM, Factory Pressed-in Ball Joints
Shocks - Fabtech
Idler Arm - Moog
Tie Rods Inner/Outer/Sleeves - Moog
Torsion Bars - Sway-Away
All Bushings - Energy Suspension
New Wheel Bearings
1.5" spacer adapters on 2003 Frontier Wheels

Question is, when I had the alignment done, both front wheels (the right mostly), had excessive play. I torqued everything to factory specs, including retorquing the wheel nuts, without luck. When I have someone grab the wheel and check for lateral play (one hand at 12, other at 6 o'clock to wheel), I can see excess movement at the upper and lower ball joints only. The alignment shop seems pretty sure it's NOT the bearings, but maybe the knuckle holes themselves might be ovalized. The truck has about 220k miles, no off-roading (2WD). 

Has anyone seen this problem before? Are the steering knuckles on the HB known to wear in this fashion, considering the mileage & highway only use? 

btw, about the only thing I didn't replace was the center link. However, this doesn't appear to be a factor. 

Thank you


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## badmaxx (Aug 26, 2010)

^^^^bump^^^^


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

According to your replacement list, both upper and lower ball joints were replaced. So with replaced components, there should be no play. Were the components new or used?


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## smj999smj (Jan 1, 2006)

Looking at the ball joints while someone else moves the wheel up and down should make it obvious to tell of the play is at the ball joints or in the wheel bearings. If it's in the wheel bearings, the wheel will move but the ball joints should stay still. Normally, it's tough to see play in the ball joints by moving the wheel; you usually need to support under the control arm and use a large pry bar to apply pressure upward against the bottom of the tire to notice any play. Any shop that does wheel alignments should be doing this prior to do the alignment, itself, to check for worn suspension componants.


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## badmaxx (Aug 26, 2010)

Hi, all parts are brand new, except the sway bars and upper control arms. The bushings on the uppers are in good shape, it appears. Yeah, the alignment guy agrees with you, he feels it's NOT the bearings, either.


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## rogoman (Dec 16, 2004)

What you are probably seeing is the ball joint studs moving where they fit into the knuckle arm holes. The ball joints themselves are OK since they are new. What could have happened in the past is when the ball joints were installed on the knuckles, the stud nuts weren't torqued to the proper specs and then over time the knuckle holes got "Ovalized" as you say it. If that's the case, the knuckles need to be replaced.


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## badmaxx (Aug 26, 2010)

rogoman said:


> What you are probably seeing is the ball joint studs moving where they fit into the knuckle arm holes. The ball joints themselves are OK since they are new. What could have happened in the past is when the ball joints were installed on the knuckles, the stud nuts weren't torqued to the proper specs and then over time the knuckle holes got "Ovalized" as you say it. If that's the case, the knuckles need to be replaced.


Rogoman, I think that is the case, and I will replace the spindle/knuckle and see how it goes. Ugh, this is adding up! LOL 

btw, I bought the truck new, and never replaced the ball joints until now. The cotter pins haven't so much as been removed, so either the factory didn't do the proper torquing, or it's just natural wear... not sure. Anyway, I'll replace the worse knuckle first, and see how it goes. Will report back.


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## zanegrey (Dec 5, 2005)

check the rag joint on the steering rod...


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## badmaxx (Aug 26, 2010)

zanegrey said:


> check the rag joint on the steering rod...


Thank you for that advice, zanegrey, I will check that out. Silly as it might sound, my brain seemed to focus only on the upper/lower control arms and less on steering. I replaced so much of the suspension/steering except for the center link... I even replaced the idler arm. Might a severely worn center link cause this? Thank you in advance.


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