15 Oct Noises, Vibrations & Tire Wear on the Front Steer Axle

As we all know, nothing lasts forever, and since the front of the truck controls it’s the direction of movement, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on things & take care of wear before it becomes a problem. At least once a year jack up the truck by the front axle until the weight is off the tires. Now push against the top of the tire from the outside to check for play in the wheel bearings and/or kingpins.

If play is detected have someone watch the inside to where the play is coming from while the top of the tire is being pushed. If it’s found in the kingpins, install pins & bushings, if it’s in the hub, pull it down to inspect the bearings & races, they may be pitting or the wheel bearing endplay may simply be loose. Which if run long enough will wear the bearings & seal.

Also, look for missing weights on the brake drums & wheels, some of the newer drums may be cut for balance, instead of using weights. Also keep an eye on tire air pressures at least once a month, colder temps will show bad valve stems and/or cores because you’ll experience frequent pressure loss. Now check the drag link and tie rod ends for play, replace if needed.

Let the truck down and get a frame jack and lift the truck by its frame to extend the suspension & take the weight off. Using a bar or jack, check the spring pins and bushings for wear, the top rear bushing & pin take the most abuse, replace any worn components. Now look at the bottom of the leaf spring for movement, shifted blocks, or leaves that would tell you the center bolt or shim block may be broken, replace as needed.

Re-check the u-bolt & front lug nut torque, check the front spring brackets for broken, loose or missing bolts. Also, check the steering shaft joints & slip yoke, if the play is detected replace the component. Check to see that the steering gearbox bolts to the frame are tight. If there is a lot of rotation play in the gearbox when the truck is running & the input seal leaks a lot, replace the gearbox.

All of these things can give you noises, vibrations, tire wear, component failure & safety hazards. After doing front end work have the truck aligned. If things check out after your inspection and/or repairs, you’ll know that your truck is safe for the road.