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front passenger wheel has play???

E

elejes

New member
Hope this has not been posted before, if so I'm truly sorry.

I own a 2007 V6 3.8 Pontiac Grand Prix, and recently I jacked up the front of the car and noticed the passenger side wheel moves left and right when I grab it with my hands and wiggle it. I am not able to do it on the other side, and I have also noticed a noise coming from that specific location. It sounds like as the wheel spins around (as I drive) it rubs against something. I will be taking it to the mechanic this weekend, but if anyone can steer me in the right direction maybe I can save a buck and try taking care of the problem myself. The question is where do I start, and what do I need to look out for to determine the issue? Any help would do. Other than that, the car is running great in all other aspects.
 


Left and right ( 9 and 3) movement is loose tie rod ends.

Let go too long can cause tire wear and they could break and cause the car to wreck. Would be a good idea to get that fixed soon.

Something else might be a problem aswell. Could be the brakes being low of pad material and making the noise as the car moves or a front wheel bearing has gone bad.
 
thats the tie rod end. easy fix. but you'll need an alignment when your done.

best to change both sides. its easier to work on if you turn the wheels driver side, turn them to the right, pass side to the left. this brings the work out of the fender some and lets you whack the knuckle with a hammer good.

break the lock nut free, then pull the cotter pin from the castle nut, then take the nut off. then hit the flat part of the steering knuckle with a hammer, a few good hard hits will make the tie rod pop out.

leave the lock nut on the inner rod, then unscrew the old rod, then turn the new rod to the old lock nut, then make the lock nut tight.

this will get your alignment to drivable, the wheel may be off a bit when your done, so plan your work so you can go right to a shop for the alignment.
 
Ok, thanks! I took the wheel off and did not see much damage anywhere. I guess my mechanic can figure things out better. Do bearings make a rubbing sound?
 
they can grind. to test the hub, jack the wheel up and grab the wheel at the top, then firmly push and pull, if you feel play the hub is bad.

for the tie rod you'll see it move where it bolts to the steering knuckle. other then that it will "look" fine.
 
Yeah that sounds like my issue. Is replacing the Hub easy? Do I need special tools? Would a bent rim cause the problem?
 


elejes said:
Yeah that sounds like my issue. Is replacing the Hub easy? Do I need special tools? Would a bent rim cause the problem?
Click to expand...


if you can do your own brakes and rotor swap, its just a few more bolts past a full brake job. you'll need a 34 or 36 mm socket for the axle bolt and thats a bout it.
 
Looks like its the Hub bearing from what I remember seeing. The wheel had play from east to west and north to south. Is it best I replace the disk also? I do hear a squeaking noise as I drive slowly. I will try swapping it out myself, I'll be sure to carefully inspect everything else around. Will I need special tools to remove? By the way, can a bent rim cause this problem?

I found the part for $90. Hope it solves my problem. Thanks for all the help.
 
The only real special tool your gonna need is that large socket for the axle nut. You can rent them at autozone. The bent rim would cause vibration at speed. Make sure you torque the axle nut down to spec, if you don't it could cause pre-mature wear on the bearing.
 
And use lots of penetrating oil on the bolts that hold the wheel hub on, they can get pretty seized. Go with a decent brand to make sure it lasts more than a year or two. Timken is what I use personally.
 


Being as how you live in Texas the hub shouldn't be bad. Axle nut should be a breeze. I have an 07 with 109k (Iowa car) and it wasn't even bad getting them off. I also personally used Timkens bearings PART # 513179 assuming you have ABS
 
Oh, I mean before removing the part. I'm about to order the part online. Does the owners manual or the model of the car say it?
 


turn the wheel, look behind the hub near the axle, you'll see a plug clipped to the hub if its got abs,

no plug, no abs.


if you got a dummy abs light on your dash when you turn the key to run before you start it you got abs.
 
No ABS mark on pedal. My car is a 3800 series 3 model. Does anyone know if it has ABS? I could not see any plug visible near the HUB, and I'm unable to see any info on the little digital red screen that can tell me before turning on the car because after the aftermarket stereo it's black.
 
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