So I finally finished installing fender flares and OME HD 2" suspension lift kit. Put new wheels and tires(mud) 33" on my D1 and went for a test drive...
With stock wheels/tires it was totally fine just earlier today. However with new heavier and bigger setup - pretty wild steering wobble, feels kind of like each wheel wants to go its on way.
This sometimes does go away for a short period and then comes back. Noticed its jumpy/shaky when accelerating from full stop.

First thing ofcourse - I will have "discount tire" check the balance, but i highly doubt this is it...

Any other ideas? Perhaps, some worn suspension parts that don't like my bigger/heavier wheels?

Please shed some light...

 

Did you check that you lug nuts are tight to spec?

 

Worn steering or suspension components will definitely be more evident with higher rotational forces. The lug nuts is an obvious one, as well as to make sure the wheels are properly seated against the rotors. I'd go through each corner and make sure everything is tight before driving too much further.

 

I've also checked front wheel lateral play and it does move a little too much i think, maybe that could be the cause? Bad bearing or bearings out of adjustments? The thing is - with oem wheels/tires i had zero issues, just because of a heavier bigger wheel size, could this be felt so dramatically?

 

Could be:

>lug nuts
>wheel bearings
>swivel housing bearings
>steering joints
>bad wheel balancing

I had new tires put on one of the cars like yours, muds and had to have them rebalanced because they vibrated so badly initially...

 

yes your 33's are that much heavier - my original tires were nearly half of my BFG's AT KO2's at 32"

also make sure you Universal joint for the front drive shaft (the one by the transfer case) has been well cared for -greased as that will let go after a few hundred miles with a new lift if it was not properly greased thru its life - the exhuast dries out the grease. It will start to vibrate at low speed and vibrate less as speed increases.

 

Heavier rotating mass will bring out the best in anything worn. You have bigger gyroscopes now.

 

 

 

I did recheck lug nuts few hours ago and took it for a drive again, trying to see if there are patterns when it happens. What I noticed is that the car is also bouncy as hell, would thing its the heavy duty OME but again, with stock tires/wheels didn't have that feeling, it was stiff but not bouncy for sure.

It starts of with bouncing and then that goes away and gets into steering wheel wobble, feels like each wheel wants to go its own way, but it stops at any given speed, randomly, sometimes.

Two things though - after OME install, i didn't do the alignment yet AND I just checked bearings for freeplay and there's definitely some. Couldn't tell if its bearings or the swivel ball thats causing the freeplay though.