Hi all,

Experiencing the following symptoms and would love your help:

• Vehicle sometimes pulls right when braking.
• Steering wheel sometimes shudders when braking at high speed.
• Brakes sometimes squeal when braking at low speed.
• Front right tire slightly wiggles 9-to-3 when vehicle is on jack.

Trying to fix this in the order of cheapest/easiest/most likely to expensive/difficult/least likely.

I’m inclined to believe I have a bad tie rod but is it likely there is more?

• A bad wheel hub would wobble at 6-12.
• A bad control arm would give a clunkier ride.
• I’ve already replaced front calipers, hydraulic hoses, pads, rotors, and double checked them all to be in good working order.

What say you all?

Thanks!

 

Control arm busing do not necessarily make noise, they can be sloppy. Tie rods are pretty easy to check, just better with two people so one can work the wheel back and forth while the other observes. Get tie-rods are a complete unit, inner/outer. May have to buy a boot kit separately. TRW makes good boot kits. Tie rods, go Lemforder. Best to do both sides since you have to align after. You don't mention milage, but if over 100k then the rods are very likely.

 

Thanks, Dakota. That was my very next question: whether to buy whole tie rod assembly. It is, 108k to be exact. Is there strong possibility the control arm is also an issue, and how might one determine that given the above?

 

Odds are its the rods if you can feel slop by hand. But both could be the issue. Tie rods I consider a wear item, so I would simply do them to see if it solves your problem. They are easy to do and not terribly expensive anyway.

When did you buy the vehicle (milage). LCA bushing seem to last only 70k miles, give or take, so they may have been done already. I bought my LR3 with 105k. The LCAs where dealer replaced at 70k miles. I probably have to replace mine next year as I am packing on the miles crossing the country.

 

I did get the play when wiggling the tire but not by maneuvering the rod itself. I bought it at 102k–within a month of taking it off the lot, a lot of issues began to appear. (I don’t regret the purchase, just wish I knew upfront!) It appears the vehicle was well maintained with all recommended maintenance but sat for awhile last year. Front suspension was serviced at 60k.