HI
went to get my 1993 ruby aligned the other day and the guy would not do it because the drivers rear had about a 1/4 inch play - after about an hour he said he could not find out where it was loose...anyone have any ideas as to what to look at... I could not find anything that looked suspect. any suggestions would be appreciated

 

What kind of play? Could be the bearings (hub) need to be replaced.

Mike

 

Time for a new mechanic. Probably wheel bearing.

 

There is not much back there to give you that much play and not be able to be seen at a quick glance. All there is are wheel bearings and rubber bushings.
I found play in mine and looked all over for what was lose. I could not find anything so I figured it was the wheel bearings. I replaced both rears and problem is gone.
Jack up the rear, grab the tire and try to wiggle it. If it wiggles my bet is the wheel bearings are shot.
I just replaced mine and it's not a hard job,took me about two hours and I spent some time cleaning things while I was in there.

Now as for the parts they can run you from $100 - $250 per wheel.
Call around and look on the net.
I got mine from http://tld-corvette.com/

If you are going to do this change yourself let me know I can tell you what you need to do. If you are going to pay someone for it don't let them charge you anymore the 2.5 - 3 hours.

 

I just had the same thing happen with my fronts. The alignment guy said it was the ball joints (but that is what he said last time and I had them replaced), so I think I need new wheel bearings too. There is a tech tip on this that can save you some $ if you need to replace.

 

Play in the rear end can be ....

1. Wheel Bearings.
2. Control arm bushings
3. Strut Rod Bushings
4. Tie Rod Ends
5. Worn Center Link

That's about all there really is to cause play. If you grasp the wheel at 0900 and 1500 and it has play, look first at the control arm (dog bone) bushings and tie rod ends. My control arm bushings were absolutely shot, and were causing substantial movement. Here's a pic of how bad they were.



Worn bushings will be obvious, and they are relatively simple and cheap to replace. Tie rod ends you can also see the play, but they are a little more expensive. The center link can be had brand new on eBay for less than $50

If you grasp the wheel at 1200 and 0600 and have play, look first at the strut rod bushings (rod from bottom of knuckle to rear end support). These bushings are also cheap and easy to replace.

Most C4's have reached the age now when bushing replacement is necessary if it hasn't already been done. It's cheap, easy, and will tighten up the rear suspension considerably.

Wheel bearings are the most expensive. Rule out everything else before replacing them. If all bushings and tie rod ends are tight and you still have play, the bearings are most likely shot. Pep Girls sells them for around $140 with a lifetime warranty, and they are high quality.

Doing an alignment with worn suspension components is just throwing money away. Tighten everything up, align it, and you will be amazed at how it handles. Good luck.

PS....I know there is a red X where the pic should be. I'm trying to resolve the problem, but can't get into my home page right now.

 

That's all great info BUT one problem with it. If the wheel bearing is shot then there will be play no matter where you grab it or what way you move it. That's probably why the guy could not find what was lose. On mine it was easy to see and feel the movement when the wheel was on but once I took the wheel off I could not get things to move.

 

My suspicious meter just went off.

Did he actually SHOW you the play he claims is there? Demonstrate it for you?

I ask because some alignment shops use that as a ploy to get the price up by talking you into un-needed suspension work. I've been down that road before.

Jake

 

Well, in keeping with the BIG JIM namesake...

YOU should tell your mechanic about your car. HE shouldn't tell you any surprises. A 1/4 play in anything when it should have zero play shouldn't be a surprise to you. You should have felt it and checked it out long before he told you about it.

FWIW,

BIG JIM
270 lbs.

 

You are correct, the bearings may very well be shot, but I would eliminate some other stuff first. Just because he didn't notice it doesnt' mean it isn't there. His car is 12 years old. Unless it's a low mile garage queen that's been kept out of the elements, or the bushings have already been changed, I'm betting the bushings are mush. I would take another good hard look at them prior to shelling out $140, and spending 3 hours to change a bearing that may not need changing.

His best bet is to put it on stands, crawl under it, and have a helper move the tire. If everything looks tight then, it's probably a wheel bearing.

 

Always look at the cheap stuff first. But don't be shocked when it's the expensive stuff that needs to be fixed. That's the way it goes with these things.

 

Yep.....I think it's known as Murphy's Law, Chapter 7 Subsection 5, entitled "Corvette Ownership". It goes something like this.

"Whatever is the most expensive part that can break, will, at the worst possible moment, leaving the owner stranded in the worst neighborhood possible".

Murphy was a GM engineer.

 

Many thanks for the replies - the wheel bearing has been replaced on that side - so looks like a bushing issue.. the guy did not charge me for not being able to do the alignment!!
Thanks for the help