Noise and Wobble in front end accompanied with tire wear.

[TraumaTruck1]

I noticed yesterday that my wife's Yukon had some odd front tire wear. They have chunks taken out of them. I asked her about it, and she said " Oh yeah. I've been meaning to say something. It makes a popping noise when I turn really sharp."

Driving normally it feels fine. There may be a clunk when you hit a bump, but I'm not sure that it's not just regular noise. I can reproduce the clunk when turning with the steering locked all the way to the left and to the right. It hops kind of like a 4x4 that is engaged on pavement.

This is a 2007 Denali AWD.

Any ideas on where to start looking? It is wearing both tires, and does it in both directions. The only normal use situation that I can think of it happening would be parking because that's about the only time that you would normally turn the steering wheel far enough to make it do this.

 

[Jason_S]

The CVs used in the front do not have the same range of motion for 360 degrees. There are two spots where the range will be less. Think of them like slightly more flexible u-joints. The only time you will notice this limitation is when you are at full lock on the steering. Then you will feel exactly what you are describing. Typically on the inside wheel for the turn. It's not abnormal.

Abnormal tire wear can be a number of things. Many of the causes will wear the tire differently so the way the tire is worn can point you towards the cause.

 

[TraumaTruck1]

Thank you for your quick reply. This wheel hop isn't normal for this Yukon though. We have put nearly 80,000 miles on it, and this is new. I believe it's the wheel hop that's causing the tire wear. My concern is what's causing the wheel hop.

 

[08HoeCD]

I'd guess that it's the ball joints.

 

[TraumaTruck1]

I'd guess that it's the ball joints.

OK. Thanks. I will take a look there. I have replaced the upper recently. I will take a look at the lower.

 

[TraumaTruck1]

I have been out looking, and I found a CV boot torn on one side. Luckily I don't think that the CV joint is damaged yet. It looks like it has just started slinging grease everywhere. I just changed the oil not long ago, and the grease wasn't there.

I also found that the right hub is loose like it is worn. Could that cause a funky tire wear? The tires on both sides are showing this wear. They look like somebody took a cheese greater to them.

 

[Jason_S]

How exactly are the tires worn? Patchy spots all the way around, excessively on the insides, washboarded/ cupped?

The torn boot is a great place to start. If it doesn't get addressed real soon, you will be better off replacing that cv.

To check your front end:

Lift the front tire off the ground and support the frame with a jackstand letting the tire droop.
Grab the front tire at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and try to rock the tire side to side. If it rocks from side to side, then you are looking at tierod ends.
Grab the tire at the 6 and 12 o'clock positions and rock the top and bottom of the tire in and out. If you get movement in this direction you are looking at ball joints. It's easier to just buy the lower arm with the lower joints already installed.
Finally, get the tire between the 10 and 11 and between the 4and 5 o'clock positions and grock it some more on that diagonal plane. If you get any movement in that direction, you are looking at wheel hub assemblies.

Give all of your bushings a once over also.

Once you've replaced everything that needs replaced, take it and get it aligned.

If you have a local shop that you trust, take it there and let them give it a once over. For a few bucks you will know whats wrong, rather than have a bunch of yahoos on the internet take a guess based on what information you provide.

 

[Brian Wilson]

Not sure about the tire wear but the usual suspects would be the ball joints, tie rods, and definitely the wheel hub. Jack the side of the car with the suspect bad hub up and grab the 12 and 6 oclock positions of the wheel. Try to shake the wheel. Any movement at all is a bad hub. And it is common on this type of vehicle. I just replaced 3 of them in the past 2 months. Also, in one case the wheel acctually came off the car. I had to replace the entire front end on that side. Control arms, shock, tie rod, knuckle, rotor, hub, caliper, cv, sway bar end link, brake hose, level control, whatever. Or 'leg' as the junkyard calls it and the front fender (not easy to find in a junk yard in my area). This is not an issue I would wait to break on this vehicle.

 

[Brian Wilson]

Even if I didn't see it first (typing at the same time) jason s has a much more in depth process. And it is 100% accurate. Much better than mine.

 

[HootGS]

I had a similar problem on my '13 LT 4x4. Dealer said the majority of the front suspension was shot (clunking came from tie rod or steering stabilizer which had detached on one end because of a broken link) and it needed to be rebuilt. Sorry I can't remember exactly which part it was but it happened some time ago. The symptoms are very similar though.