Car on Jacks: Wheel movement on front tires

Check your ball joints and tie-rods.

the best way to do it is have a some one move the wheel side to side for you while you look under the car. first look at the joint where the outer tie rod connects to the knuckle and look for alot of play, you will notice alot movement at the head of the joint if it is bad then keep looking down the rack if the inner is bad it will have alot play going in and out like it wants to pull out of the rack.

to check the lower ball joint take a long bar, lug wrench something to give you leverage, have same friend slide it under the tire and pull up and down on the tire while you look at the lower ball joint, if it is bad you will see play in it, the spindle part will move up and down over the ball joint. there is some play needed in the bearings but not too much, pull the wheel of and grab the disc and hub move it in and out and up and down that will tell you if you have alot of play. the bearings could be wearing and it will cause some play or if they where packed they might not been tightened has much as the other side. you might be able to pull the cotter and tighten them, i usually tighten them tight then back off 1/2 to 3/4 turn or until I can get then cotter in then recheck them but others can chime in on better methods if they have one. best of luck.

I would replace the inners and outers if it was never done before. Mustng inners wear out fast. Disconnect the outer. Hold up the assembly and if it falls, the inners are junk. They should hold up their own weight with and without the outers attached. I bought new MOOG inners for 45 bucks each. I bought MOOG outers for 45 bucks each. I could have bought cheap CHINA inner and outers for 17 each, but I don't want to support those people that steal out jobs.

NKau said:

Top/Bottom movement is ball-joints, side to side movement would be tie rods. If you crawl under the car, you should be able to isolate whether it is inner or outer tie rods. Definitely something you want to replace immediately. Good luck.

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Here's the easiest way to figure out if you need tie rod ends (which you do, no question) If you can't remember the last time they were replaced or you have never replaced them, then you need new ones.

How hard is it to install tie rods and ball joints, and will he need an alignment after?

Is it better to have an alignment shop do it (probably not, save some $$$)?

JH96GT said:

How hard is it to install tie rods and ball joints, and will he need an alignment after?

Is it better to have an alignment shop do it (probably not, save some $$$)?

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The ball joints are a little harder since you need a press, but it can be done without. As for tie rod ends they're easy, just mark the threads so you know your putting the new ones on at the same length. You can put them on yourself and get them close enough to be able to drive it to an alignment shop for the final alignment. A shop would probably charge around $25-50 for the alignment, it's not bad.

If you are going to replace all the tie rods or even just the inners you might as well put a new rack in it. I think that when I replaced the rack on my 93 it was between $70 and $80 after the core charge. They come with new inner tie rods as well.