2000 Chevy Blazer - - SWAYING / WANDERING problem that we can't figure out
Scott
is the 3rd GM vehicle that I have had this problem with. When I go to
this tire place to get tires (sometimes new, sometimes used-pulloffs),
they use one jack to jack up one side, right in the middle of the
frame and change 2 tires at once. Then they go to the other side and
do the same. When I leave the place and start down the road, it feels
as if the vehicle is wobbling. I have been to 3 GM dealerships and had
the front end aligned twice. The alignment cleared up some of it, but
it still has some wander to it. The steering isn't as firm as it was
when it came from the factory although it doesn't seem loose. Before
this started, I could look down at the radio and then back up and I
would still be driving straight down the road. Now if I look down and
then back up I can be a little to the left or the right and sometimes
over the line. I find myself consistently compensating back and forth
for the wander. Sometimes I notice both sides don't seem to react
equally to certain bumps or dips in the road where they meet both
tires equally and you would think I would have an equal reaction. I
notice this and that it reacts differently than it use to when I make
turns and there is a dip in the road also. Once in a while I can hear
a noise like something loose. I also get different bounce from both
sides when it seems like it should be the same in certain turns and
certain bumps.
(I'm sorry i'm not any better with the descriptions of the symptoms.)
I know it has to do with the way they jacked it up, because in-between
the 2nd and 3rd vehicle I had a 2001 S-10 pickup and had the same
place use their lift and I didn't have any problems. (This last time,
they had gotten rid of their lift.)
All of the front end guys that I talked to at the dealerships couldn't
really notice what I was talking about. They just thought that what
they did feel was normal for the vehicle. They did admit that they
didn't know how it drove before. They also got under the vehicle and
looked at everything and said everything was in specs and that the
shocks seemed normal to them. I did get one guy to recognize what I
was talking about. One chevrolet mechanic rode with me and said to him
it feels like the back end is trying to steer itself. But he had to
send me to the front end man that put me back in square one.
Any help is appreciated.
Thanks
Robert
gun when they put each nut on the stud, which warps the wheel, rather
than tightening them in a criss-cross pattern in several steps.
Jay
is plenty stout enough to handle the stress of jacking in the middle. I
don't recommend it, but I don't thing it will cause your truck to wander. I
caught the part where you said that you buy tires that are "sometimes new,
sometimes used pull offs." I'd be willing to bet if the tires are mismatched
it would cause handling problems. Even the cheaper new tires have caused
handling problems I've been involved with for customers. My own truck pulled
hard to the right and I checked the alignment twice on it and it was arrow
straight both times. I notced the tire on my left front looked like it was
wearing funny. I always check the air pressure in my tires so I know that
was within specs. I replaced the tire because I didn't trust it and the pull
went away. My suggestion for you is to see if you can find someone with a
similar blazer and with the same tire size and switch wheels and tires for a
test drive, see if it makes a difference, that way you can rule out the
tires causing the wander concern.
--
Jason E.
ASE Master Technician with L1 Advanced engine performance
GM Master Certified Technician
"Scott" <uni-...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:87c68400.0409...@posting.google.com...
Randd01
ago. The only remedy it to try a different brand of tire. You could also put in
a little more air to see if it gets better. I won't go away with more air but
it should improve. If you have a friend with the same tires , sway them around
and give it a go. I think you'll find this will do the trick. Also check to
make sure that the front and rear tires have the correct air pressure.
Sometimes the rears require more pressure then the fronts to prevent this!
Good Luck
Scott
tires with brand new ones at a different establishment. I feel the
frame is strong enough also to handle the pressure. My theory is that
when one side goes up that way, that it is putting some kind of
pressure on the opposite side somewhere or on something or it is
causing something to pull out of place. When they jack it up, first
the body comes up away from the suspension, then the suspension
finally goes up, so maybe it is pulling something out of place when
the body pulls up first.
Also, I did watch them put the lug nuts back on in the criss cross
pattern so I don't feel it was that either. Remember, on the S-10 I
had where they raised it on a lift, I had no problem at all. The only
times I had problems was when they jacked the vehicles up that way (3
different vehicles).
Also, I forgot to mention, when I am in turns sometimes, I notice
what feels like one front wheel trying to fight the other slightly.
Not sure which.
"Jay" <JAY4...@cox.net> wrote in message news:<%6b1d.57967$nk.7796@okepread05>...
Mike Copeland
Maybe they were using the jack on the sway bar or drag link and bent the
crap out of it.
Mike
GMC Gremlin
the 2000 blazer.
I've had my 1990 GMC Jimmy at about / that angle and it still tracks dead
straight with 0 fingers on the wheel at 80mph. Couldn't tell you higher than
that though :-)
I can't help you, but my suggestion: Look elsewhere.
GMC Gremlin
"Scott" <uni-...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
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Scott
vehicle. Thanks
Mike Copeland <mcop...@REMOVETHISpobox.com> wrote in message news:<4145f...@news1.prserv.net>...
Randd01
any problems like you mention. I did have a Chevy Utility body truck once that
did as you say and it ended up being what the dealer called tire squirm. We
played around with the tire pressures and found that a 10 lb difference from
front to back worked best. Of course this was a 2500 series and the tires were
not radials. We ended up putting 50 in front and 60 lbs in the back tires and
the problem all but disapearred. I realize if you have radials you won't be
able to have such difference in pressure but you could put the fronts at 30
and the rears at 35 to see if it helps at all. On one of the other trucks we
had with the same problem we went to a different brand of tire and it went away
also.
Good luck I know the feeling of playing catch up while going down the highway.
It suks!
Daryl
hitting bumps or dips and one side would react more than the other. If I
remember right, one side was a little higher also. What I did was adjust the
torsion bars until the front end was level and kept adjusting until the
front end reacted the same on both sides to the bumps. I did change tires
and shocks which helped but didn't make as big a difference as adjusting the
bars. What I figured was happening was one torsion bar was getting weaker or
one was changed before I bought it but this seemed to clear up most of the
problem although it never really went away completely.
"Scott" <uni-...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
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kie...@earthlink.net
"Scott" <uni-...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
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Scott
<kie...@earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<1546d.4918$Ki1....@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net>...
chuck
I have 2000 blazer doing same thiñg hàve you found what it was yet I have
replaçed ever thing from front to back and still sawaying only thing did not
change is torsion bars any one know whàt it could be started doing this out
of the blue have replaçed ever thing under this blazer
--
for full context, visit http://www.motorsforum.com/chevy_trucks/2000-chevy-blazer-swaying-wandering-problem-that-we-ca-31621-.htm
cl...@snyder.on.ca
<065b0505594b06f549...@example.com> wrote:
>replying to Scott, chuck wrote:
>I have 2000 blazer doing same thiñg hàve you found what it was yet I have
>replaçed ever thing from front to back and still sawaying only thing did not
>change is torsion bars any one know whàt it could be started doing this out
>of the blue have replaçed ever thing under this blazer
WhiteCastle25
There's a reduced nut on the gear box, Allen key in center. Loosen 16mm bolt
on top of gear box and tighten Allen key down then quarter turn backwards.
Tighten down lock nut and that will take play from your steering