Front end feels...sort of floaty

I feel three things with the front end. May or may not be related.

First: A little like it'd feel if I had too much weight in the back, removing too much weight from the front end. A little floaty. I jacked up the front end last night and pulled on the tire at 12 and 6, 9 and 3. A little movement at 9 & 3 but nothing crazy. Either at the tie rod or steering rack.

I noticed this when I drove the truck home after buying it (~500 miles). On smooth highway it's smooth. Around town it's mostly smooth. On rough, uneven highway it feels like bumps make the front end unstable. It wants to drift a little.

Second: I have just a little of what feels like slop in the front end, that might be a steering rack thing. I remember replacing a bushing in my Tacoma that tightened up the front end a ton and it might be time for that in the Tundra. I actually don't really feel it going through really large dips on dirt roads. More on little bumps on pavement.

Third: I feel a LOT from the front end. Like every little thing is being telegraphed into the steering wheel and gas pedal. Even when I go from a very smooth paved road surface to a more coarse paved surface, I really feel it.


Any thoughts of where to be looking?

Just replaced lower ball joints. No difference, but I didn't expect any. Front shocks and coils show up this week. Plan to do upper ball joints next weekend. Otherwise...is it pretty much tie rods, steering rack or wheel bearings? And I think I'd have felt movement from the wheel bearings when I pulled on the wheel at 12 & 6, right?

 

When testing at 9&3 it helps to only have 1 side jacked up at a time. But i found my inner tie rod slop by laying underneath across the front end and using my feet to hold one side solid and watching the tierod on the side im wiggleing.

lay under the truck with both front wheels on the ground & watch for steering rack movement while someone steers l&r, less than 1/4" is fine.

 

How is your alignment? Handling oddities can easily be caused by alignment out of spec. Also, I had some bad outer tie rods that were worn but difficult to suss out as the culprit. My alignment would go out just a hair and the front would be a little floaty. Third alignment place finally located the issue and replaced them. Floaty feeling dissipated.

The steering wheel feel you are getting may just be the little bit of slop in whichever component is worn bumping back and forth. @Mr.bee has some good suggestions.

 

Good ideas, thanks! I'll get a friend to help next time.

I did only lift one wheel at a time, but was working the wheel from the outside so yeah I couldn't see what was moving.

I haven't had the fear of a tire falling off completely fade yet after driving the truck a few hundred miles not knowing whether the LBJs had ever been replaced, so I'm a bit extra paranoid right now...

Once I replace the uppers and have new shocks & coils, might be time for an alignment anyway, and we'll see what they find.

Thanks!

 

Place your phone under your truck and record video while in park, turning steering wheel left to right. You may be surprised how much movement some of these steering racks have.

I replaced my rack bushings with poly. Hated them(still had play) and replaced again with oem style.

 

That's a great idea. Just did the same thing testing my trailer electrical connection and didn't even think about it for this.

There's also a...steering rack guide? A simple part that threads into the back of the rack and cleans up slop, if the slop was caused by a worn guide. Made a night and day difference on my Tacoma and I think that's what I've been thinking about when I mention steering rack bushings.

 

Possibly too little caster for the alignment and/or toe out.

Once you get to the alignment point tell the shop:
-0.3° camber
2.8° caster
.10° total toe

 

Good point. I did my own toe alignment after my suspension work, and the truck felt great. Exacly like the 150k steering i was used too, but i had loosened the lca bushings & wasnt positive nothing had moved, so i took the truck for an alignment after it had settled & (everything else was perfect) they set the toe to what jba recommended, and ooh wee.



So i spread it out a turn & straightened the steering wheel a hair. Its still toghter than it was, but it doesnt bind in slow parkinglot corners as much. Just gotta bump the a/c button and i can get into 2nd gear, no throttle.

 

Sounds like your struts are busted. Basically riding around on just the springs.

 

Will see! If I can stay motivated, I'll have new shocks and coils installed by the end of the day Thursday.

 

After upper ball joints and new shocks & coils, no more float. Ball joints didn't seem bad aside from the torn, crumbling boots, so I'd say it was a shock/coil issue. Glad that's taken care of.