04 Tahoe.. has a shake in the front end. Tires rebalanced, still shaking. Checking tie rods, idler next. With one front tire off the ground, how much play should be there.... ie how much should the wheel move. I can move mine considerably...

 

Ask Ken Herring...
While your at it, see what he thinks my truck will run?

 

I don't know who that is, and your not being helpful.

 

side to side movement will indicate a bad tie rod, put one hand on top of tire, and the other under it, push in with one, pull with the other, if it moves, is a bearing, you shouldnt have any movement

 

Oddly enough there is no movement in tie rods. Movement is at the idler arm. The centerlink is moving up about an inch when I push and pull from 3 and 9 o clock.

 

Yea that's to much movement. Probably gonna need new pitman arm and idler arm

 

I would get the pitman and idler arm support kit from Cognito Motorsports in addition. They work awesome even in stock applications, can put the braces on an idler/pitman that is on its way out and will fix all of your issues.

 

Even though those parts are worn out(according to your description of movement), replacing those probably won't correct a vibration problem. If your vibration begins between 40-45 mph, and changes with vehicle speed, then it is related to the tires & wheels. You may have an out-of-round tire, bent wheel, corrosion on the hub/rotor flange, or maybe the guy balancing your tires messed up.

If you are experiencing 'death wobble', which can happen at low speeds or high speeds, it is often caused by worn out pitman and idler arms. DW usually starts(or is aggrivated) by bumps in the road, then applying the brakes or completely stopping the vehicle will make it stop....until the next bump.....

If the components have been worn out long enough, you may have badly worn(choppy tread) causing the vibration.

Ask your front end mechanic to DIAGNOSE your vibration.

 

New tires, rims not bent.. just got rebalanced to double check. Just did idler and bracket and it helped a little bit. Pitman is still looser than it should be. That will be next.