Alignment issue? CV Joint?

[Dave Yentema]

When you shake the tire, are you absolutely certain that it's the tie rod 
end, and not the wheel bearing? Try rocking the wheel up and down as opposed 
to side to side and see if there is still play. What you are describing 
sounds like a wheel bearing to me....

1) I think  the guy just screwed up inner/outer
2) see above
3) exactly
4) Yea, some heat on the nut can help a lot too
5) nah I don't think so, cvs generally make a grinding noise when they're 
going bad

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rob Beatty" <beattyr2003 at cox.net>
To: <>
Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 5:48 PM
Subject: Alignment issue? CV Joint?


> Ok I am stumped.  Here is the problem.  Had new snow tires put on my 95 
> A6Q
> sedan and while they were doing that, they were suppose to do a 4 wheel
> alignment.  After new tires were put on, I discovered that at highway 
> speeds
> (55mph or higher) that when I turn the wheel to the left for a sweeping
> turn, I get a tremendous shudder/vibration.  It literally feels like the
> wheel is going to shoot off the car.  If I straighten the wheel the 
> shudder
> goes away.  Completely.  For sweeping turns to the right, no
> shudder/vibration at all.  It also feels like it's the right hand front
> wheel that's shuddering, but obviously I can't be completely certain of
> that.
>
>
>
> Further complicating matters when I brought it back to the tire place
> (actually a different one, it's a chain store and this one was near work),
> they said I had worn out inner tie rod ends.  They also asked if I had
> gotten any paperwork when I had 1st picked the car up.  I had, but I had
> never looked at it and the guy didn't say anything to me when they handed 
> me
> the keys.  I was in a hurry and didn't get around to looking at it.  So I
> look at it and it says tie rod adjustments frozen, and that the outer tie
> rod ends are worn out and should be replaced.
>
>
>
> So I have a couple of questions.
>
>
>
> 1. The inner "end" isn't really a joint, its just a rubber bushing so
> what the hell was the 1st guy talking about?  Did he just confuse inner 
> with
> outer?
> 2. I just jacked the car up and rocked the right front wheel back and
> forth and there is a decent amount of play in that tie rod end.  Could 
> that
> be my culprit?
> 3. If it is the tie rod end, why isn't it a problem at lower speeds and
> why only when turning to the left?
> 4. Is it worth trying to unfreeze the adjustments with a couple of days
> worth of penetrating oil or should I just bite the bullet and buy whole 
> new
> rods?
> 5. If its not the tie rod end, could it be my CV joint on that side
> being really bad?
>
>
>
> Thanks!
>
>
>
> Rob
>
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