96 K1500 4wd Vibration in Front Wheels

[mustang85]

Hello, Have a 96 K1500 and it has begun pulling to the right almost like the alignment is out but its not and when i use 4 WD there is a pretty good vibration coming from up front and then it pulls even worse to the right? Could a busted belt in the tire be the reason for this? This past fall i put it in 4 WD and nothing occured but of course its Winter now in Ohio and now it decides to vibrate bad? Any Ideas?

[jdmccright]

Check for a sticking brake caliper and warped front rotor on that right side, but I'll also ask what the truck does when you hit be brakes...does it straighten out? Pull worse? Other?

Another option is that you've got a wheel hub bearing going bad, usually you notice a growling noise from that side when at moderate speed.

If you have a steering damper shock installed, that may also be going bad...check for oil leakage from the shock body or excessive play from the rubber ends.

Finally, it wouldn't hurt to have the alignment checked...most shops will check it for free, including most of the above if you mention to them your symptoms. Hope this helps!

[777stickman]

In addition, if you're concerned that a tire is causing this, simply swap the fronts side to side and see what happens.

[Airjer_]

If it pulls hard it is usually a tire issue (radial pull) if it is a light pull it is usually an alignment issue. Swapping side to side is a good tip. Once you get the pulll taken care of I wouldn't be surprised if the vibration in 4WD is still an issue. Are all 4 tires about the same tread depth? Or do you have two that are brand new and two that are just about worn out. Extreme differences in tread depth will cause just enough rotational difference between the front and rear to cause the 4WD to bind up and "hop".

[mustang85]

Thanks everybody!

Hit the brakes not really any difference, my rears are squelling all of sudden so now i will check those.

Pull wise it is very hard, if you let go of the wheel you have about 1.5 seconds or your going field hopping.

Concerning possible hub bearing i dont hear any grumblings from up there.

I put a new set of tires on the rear about 500 miles ago but the front are getting pretty worn. i also was checking the tire out closer and noticed it has hairline cracks on the side wall. Almost like dry rot but my truck hasn't been sitting so not sure if its just wear or what. This weekend i am going to replace the fronts.

I didn't want to get wamboozled by Sears Tech telling me something was wrong with something else without getting other opinions so thank you all very much. I will also have them align it, I hope the Vibration goes away either way i will post back with the end result. Thanks again All.

[2000CAYukon]

It is not recommended to replace only 2 tires at a time on 4x4 vehicles. The difference in tire size can put a lot a strain on the transfer case and could be causing your vibration.

If the rears only have 500 miles on them, you can probably get away with replacing just the fronts now.

//2000CAYukon

[mustang85]

Went and had the 2 fronts put on and my ball joint was bad. The whole tire would move and the alignment was out. Thanks again for all the help!