Loose steering

hey guys this is my first post on here and I'm impressed with the feed back on every other post on this site. So I have a 2014 Tacoma sport with 5100 billies on the front and icon 2.0 remote on the back with an AAL and wheel spacers for my 20" 4Runner limited wheels. My problem is that when I'm going down the road it it's hard to stay going straight without the bumps hopping me around and making me feeling like I might lose control. Is there any advice on how I might be able to fix it?

 

Have you done any suspension work recently or gotten an alignment?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bump_steer

 

Front suspension was aligned when I put the 5100's six months ago. But I can't remember how long this has been going on for. Do you think it would be smart to get an alignment redone?

 

I guess the better question is, what were your alignment numbers? As far as how often you need it redone depends if you drive by braille like my girlfriend and knock the piss out of your suspension or not.

 

I have no idea what the numbers were. I think I'm going to take it in tomorrow and see what I get. And if it doesn't help I'll let you know. So far I have only driven it on paved roads. I want this problem fixed before I head off road with it.

 

There could be any number of causes. I would do the following:

Check torque on all lug nuts and PSI on all four tires. Check for unusual tread wear.

Lift the front end off the ground, place on jack stands. Now:

- Grab each front tire at the 3 and 9 o'clock. Shake back and forth, look and feel for play. Movement is normal, as long as everything is moving together. Eventually the steering column will lock up and the movement will be restricted. It is sometimes helpful to have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you observe the tie rod ends. There are joints that can wear out on the outer end (at the spindle) and on the inner end (under the boot, with the steering rack) that can wear out.

- Grab each front tire at the 12 and 6 o'clock. Shake again.

You are looking for play in ball joints, tie rod ends, control arm bushings, etc. Sometimes poor handling like this is as simple as a loose bolt or worn out tie rod end.

If everything feels tight, take it to an alignment shop. Ask for a print out of the alignment specs before and after alignment. It is possible you just received a poor alignment previously, or that an alignment cam has rotated. That's normally caused by the cams not being torqued down properly and/or bumping curbs / offroading.