trippymg

I bought a blazer 2001 its 2WD/Rear Wheel Drive

When I first got it at high speeds pushing the brakes would cause the front end to shake violently, the slower I was going the less noticeable the symptoms.

So i figured the culprit was brakes and rotors as I inspected the rotors in the front and they were worn, after putting on brand new rotors and pads, the shake when braking was still there.

Went ahead and replaced Idler Arm, Center Link, Inner & Outer Tie Rods, Sway Bar Links.

Shaking is still there.
When I have the vehicle jacked up on both sides and i grab the tire at 3 and 9 o clock positions shake it back and forth there is a quarter inch of play, but it is not isolated to the one side, either side when i shake the tire side to side there is play and the play transfers(if I shake one side the other tire moves just as much) Also when shaking the tire side to side I can see the steering wheel move side to side as well. I was thinking of replacing the pitman arm, but parts stores don't even carry it for the 2wd and from what I read online the arms aren't suppose to go bad.

Any opinions out there I'm running out of options. Could the steering gear box be the culprit?

MDTAHOE

Anything that happens when braking is almost always a brake problem. Look into the rear rotors or drums.

trippymg

Anything to do with a braking problem does not mean its the brakes.....why would there be play in the front wheels that is obviously causing the shaking

MDTAHOE

Ok dude do it your way. It is not like I do this everyday. Load the parts shot gun full of buck shot and blast away.. Boom Boom Boom there goes another hundred...You don't want opinions or help you already know it all

tech2

A backyarder wants advice, gets it from an expierenced tech, and then tells him he's wrong. Hilarious.

EinST

It's kind of hard to tell on the "play in the front wheels" when you can't look things over yourself. Is there a rhythmic grab when the wheel is turned by hand with the brake pedal depressed slightly (don't need the engine running)? That'd be a sure sign that the brake job was botched. It wouldn't be the first time some aftermarket rotors were not true. Also,the rotors may be seated unevenly due to crud on the hub mounting surfaces. These are some of the things that make you do the job twice.

trippymg

I was not trying to cause insult or sound like a know it all I apologize if that is how I came across.

I understand why the brakes would cause this to happen but the brakes do not explain why I can jack my front end up grab my tire jerk it side to side and there's play?

samtracker

I have a 2003 Chevy tracker. I have the same problem with the car, brake shaking in high speeds. I changed rotors twice, I machined the back drums, even I changed front bearing which was the cause of the little jerk when you push the tire back and forth vertically (not side to side). After changing the bearing and machining the drums, I could feel a great decrement of the shake but after a while shaking showed up again.
Anyway that was my whole story in brief and I am quite a bit confused whether this is a suspension problem, maybe motor mounts...Any new opinion is respected.

johntaps

If there is a play, its a ball joint. But i dont know whether the play is horizontal or vertical, so I cannot say which of the ball joint should be changed in order to remove the play.

RacerX

anyone consider maybe a bad tire or 2?