I drive a 2004 Silverado truck. A couple of weeks ago somebody tried to steal my wheels. I'm assuming it was when we were out, because other than that my truck is parked in a closed garage or the parking lot at work.
I discovered this one night when driving home (possibly the night it happened? I don't know) and noticing a slight wobble in my steering wheel. I pull over to make sure my tire isn't low and nothing is stuck in it, it's dark, but I don't see or feel anything. I knew my tread was getting low, so I assumed it could be from needing new tires soon.
The next morning on my way to work, the same wobble is there, so I assume I need tires sooner than I had thought. But on the way home, the wobble is noticably, and oddly, worse. When I pull into my neighborhood, I heard no noise, but all of a sudden it felt like I was driving with a completely flattened tire.
So I pull over and go to inspect my wheel again. I immediately notice it's not sitting straight. One of the six lug nuts is missing and 2 of them I was able to tighten by hand and there are hand prints allover my typically always clean wheels. I slowly drive home and put my truck up on jack stands in the garage, grab some extra lug nuts and a wrench. Then I notice that the missing lug nut was my locking lug nut, and gone with it is the entire lug. Before I even get pissed, I thank my lucky stars that my wheel didn't fall off while driving down the highway.
Fast forward until now. The lug has been replaced as well as the lug nuts, but I'm still experiencing a fairly strong wobble in my steering wheel when cruising between 58-65 mph. Half of the time, driving in a straight line I feel nothing, other times I feel a slight wobble. The wobble is exaggerated when braking anywhere in that range, and especially while taking right hand curves at highway speeds. I've lifted my truck up, spun the wheel to see if maybe it was bent from being driven on while not tightened down all the way, it checks out fine. I've removed it and spun the hub assembly to see if my rotor wobbles and grinds against the brake pad at any point, it seems to spin fine. I've looked for any broken links, popped out ball joints, and I've shaken several parts with my hands and nothing seems out of place or loose.
I'm ready to take it to the shop, but before I drop possibly serious money on this, I wanted to see if you guys have any suggestions for me, something to look at, spin, etc. Ask any questions if it'll help you give me a better suggestion. I'll try whatever, but I'm not going to drive around like this much longer before I take it in. I'm taking city roads at lower speeds until this is fixed. Not that I think it's not safe to be on the road, I'm trying to avoid making the situation worse.
I discovered this one night when driving home (possibly the night it happened? I don't know) and noticing a slight wobble in my steering wheel. I pull over to make sure my tire isn't low and nothing is stuck in it, it's dark, but I don't see or feel anything. I knew my tread was getting low, so I assumed it could be from needing new tires soon.
The next morning on my way to work, the same wobble is there, so I assume I need tires sooner than I had thought. But on the way home, the wobble is noticably, and oddly, worse. When I pull into my neighborhood, I heard no noise, but all of a sudden it felt like I was driving with a completely flattened tire.
So I pull over and go to inspect my wheel again. I immediately notice it's not sitting straight. One of the six lug nuts is missing and 2 of them I was able to tighten by hand and there are hand prints allover my typically always clean wheels. I slowly drive home and put my truck up on jack stands in the garage, grab some extra lug nuts and a wrench. Then I notice that the missing lug nut was my locking lug nut, and gone with it is the entire lug. Before I even get pissed, I thank my lucky stars that my wheel didn't fall off while driving down the highway.
Fast forward until now. The lug has been replaced as well as the lug nuts, but I'm still experiencing a fairly strong wobble in my steering wheel when cruising between 58-65 mph. Half of the time, driving in a straight line I feel nothing, other times I feel a slight wobble. The wobble is exaggerated when braking anywhere in that range, and especially while taking right hand curves at highway speeds. I've lifted my truck up, spun the wheel to see if maybe it was bent from being driven on while not tightened down all the way, it checks out fine. I've removed it and spun the hub assembly to see if my rotor wobbles and grinds against the brake pad at any point, it seems to spin fine. I've looked for any broken links, popped out ball joints, and I've shaken several parts with my hands and nothing seems out of place or loose.
I'm ready to take it to the shop, but before I drop possibly serious money on this, I wanted to see if you guys have any suggestions for me, something to look at, spin, etc. Ask any questions if it'll help you give me a better suggestion. I'll try whatever, but I'm not going to drive around like this much longer before I take it in. I'm taking city roads at lower speeds until this is fixed. Not that I think it's not safe to be on the road, I'm trying to avoid making the situation worse.
