2006 GAS EZGO with Front Wheel Wobble

[EastlakeRoo]

Noticed this past Sunday when I was drying off golf cart that the drivers side front wheel is a little wobbly. I can grab the sides of the tire and feel a little play going on. Is this normal?

Ever since I put the lift kit on the cart 2 years ago at high speeds the front end is a little squirelly. Is it the tid rod?

[deerhunter30]

Could be a tie rod or could be wheel bearings, get someone to wiggle the steering wheel while you look for any excessive play.

[EastlakeRoo]

Thanks. If I can wiggle the tire left/right is that a tie rod?

[branson]

it can be. look ar the tie rod ends while moving tire if they wobble than it may have something to do with it. do what dear hunter said gett someone to wiggle the steering wheel if anything wobbles it is suspect.

[EastlakeRoo]

Depending on the tie rod that may be bad is there a place that has the tie rods reasonably priced or should I check ebay?

[branson]

site sponsors will have everything you need

[KillerCC]

With the front wheels off he ground, can you shake the tire from top to bottom, and side to side? If so, then you'll just need to tighten the wheel bearings. If only side to side than tie rods. After tightening the bearings check to see if you can shake top to bottom again because you could have king pin wear also.

[EastlakeRoo]

Originally Posted by KillerCC

With the front wheels off he ground, can you shake the tire from top to bottom, and side to side? If so, then you'll just need to tighten the wheel bearings. If only side to side than tie rods. After tightening the bearings check to see if you can shake top to bottom again because you could have king pin wear also.

Ok this is what I was looking for. The lift kid is a about 3 years old and so are the wheels. The cart is primarily used in the campground only so I'm hoping the king pin is worn already.

I'll check it out in a few days as we camp on the weekends.

For the wheel bearing are they easy to tighten if loose? what tool is required?

[FlyingRN]

A pair of slip joint pliers to remove the dust cap (or a flathead screwdriver and a hammer, gently). Then using a pair of diagonal cutters, remove the cotter pin. Now would be a great time to clean and repack the bearings if needed. If not needed, using the slip joint pliers, turn the large castle nut clockwise a little bit. You should probably jack the front end off the ground a little bit so you can spin the wheel. As you tighten the castle nut, you can feel the front wheel will be more difficult to turn. You want it tight enough to not wobble, but not so tight that the wheel stops quickly after you spin it. Don't forget to replace the cotter pin with a new one before you replace the center cap.

[EastlakeRoo]

Ok this helps out a ton. I will make sure I bring the proper tools to tighten things back up if needed. How often does the castle nut need to be tightened? Was hoping that once the cotter pin was installed I should have to worry about it. I'll post back what I find over the weekend.