Hello, I have a 98 Blazer. It doesn't pull to either side or shake (too bad) while normal driving. I do know if I get it up to 70 it starts to shimmy a bit due to either tires or wheels or something. That's been pretty normal for many many years.

What bothers me now is when I hit a bump, like the beginning or ending of an overpass, or just a smallish pothole, or anything like that, the whole vehicle feels like its shaking apart. Sort of like sitting on a chair where the screws/nails/pegs are just worn out and loose. It seems like the dashboard and the entire front of the car while shake loose. It sways maybe a little, especially on the overpasses, but for the most part, its just the shakiness that worries me. I almost think the front axle or a wheel is going to fall off.

We bought the car brand new and I've had the ball joints repaired over and over, usually one per every other year maybe. We haven't had much done for the past several years though. We had the "steering" "tightened up" once a couple of years ago that helped a little.

We usually take it to a local repair shop which is somewhat known for "less than stellar" work, but they usually do ok and their prices are reasonable. I think the problem is, they don't really care about my car and I don't know enough about it to tell them what to fix. There's nothing wrong, they say and I don't want to pay for them to just re-tighten everything.

Is there something I can look for or tell them to look for? Is there something about that model of Blazer that gets worse faster over time? I realize its a 98 and has certainly seen better days. But the vehicle is in such good shape otherwise. I have to believe that there is something that can be tightened up or fixed that would stop this shakiness.

Thanks for any and all help.

-Mike

 

Sounds like it might be time for new shocks to me.

 

I did have them and sway bars replaced maybe 4-5 years ago. At the time, it didn't seem to help much at all. It was swaying a bit more back then and I think that went away for the most part. Compared to my other cars, it seems maybe something else in the suspension is just old and loose. (I know, it IS a '98). I'm hoping to find that magic bullet that I can get done to tighten everything up again. Really, the rest of the vehicle is in awesome shape. My son will start driving next year and I'd love to give it to him to drive, hopefully even through college.

I'm guessing that there isn't something that these cars are 'known for' for wearing out. My Impala, it was the steering column. My Cruze, well, nothing so far. With the Blazer, it seemed to be the ball joints. Could they be causing this? I've had them all done over the years but that was usually because of some popping noises and stuff like that.

 

It's time to find a shop with a good reputation. "Less than stellar" repairs will bite you in the long run, and the less they care, the shorter the long run gets. With front ends. One bad part, even a wheel out of balance, will cause other parts to wear prematurely.

Sorry for the short answer, but I've typed and erased paragraphs of my rants on bad shops and customers who only give work to the shop that gives the cheapest estimate.

 

control arm bushings?