Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

I just bought this 90 Civic dx as a winter beater, but the thing is that it has a b16a motor in it and 4 wheel disk
I took the car for a test drive when I bought it and there is something wrong with the front end.

You can kick the driver side tire, and it makes a noise kinda like its hitting something, a little more movement than it should have, also seemes to move more when you kick it in the rear

When driving there is slop in the steering wheel, you can move it a good bit efore you start turning

Also wen driving there is a thumping noise, its basically a constant thumping but it doesnt seem to change depeneding on speed. Isnt to loud but its loud enough and I think you can feel it

I havent had the time due to weather and work to jack the car up, but can anyone give me pointed on what it could be and what to check

Thank guys

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

My 89 dx had the steering slop. Turns out it was because it was originally a power steering rack that someone disconnected and ran as a manual. I changed the rack out for a manual one and the problem disappeared. Kicking the tires sounds like maybe bad hub bearings or ball joints.

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

Well I jacked it up and pulled the tire off and everything appears to be in dam good condition

I couldnt feel any movement in the tie rod or any spots on the ball joint but I was only pushing and pulling in different directions, all of the little busing boost seem to be perfectly intact

The only thing I noticed and dont know if this is normal is that the rotor and inner part of the caliper move a good bit

There is one screw in the caliper but I dont know if its rotted out or not

And for the caliper, its the inner part of it that has a good 1/4" play in it moving it left to right, slapping on the rotor

Need help

Also, I dunno if this car has a maual rack to being with or not. The slop doesnt bother me, as long as I get this noise/thump fixed

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

Jack the car up and try to wiggle the wheel. If it moves, replace your wheel bearing.

The Caliper and rotor will move a little bit when the wheel is off. The lug nuts hold it in place. This could also depend on your brake pads and if there is any air in your brake lines. The caliper piston should hold it unless your pads is worn way down.

One screw in the caliper? Do you mean rotor? The caliper should have 2 bolts holding it in place. The rotor has a couple of screws, but they aren't necessary. I've heard they are really only there to prevent the rotor from falling off as it rolls down the assembly line before the caliper is put on. I've drilled mine out and never replaced them. The caliper holds the rotor in place and the lug nuts do the rest.

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

Yeah I meant the rotor screw, only one was there, I know there pointless just thought Id mention it

Heres the real info:

I dropped the car so that the wheel was touching and you can grab the top of the wheel and push it inward, i dont know how much, not very much but you can tell there is play somewhere, and the rotor seems to move with it

Then when you release all the pressure you just pushed into the wheel pushing it forward, you can feel it fall back out of play and contact something

You can basically grab the top of the wheel and go back and forth a bit making a little bit of noise

Thats what I was feeling when I was kicking it I guess

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

Also if it is a wheel bearing, does it sound like it is?

What do you do? Just buy the bearing? Or do I need a new hub?

I need to order this tonight so I can have it for tomorrow and do it

Thanks guys

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

go to a shop and get a winter service done for 40bux and when they tell u whats wrong with everything u say ok I will call u u dont call me, then u know whats up. this is pretty simple

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

I don have that kind of time, I wanna know based on what Ive said what it could be

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

if teh rear end is lose it will make the car slopy aswell. you realy need to get the car on a hoist and have a good look over, it faster and alot beter in the end to know everything

Re: Front End Trouble - Steering Play, Knock when driving, turning. Diagnosis
 

rear end is fine, its the front left tire, you can physically feel it unjarring in the if you push and pull on it from the top

Would a wheel bearing cause that?