Wheel check: Horizontal movement
 

Background: Went on a cruise with the local car club. Some guys noticed my front tire likes to "wobble", which was also transfered to the steering wheel at speeds of 45+. I just checked the bearings today, the wheel doesn't move when pushed on vertically. Stays very straight. However when I check horizontally I get some movement.

Question: What does that usually entail, and how do I fix it? A co-worker told me it could be my ball joint gone slack/bad, but i have yet to get the car aligned. Any thoughts?

If you don't mind possibly having the car at the shop an extra time, taking to the alignment shop is a good way to get this well diagnosed. Those guys are usually pretty experienced in telling you what's worn/loose.

By "horizontally", do you mean in the direction that the wheel moves when you turn the steering wheel? Or something else? If it's in the direction of the steering wheel, then start looking at the outer tie rods, inner tie rods, and steering rack bushings.

Dave

most likely your tie-rod ends, which have ball joints on them. they're fairly inexpensive to replace. check out overnightautoparts.com for pricing (cheapest site i've found).
if its not them, then its your steering rack, which is not cool. if your tie rod ends have never been replaced, its a good idea to do it regardless.

inner tie rods or outer tie rod ends could be the issue.

lower ball joint could be the problem but that yields a vertical wobble mostly.