STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-1

SECTION 3

STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES

DIAGNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2 3

FRONT END ALIGNMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3A

MANUAL RACK AND PINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3B
STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3C
FRONT SUSPENSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3D
REAR SUSPENSION (LEAF SPRING TYPE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3E
REAR SUSPENSION (COIL SPRING TYPE) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3E1

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WHEELS AND TIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SECTION 3F

CONTENTS

DIAGNOSIS
GENERAL DIAGNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
DIAGNOSIS TABLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
TIRE DIAGNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Irregular and/or Premature Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Wear Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Tire Waddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
Tire Lead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8
3-2 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES

DIAGNOSIS
GENERAL DIAGNOSIS
Since the problems in steering, suspension, wheels and tires involve several systems, they must all be considered
when diagnosing a complaint. To avoid using the wrong symptom, always road test the vehicle first. Proceed with
the following preliminary inspection and correct any defects which are found.
1) Inspect tires for proper pressure and uneven wear.
2) Raise vehicle on a hoist and inspect front and rear suspension and steering system for loose or damaged parts.
3) Spin front wheels. Inspect for out-of-round tires, out-of-balance tires, bent rims, loosen and/or rough wheel
bearings.

DIAGNOSIS TABLE
Condition Possible Cause Correction
Vehicle Pulls (Leads)
Mismatched or uneven tires. Replace tire.

Tires not adequately inflated. Adjust tire pressure.

Broken or sagging springs. Replace spring.

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Radial tire lateral force. Replace tire.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Disturbed rear wheel alignment. Check and adjust rear wheel alignment.

Brake dragging in one road wheel. Repair front brake.

Loose, bent or broken front or rear sus- Tighten or replace suspension parts.
pension parts.
Abnormal or
Sagging or broken spring. Replace spring.
Excessive Tire Wear
Tire out of balance. Adjust balance or replace tire.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Faulty strut (shock absorber). Replace strut.

Hard driving. Replace tire.

Overloaded vehicle. Replace tire.

Not rotating tire. Replace or rotate tire.

Worn or loose road wheel bearing. Replace wheel bearing.

Wobbly wheel or tire. Replace wheel or tire.

Tires not adequately inflated. Adjust tire pressure.
Wheel Tramp
Blister or bump on tire. Replace tire.

Improper strut (shock absorber) action. Replace strut.
 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-3

Condition Possible Cause Correction

Shimmy, Shake or
Tire or wheel out of balance. Balance wheels or replace tire and/or
Vibration wheel.

Loosen wheel bearings. Replace wheel bearing.

Worn tie rod ends. Replace tie rod end.

Worn lower ball joints. Replace front suspension arm.

Excessive wheel runout. Repair or replace wheel and/or tire.

Blister or bump on tire. Replace tire.

Excessively loaded radial runout of tire/ Replace tire or wheel.
wheel assembly.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Loose or worn steering linkage. Tighten or replace steering linkage.

Loose steering gear case bolts. Tighten case bolts.
Hard Steering
Tire not adequately inflated. Inflate tires to proper pressure.

Bind in tie rod end ball studs or lower Replace tie rod end or front suspension
ball joints. arm.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Rack and pinion adjustment.

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Check and adjust rack and pinion torque.

Bind in steering column. Repair or replace.
Too Much Play in
Wheel bearings worn. Replace.
Steering
Loose steering gear case bolts. Tighten.

Rack and pinion adjustments. Check and adjust rack and pinion torque.

Worn steering shaft joints. Replace joint.

Worn tie rod ends or tie rod inside ball Replace tie rod end or tie rod.
joints.

Worn lower ball joints. Replace front suspension control arm.
Poor Returnability
Bind in tie rod end ball studs. Replace tie rod end.

Bind in ball joints. Replace.

Bind in steering column. Repair or replace.

Poorly lubricated rack and pinion. Check, repair or lubricate rack and pinion.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Rack and pinion adjustment. Check and adjust rack and pinion torque.

Tires not adequately inflated. Adjust tire pressure.
3-4 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES

Condition Possible Cause Correction

Rack and Pinion
Loose steering gear case bolts. Tighten.
Noise
Worn rack bush. Replace.
(Rattle or Chuckle)
Rack and pinion adjustment. Check and adjust rack and pinion torque.
Abnormal Noise,
Worn, sticky or loose tie rod ends, lower Replace tie rod end, suspension arm, tie
Front End ball joints, tie rod inside ball joints or rod or drive shaft joint.
drive shaft joints.

Damaged struts or mountings. Repair or replace.

Worn suspension arm bushings. Replace.

Loose stabilizer bar. Tighten bolts or nuts, replace bushes.

Loose wheel nuts. Tighten wheel nuts.

Loose suspension bolts or nuts. Tighten suspension bolts or nuts.

Broken or otherwise damaged wheel Replace.
bearings.

Broken suspension springs. Replace.

Poorly lubricated or worn strut bearings. Replace strut bearing.
Wander or Poor
Mismatched or uneven tires. Replace or inflate tires to proper pressure.

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Steering Stability
Loosen ball joints and tie rod ends. Replace suspension arm or tie rod end.

Faulty struts or mountings. Replace strut or repair mounting.

Loose stabilizer bar. Tighten or replace stabilizer bar or bush.

Broken or sagging springs. Replace spring.

Rack and pinion adjustment. Check and adjust rack and pinion torque.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.
Erratic Steering
Worn wheel bearings. Replace.
When Braking
Broken or sagging springs. Replace.

Wheel tires are inflated unequally. Inflate tires to proper pressure.

Disturbed front end alignment. Check and adjust front end alignment.

Brakes not working in unison. Refer to Section 5.

Leaking wheel cylinder or caliper. Repair or replace wheel cylinder or caliper.

Warped discs. Replace brake disc.

Badly worn brake linings. Replace brake shoe linings.

Drum is out of round in some brakes. Replace brake drum.

Defective wheel cylinders. Replace or repair wheel cylinder.
 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-5

Condition Possible Cause Correction

Low or Uneven Trim
Broken or sagging springs. Replace.
Height
Overloaded. Check loading.
Right-to-left trim height
Incorrect springs. Replace.
“h” difference should
be within
15 mm (0.6 in.) with
curb weight.

*Same with rear side.

Ride Too Soft
Faulty struts (shock absorber). Replace strut.

Suspension Bottoms
Overloaded. Check loading.

Faulty struts (shock absorber). Replace strut.

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Incorrect, broken or sagging springs. Replace.
Body Leans or Sways
Loose stabilizer bar. Tighten stabilizer bar bolts or nuts, or re-
in Corners place bushes.

Faulty struts (shock absorbers) or Replace strut or tighten mounting.
mountings.

Broken or sagging springs. Replace.

Overloaded. Check loading.
Cupped Tires
Front struts defective. Replace.

Worn wheel bearings. Replace.

Excessive tire or wheel run-out. Replace tire or wheel disc.

Worn ball joints. Replace front suspension arm.

Tire out of balance. Adjust tire balance.
3-6 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES

TIRE DIAGNOSIS
IRREGULAR AND/OR PREMATURE WEAR
Irregular and premature wear has many causes. Some of them are:
incorrect inflation pressures, lack of tire rotation, driving habits, im-
proper alignment.
If the following conditions are noted, rotation is necessary:
1) Front tire wear is different from rear.

Hard Cornering
2) Uneven wear exists across the tread of any tire.

Under Inflation
3) Front tire wear is unequal between the right and left.

Lack of Tire Rotation
4) Rear tire wear is unequal between the right and left.
5) There is cupping, flat spotting, etc.
A wheel alignment check is necessary if following conditions are
noted:
1) Front tire wear is unequal between the right and left.
2) Wear is uneven across the tread of any front tire.

Incorrect Wheel Alignment 3) Front tire treads have scuffed appearance with “feather” edges

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Tire Construction not Uniform on one side of tread ribs or blocks.

Wheel Heavy Acceleration

WEAR INDICATORS
Original equipment tires have built-in tread wear indicators to show
when they need replacement.
These indicators will appear as 12 mm (0.47 in) wide bands when
the tire tread depth becomes 1.6 mm (0.063 in).
When the indicators appear in 3 or more grooves at 6 locations, tire
replacement is recommended.

TIRE WADDLE
Waddle is side to side movement at the front and/or rear of the ve-
hicle. It is caused by the steel belt not being straight within the tire.
It is most noticeable at a low speed, 5 to 30 mph.
It is possible to locate the faulty tire by road testing the vehicle. If
it is on the rear, the rear end of the vehicle shakes from side to side
or “waddles”. To the driver in his seat, it feels as though someone
is pushing on the side of vehicle.
If the faulty tire is on the front, waddling is more visual. The front
sheet metal appears to be moving back and forth and the driver
feels as though he is at the pivot point in vehicle.
Waddle can be quickly diagnosed by using Tire Problem Detector
(TPD) and following the equipment manufacture’s recommenda-
tions.
If TPD is not available, an alternative method of substituting known
good tire/wheel assemblies can be used as follows, although it
takes a longer time.
 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-7

1) Ride vehicle to determine whether the front or rear waddles.

2) Install tires and wheels that are known to be good (on similar vehicle) in place of those on waddling end of ve-
hicle. If waddling end cannot be identified, substitute rear ones.
3) Road test again. If improvement is noted, reinstall originals one at a time till waddle causal tire is found. If no
improvement is noted, install known good tires in place of all four. Then reinstall originals in the same manner
as above.

INFLATE TIRES TO RECOMMENDED

PRESSURE

ROAD TEST VEHICLE ON LEVEL

UNCROWNED ROAD IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS

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SWITCH FRONT TIRES
SIDE TO SIDE AND
ROAD TEST AGAIN

LEADS IN SAME LEAD CORRECTED IF LEAD REVERSES

DIRECTION ROUGHNESS RESULTS. DIRECTION
REPLACE TIRES

PUT TIRES BACK IN INSTALL A KNOWN GOOD TIRE

ORIGINAL POSITION ON ONE FRONT SIDE
AND CHECK ALIGNMENT

LEAD CORRECTED LEAD REMAINS

REPLACE TIRE INSTALL A KNOWN GOOD TIRE IN
PLACE OF OTHER FRONT TIRE

LEAD CORRECTED LEAD REMAINS

REPLACE TIRE KNOWN GOOD TIRES ARE NOT GOOD
3-8 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES

TIRE LEAD
“Lead” is the deviation of the vehicle from a straight path on a level road even with no pressure on the steering
wheel.
Lead is usually caused by:
1) Incorrect alignment.
2) Uneven brake adjustment.
3) Tire construction.
The way in which a tire is built can produce lead in a vehicle. An example of this is placement of the belt. Off center
belts on tires can cause the tire to develop a side force while rolling straight down the road. If one side of the tire
has a little larger diameter than the other, the tire will tend to roll to one side. This will develop a side force which
can produce vehicle lead.
The procedure on previous flow chart (Lead Diagnosis) should be used to make sure that front alignment is not
mistaken for tire lead.
1) Part of the lead diagnosis procedure is different from the proper tire rotation pattern currently in the owner and
service manuals. If a medium to high mileage tire is moved to the other side of the vehicle, be sure to check
that ride roughness has not developed.
2) Rear tires will not cause lead.

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VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS
Wheel unbalance causes most of the highway speed vibration problems. If a vibration remains after dynamic bal-
ancing, its possible causes are as follows.
1) Tire runout.
2) Wheel runout.
3) Tire stiffness variation.
Measuring tire and/or wheel free runout will uncover only part of the problem. All causes, known as loaded radial
runout, must be checked by using a Tire Problem Detector (TPD). If TPD is not available, alternative method of
substituting known good tire and wheel assemblies on the problem vehicle can be used, although it takes a longer
time.

SUSPENSION MOVEMENT
(Loaded Runout)

SMOOTH ROAD

Caused by

TIRE OUT OF TIRE STIFFNESS RIM BENT OR

ROUND VARIATION OUT OF ROUND