Note:
Before diagnosing suspension or steering faults, be sure that the trouble is not due to incorrect tire pressures, mixtures of tire types, or binding brakes.
Vehicle pulls to one side
» Defective tire.
» Excessive wear in suspension
or steering components.
» Incorrect front wheel alignment.
» Accident damage to steering
or suspension components.
Wheel wobble and vibration
» Front road wheels out of balance
(vibration felt mainly through the steering wheel).
» Rear road wheels out of balance
(vibration felt throughout the vehicle).
» Road wheels damaged or distorted.
» Faulty or damaged tire.
» Worn steering or suspension joints,
bushes or components.
» Wheel nuts loose.
Excessive pitching and/or rolling
around corners, or during braking
» Defective shock absorbers.
» Broken or weak coil spring and/or
suspension component.
» Worn or damaged anti-roll bar or mountings.
Tire wear excessive
Tires worn on inside or outside edges
» Tires under-inflated (wear on both edges)
(“Weekly checks”).
» Incorrect camber or castor angles
(wear on one edge only).
» Worn steering or suspension joints,
bushes or components.
» Excessively-hard cornering.
» Accident damage.
Tire treads exhibit feathered edges
» Incorrect toe setting.
Tires worn in centre of tread
» Tires over-inflated (“Weekly checks”).
Tires worn on inside and outside edges
» Tires under-inflated (“Weekly checks”).
» Worn shock absorbers. |
Wandering or general instability
» Incorrect front wheel alignment.
» Worn steering or suspension joints,
bushes or components.
» Road wheels out of balance.
» Faulty or damaged tire (“Weekly checks”).» Wheel nuts loose.
» Defective shock absorbers.
Excessively-stiff steering
» Lack of steering gear lubricant.
» Seized track rod end or suspension ball joint.
» Broken or incorrectly adjusted auxiliary drive belt.
» Incorrect front wheel alignment.
» Steering rack or column bent or damaged.
Excessive play in steering
» Worn steering column universal joint(s).
» Worn steering track rod end ball joints.
» Worn rack-and-pinion steering gear.
» Worn steering or suspension joints,
bushes or components.
Lack of power assistance
» Broken or incorrectly-adjusted auxiliary drive belt.
» Incorrect power steering fluid level
(“Weekly checks”).
» Restriction in power steering fluid hoses.
» Faulty power steering pump.
» Faulty rack-and-pinion steering gear.
Tires worn unevenly
» Tires out of balance.
» Excessive wheel or tire run-out.
» Worn shock absorbers.
» Faulty tire (“Weekly checks”). |
