Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Possible Cause	Remedy
Hard Steering	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Excessive resistance to lower arm ball joint rotation	Replace
	Low Tire Pressure	Adjust
	No power assistance	Repair or Replacement
Poor Steering Return to Center	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
Poor or Harsh Ride	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Faulty Shock Absorber	Repair or Replace
	Broken or Worn Stabilizer Bar	Replace
	Broken or Worn Coil Spring	Replace
	Worn lower arm bushing	Replace Lower Arm Assembly
Abnormal Tire Wear	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Incorrect tire pressure	Adjust
	Faulty Shock Absorber	Replace
Wandering	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Poor lower arm ball joint rotation resistance	Repair
	Loose or worn lower arm bushing	Tighten or replace
Vehicle pulls to one side	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Excessive resistance to lower arm ball joint rotation	Replace
	Broken or Worn Coil Spring	Replace
	Bent lower arm	Repair
Steering Wheel Shimmy	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
	Poor lower arm ball joint rotation resistance	Replace
	Broken or Worn Stabilizer Bar	Replace
	Worn lower arm bushing	Replace
	Faulty Shock Absorber	Replace
	Broken or Worn Coil Spring	Replace
Bottom	Broken or Worn Coil Spring	Replace
	Faulty Shock Absorber	Replace

Noise, vibration and harshness problems related to the wheels/tires are directly related to vehicle speed and usually do not depend on acceleration, coasting or deceleration. In addition, an unbalanced wheel and tires may vibrate at more than one speed. Vibration that depends on engine speed or is eliminated by placing the transmission in neutral is not related to the tire and wheel. As a rule, tire and wheel vibrations felt through the steering wheel are related to the front wheel and wheel assemblies. Vibrations felt in the seat or floor are related to the rear tire and wheel assembly. This may help initially isolate the problem to the front or rear. Pay special attention to the tires and wheels. There are several symptoms that may be caused by damaged or worn tires and wheels. Perform a thorough visual inspection of the tires and wheel assemblies. Slowly rotate the tires and look for signs of lateral or radial runout. Refer to the tire wear chart to determine tire wear conditions and actions

Wheel and Tire Diagnosis
Rapid Wear in Center	Rapid Wear on Both Shoulders	Wear on One Shoulder
Center of Tread Worn Down to Fabric Due to Excessively Inflated Tires No Rotation Excessive Toe-in on Drive Wheels Sudden Acceleration on Drive	Underinflated Tires Worn Suspension Components Excessive Speed Through Turns No Rotation	Toe Adjustment Not to Specification Camber Out of Specification Damaged Strut Damaged Lower Arm
Partial Wear	Feathered Edge	Wear Pattern
Caused by uneven burrs on brake drums.	Toe Adjustment Not to Specification Damaged or Worn Tie Rod Ends Damaged Joint	Excessive Toe-in on Non-Drive Wheels No Rotation