Suspension and steering

Note: Before diagnosing suspension or steering faults, be sure that the trouble is not due to incorrect tyre pressures, mixtures of tyre types, or binding brakes.

Vehicle pulls to one side

• Defective tyre .
• Excessive wear in suspension or steering components .
• Incorrect front wheel alignment .
• Accident damage to steering or suspension components .

Wheel wobble and vibration

• Front roadwheels out of balance (vibration felt mainly through the steering wheel) .
• Rear roadwheels out of balance (vibration felt throughout the vehicle).
• Roadwheels damaged or distorted.
• Faulty or damaged tyre.
• Worn steering or suspension joints, bushes or components.
• Wheel bolts loose .

Excessive pitching and/or rolling around corners, or during braking

• Defective shock absorbers .
• Broken or weak spring and/or suspension component .
• Worn or damaged anti-roll bar or mountings.

Wandering or general instability

• Incorrect front wheel alignment.
• Worn steering or suspension joints, bushes or components .
• Roadwheels out of balance.
• Faulty or damaged tyre.
• Wheel bolts loose.
• Defective shock absorbers .

Excessively-stiff steering

• Lack of steering gear lubricant.
• Seized track rod end balljoint or suspension balljoint.
• Broken or incorrectly-adjusted auxiliary drivebelt.
• Incorrect front wheel alignment.
• Steering rack or column bent or damaged.

Excessive play in steering

• Worn steering track rod end balljoints.
• Worn rack-and-pinion steering gear .
• Worn steering or suspension joints, bushes or components .

Lack of power assistance

• Broken or incorrectly-adjusted auxiliary drivebelt .
• Incorrect power steering fluid level.
• Restriction in power steering fluid hoses .
• Faulty power steering pump.
• Faulty rack-and-pinion steering gear .

Tyre wear excessive

Tyres worn on inside or outside edges

• Tyres under-inflated (wear on both edges).
• Incorrect camber or castor angles (wear on one edge only).
• Worn steering or suspension joints, bushes or components.
• Excessively-hard cornering.
• Accident damage.

Tyre treads exhibit feathered edges

• Incorrect toe setting.

Tyres worn in centre of tread

• Tyres over-inflated.

Tyres worn on inside and outside edges

• Tyres under-inflated.

Tyres worn unevenly

• Tyres/wheels out of balance.
• Excessive wheel or tyre run-out.
• Worn shock absorbers.
• Faulty tyre.