Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Possible Cause	Remedy
Hard Steering	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Excessive Resistance to Lower Arm Ball Joint Swivel Low Tire Pressure No Power Assist	Correct Replace Adjust Repair or replace
Poor Steering Return to Center	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment	Correct
Poor or Harsh Ride	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Defective Shock Absorber Broken or Worn Stabilizer Bar Broken or Worn Coil Spring Worn Lower Arm Bushing	Correct Repair or Replace Replace Replace Replace Lower Arm Assembly
Abnormal Tire Wear	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Incorrect Tire Pressure Defective Shock Absorber	Correct Adjust Repair or replace
Wandering	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Poor Resistance to Lower Arm Ball Joint Swivel Loose or Worn Lower Arm Bushing	Correct Replace Tighten or replace
Vehicle pulls to one side	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Excessive Resistance to Lower Arm Ball Joint Swivel Broken or Worn Coil Spring Bent Lower Arm	Correct Replace Replace Repair or replace
Steering Wheel Shimmy	Incorrect Front Wheel Alignment Poor Resistance to Lower Arm Ball Joint Swivel Broken or Worn Stabilizer Bar Worn Lower Arm Bushing Defective Shock Absorber Broken or Worn Coil Spring	Correct Replace Replace Replace Repair or replace Replace
Bottom	Broken or Worn Coil Spring Defective Shock Absorber	Replace Repair or replace

Noise, vibration and harshness problems in the wheels/tires are directly related to vehicle speed and are generally not affected by acceleration, coasting or deceleration. In addition, an unbalanced wheel and tire may vibrate at more than one speed. Vibration affected by engine speed, or eliminated by shifting the transmission to Neutral, is not related to the tire and wheel. Generally, tire and wheel vibrations felt through the steering wheel are related to the front tire and wheel assembly. 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 a damaged or worn tire and wheel. Perform a careful visual inspection of the tires and wheel assemblies. Slowly rotate the wheels and watch for signs of lateral or radial runout. Refer to the tire wear chart to determine the 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