Troubleshooting - Suspension and Steering

Introduction

This troubleshooting guide is intented to help identify and repair suspension and steering problems. The following is a list of problem symptoms discussed in this guide:

• ## Vibration or Shake during Driving
• ## Knock or Thump from Rear End
• ## Vehicle Pulls to one Side
• ## Abnormal Tire Wear

Vibration or Shake during Driving

Possible Causes	Checks	Procedure
Wheel alignment	Have alignment checked by wheel/alignment shop.	N/A
Tire or Wheel out of balance.	Have balance checked by wheel/alignment shop.	N/A
Worn ball joints or tie rods.	Check ball joints and tie rods for excessive play.	N/A
Loose or worn wheel bearings.	Check and adjust wheel bearings as necessary.	SUSP-08

Knock or thump from rear end.

Possible Causes	Checks	Procedure
CV Joint	Remove axle, inspect CV joint, and repack with fresh grease.	SUSP-01
Transaxle	If the CV Joints are not the problem, it may be a transaxle bearing. Have a transmission shop listen to the noise to determine if the tranaxle needs to be rebuilt.	N/A

Vehicle pulls to one side.

Possible Causes	Checks	Procedure
Wheel alignment	Have alignment checked by wheel/alignment shop.	N/A
Uneven tire pressures.	Check pressures and adjust if necessary.	N/A
Front brake dragging.	Raise each side of the vehicle and spin the front wheels to see if brakes are dragging.	N/A
Worn strut or shock absorber.	Check ride heights from side to side for equal ride height (i.e. measure from the ground to the highest point on the wheel well.	N/A

Abnormal Tire Wear

Possible Causes	Checks	Procedure
Wear on both edges.heel alignment	Have alignment checked by wheel/alignment shop.	N/A
Tire or Wheel out of balance.	Have balance checked by wheel/alignment shop.	N/A
Worn ball joints or tie rods.	Check ball joints and tie rods for excessive play.	N/A
Loose or worn wheel bearings.	Check and adjust wheel bearings as necessary.	SUSP-08