Suspension, Wheel and Tire Symptom Diagnosis

Precautions: Precautions for Suspension · General safety (00)

Condition	Possible Cause	Action
Vehicle pulls to one side (leads)	Mismatched or unevenly worn tires	Replace tires.
	Tires not adequately inflated	Adjust tire pressure.
	Broken or sagging coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Abnormal lateral force created by radial tire	Replace tire.
	Disturbed wheel alignment	Check and adjust wheel alignment.
	Brake dragging in one road wheel	Adjust or repair brake.
	Loose, bent or broken front or rear suspension parts	Tighten or replace related suspension parts.
Excessive tire wear	Broken or sagging coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Wheel out of balance	Adjust balance or replace tire.
	Disturbed wheel alignment	Check and adjust wheel alignment.
	Faulty front strut assembly (shock absorber)	Replace front strut assembly (shock absorber).
	Hard driving	Replace tires.
	Overloaded vehicle	Replace tires.
	Not rotated tires	Replace or rotate tires.
	Worn or loose wheel bearing	Replace wheel bearing. •Front: •Rear:
	Wheel or tire wobbles	Replace wheel or tire.
	Tires not adequately inflated	Adjust tire pressure.
Wheel tramp	Blister or bump on tire	Replace tire.
Wheel tramp	Improper front strut assembly (shock absorber) action	Replace front strut assembly (shock absorber).
Shimmy, shake or vibration	Wheel out of balance	Balance wheel(s) or replace tire(s) and/or wheel(s).
	Loose wheel bearings	Replace wheel bearings. •Front: •Rear:
	Worn tie-rod ends	Replace tie-rod ends.
	Worn suspension arm joints	Replace suspension arm.
	Excessive tire or wheel run-out	Repair or replace wheel and/or tire.
	Blister or bump on tire	Replace tire.
	Excessive radial runout of tire / wheel assembly	Replace tire or wheel.
	Disturbed wheel alignment	Check and adjust wheel alignment.
	Loose or worn steering linkage	Check steering system. •Steering wheel: •Steering lower shaft joint: •Pinion shaft: •Tie-rod end:
	Loose steering gear case bolts	Tighten steering gear case bolts.
Abnormal noise	Damaged front strut assembly (shock absorber) or mountings	Repair or replace front strut assembly (shock absorber) or mountings.
	Damaged rear shock absorber or mountings	Replace rear shock absorber.
	Worn, sticky or loose tie-rod ends	Replace tie-rod ends.
	Worn or damaged suspension arm joints	Replace suspension arm.
	Worn, sticky or loose tie-rod ball joints	Replace tie-rod.
	Worn, sticky or loose drive shaft joints	Replace drive shaft joints.
	Worn suspension arm front bushings	Replace suspension arm front bushings.
	Worn suspension arm rear bushings	Replace suspension arm.
	Loose stabilizer bar	Tighten bolts or nuts and/or replace bushings.
	Loose wheel bolts	Tighten wheel bolts.
	Loose suspension bolts or nuts	Tighten suspension bolts or nuts. •Front: •Rear:
	Broken or damaged wheel bearings	Replace wheel bearing. •Front: •Rear:
	Broken coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Poorly lubricated or worn strut bearings	Replace strut bearings.
	Power steering system malfunction	Check and correct malfunction.
	Deteriorated rear axle bushings	Replace rear axle bushings.
Too low or uneven trim heights NOTE: See NOTE *1.	Broken or sagging coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Overloaded vehicle	Check loading.
	Incorrect coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Poorly inflated tires	Adjust tire pressure.
Too soft ride	Faulty front strut assembly (shock absorber)	Replace front strut assembly (shock absorber).
Too soft ride	Faulty rear shock absorber	Replace rear shock absorber.
Suspension bottoms	Overloaded vehicle	Check loading.
	Faulty front strut assembly (shock absorber)	Replace front strut assembly (shock absorber).
	Faulty rear shock absorber	Replace rear shock absorber.
	Incorrect, broken or sagging coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
Body leans or sways in corners	Loose stabilizer bar	Tighten stabilizer bar bolts or nuts, or replace bushings.
	Faulty front strut assembly (shock absorber) or mounting	Replace front strut assembly (shock absorber) or tighten mounting.
	Faulty rear shock absorber	Replace rear shock absorber.
	Broken or sagging coil springs	Replace coil springs. •Front: •Rear:
	Overloaded vehicle	Check loading.
Cupped tires	Disturbed wheel alignment	Check and adjust wheel alignment.
	Faulty front strut assembly	Replace front strut assembly.
	Worn wheel bearings	Replace wheel bearings.
	Excessive tire or wheel run-out	Repair or replace tire and/or wheel.
	Worn suspension arm joints	Replace suspension arm.
	Wheel out of balance	Adjust balance or replace tire.

NOTE:

*1: Right-to-left trim height (“h”) difference should be within 15 mm (0.6 in.) with curb weight. (The same applies to both front and rear suspensions.)