1983 FIAT UNO wheel bolts

9•14 Electrical system
Fault finding - electrical system
No voltage at starter motor
m mBattery discharged
m mBattery defective internally
m mBattery terminals loose or earth lead not securely attached to body
m mLoose or broken connections in starter motor circuit
m mStarter motor switch or solenoid faulty
Voltage at starter motor - faulty motor
m
mStarter brushes badly worn, sticking, or brush wires loose
m mCommutator dirty, worn or burnt
m mStarter motor armature faulty
m mField coils earthed
Starter motor noisy or rough in engagement
m
mPinion or flywheel gear teeth broken or worn
m mStarter drive main spring broken
m mStarter motor retaining bolts loose
Alternator not charging*
m
mDrivebelt loose and slipping, or broken
m mBrushes worn, sticking, broken or dirty
m mBrush springs weak or broken
* If all appears to be well but the alternator is still not charging, take the
car to an automobile electrician for checking of the alternator
Ignition light fails to go out, battery runs flat in a
few days
m mDrivebelt loose and slipping, or broken
m mAlternator faulty
Battery will not hold charge for more than a few
days
m mBattery defective internally
m mElectrolyte level too low or electrolyte too weak due to leakage
m mPlate separators no longer fully effective
m mBattery plates severely sulphated
m mDrivebelt slipping
m mBattery terminal connections loose or corroded
m mAlternator not charging properly
m mShort in lighting circuit causing continual battery drain
Fuel gauge gives no reading
m
mFuel tank empty!
m mElectric cable between tank sender unit and gauge earthed or loose
m mFuel gauge case not earthed
m mFuel gauge supply cable interrupted
m mFuel gauge unit broken
Fuel gauge registers full all the time
m
mElectric cable between tank unit and gauge broken or disconnected
Horn operates all the time
m
mHorn push either earthed or stuck down
m mHorn cable to horn push earthed
Horn fails to operate
m
mBlown fuse
m mCable or cable connection loose, broken or disconnected
m mHorn has an internal fault
Horn emits intermittent or unsatisfactory noise
m
mCable connections loose
m mHorn incorrectly adjusted
Lights do not come on
m
mIf engine not running, battery discharged
m mLight bulb filament burnt out or bulbs broken
m mWire connections loose, disconnected or broken
m mLight switch shorting or otherwise faulty
Lights come on but fade out
m
mIf engine not running, battery discharged
Lights give very poor illumination
m
mLamp glasses dirty
m mReflector tarnished or dirty
m mLamps badly out of adjustment
m mIncorrect bulb with too low wattage fitted
m mExisting bulbs old and badly discoloured
m mElectrical wiring too thin not allowing full current to pass
Lights work erratically, flashing on and off,
especially over bumps
m mBattery terminals or earth connections loose
m mLights not earthing properly
m mContacts in light switch faulty
Wiper motor fails to work
m
mBlown fuse
m mWire connections loose, disconnected or broken
m mBrushes badly worn
m mArmature worn or faulty
m mField coils faulty
Wiper motor works very slowly and takes
excessive current
m mCommutator dirty, greasy or burnt
m mDrive spindle binding or damaged
m mArmature bearings dry or unaligned
m mArmature badly worn or faulty
Wiper motor works slowly and takes little current
m
mBrushes badly worn
m mCommutator dirty, greasy or burnt
m mArmature badly worn or faulty
Wiper motor works but wiper blade remains static
m
mDrive spindle damaged or worn
m mWiper motor gearbox parts badly worn

10
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Rack and pinion with safety column
Steering wheel diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381.0 mm (15.0 in)
Number of turns, lock-to-lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Turning circle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.4 m (3084 ft)
Steering angles of roadwheels
Inner wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32º 58’
Outer wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39º 8’
Front suspension steering angles
Camber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0º 5’ negative to 0º 55’ positive
Castor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1º 40’ to 2º 20’ positive
Toe-in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0 to 2.0 mm (0 to 0 08 in)
Rear suspension
Camber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0º (non-adjustable)
Rack lubricant
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lithium based molybdenum disulphide grease
Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 cc
Torque wrench settingsNm lbf ft
Steering wheel nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 37
Steering shaft coupling pinch-bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 20
Steering gear mounting bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 18
Tie rod balljoint locknut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 26
Tie-rod balljoint taper pin nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 26
Steering column upper mounting bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 3
Chapter 10 Steering
Description and maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Fault finding - steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See end of Chapter
Steering angles and front wheel alignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Steering column - removal, overhaul and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Steering column lock - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Steering gear - overhaul . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Steering rack - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Steering rack gaiter - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Steering wheel - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Tie-rod end balljoint - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
10•1
Specifications Contents
Easy,suitable for
novice with little
experienceFairly easy,suitable
for beginner with
some experienceFairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult,suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanicVery difficult,
suitable for expert DIY
or professional
Degrees of difficulty
54321
1 Description and
maintenance
1
1The steering gear is of rack and pinion type
with a universally-jointed column which
incorporates a steering lock and ignition
switch.
2The steering wheel is of two spoke type on
all models except the SX which has four
spokes.
3The system is maintenance-free except to
check occasionally the pinch-bolts.4At the intervals specified in“Routine
Maintenance”carefully inspect the rack gaiters
for splits, particularly at the bottom of the
vees, as a split here can often go unnoticed.
5Check the tie-rod balljoints for wear. To dothis, have an assistant turn the steering wheel
repeatedly in both directions through an arc of
about 10 or 15 degrees. Observe the balljoints
for lost motion or slackness. If evident, renew
the balljoint as described in Section 2
Fig. 10.1 Sectional view of steering gear (Sec 1)

2 Tie-rod end balljoint-
renewal
4
1Jack up the front of the car and remove the
roadwheel from the side on which the balljoint
is to be renewed.
2Unscrew the tie-rod balljoint taper pin nut
and, using a suitable extractor, separate the
tie-rod balljoint from the eye of the steering
arm (photo).
3Release the locknut on the tie-rod,
unscrewing it only just enough to be able to
unscrew the tie-rod end from the tie-rod.
4With the tie-rod end removed, wire brush
the threads on the tie-rod without disturbing
the position of the locknut; apply grease to
the threads and screw on the new tie-rod end
until the locknut can be tightened by turning it
through the same amount of rotation it was
given when unscrewed.
5Reconnect the balljoint taper pin to the eye
of the steering arm and tighten the retaining nut
to the specified torque. Never grease the taper
pin or eye; the pin will otherwise turn when the
nut is tightened. If a taper pin is inclined to
rotate when a nut is being tightened, apply
pressure to the socket of the joint to force the
taper pin into closer contact with the tapered
hole in the eye. If a taper pin is pointing
downward, a strong lever can be used to apply
the extra pressure. Where the taper pin of a
balljoint points upward, a jack placed under the
joint socket will produce the desired result.
6Although the careful fitting of the new
tie-rod end will have approximatelymaintained the original front wheel alignment
of the car, manufacturing differences alone of
the new component make it essential to
check the setting, as described in Section 8
and to adjust if necessary.
3 Steering rack gaiter-
renewal
4
1If lubricant is found to be leaking from the
gaiters (at the ends of the housing), first check
that the gaiter clips are secure.
2If the lubricant is leaking from the gaiter
through a split, the gaiter can be removed in
the following way, without the necessity of
withdrawing the gear from the car.
3Remove the tie-rod end from the side
concerned, as described in the preceding
Section.
4Release the gaiter clips; draw the gaiter
from the rack housing and off the tie-rod.
5If the gaiter has only just split, road dirt is
unlikely to have entered and lubricant can be
wiped away. If it is severely grit contaminated,
the steering gear should be completely
removed, the original lubricant flushed out
and new lubricant pumped in.
6If the gear does not have to be removed
from the car, slide the new gaiter into position
and secure it with the inboard clip.
7The rack lubricant is molybdenum
disulphide type grease.
8When recharging the gaiter with this type of
lubricant, give full steering lock to the side
being replenished so that the extendedsection of the rack will take the grease into the
housing as it returns.
9Reconnect the tie-rod end to the tie-rod
and the eye of the steering arm. Provided the
locknut is tightened by only rotating it through
the same distance by which it was loosened,
the front wheel alignment (tracking) should not
have been unduly disturbed. Even so, check
the alignment as described in Section 8.
4 Steering wheel-
removal and refitting
1
1Disconnect the battery negative lead.
2Set the steering wheel and the front
roadwheels in the straight-ahead attitude.
Prise out the hub plate (photo).
3Unscrew and remove the steering wheel
securing nut, then pull the wheel from the
column shaft. If it is tight on its splines, tap it
upward at the wheel rim, using the palms of
the hands.
4Refitting is a reversal of the removal
process; make sure that the spokes of the
wheel are in the lower part of the wheel.
5Tighten the securing nut to the specified
torque.
5 Steering column- removal,
overhaul and refitting
3
1Remove the steering wheel as previously
described.
2Extract the screws from the underside of
the steering column upper shroud and then lift
off the upper and lower shroud sections
(photo). Where applicable, detach and remove
the trim panel from the underside of the facia
on the driver’s side.
3Disconnect the battery negative lead.
4Disconnect the wiring plug for the steering
column combination switch.
5Unscrew the clamp nuts and pull the
combination switch off the end of the steering
shaft.
6Unscrew the column upper mounting
bracket bolts and lower the shaft/column tube
to rest on the seat (photo).
7Remove the pinch-bolt from the lower
universal joint coupling and remove the
shaft/column tube from the car.
Overhaul
8Remove the pinch-bolt from the upper
universal joint and disconnect the lower shaft.
9Grip the tube mounting flange in the jaws of
a vice and relieve the staking at the base of
the tube.
10Using a plastic or copper-faced hammer,
tap the shaft down out of the tube.
11The lower bush will be ejected while the
upper one should be prised out of the tube.
12Reassemble the upper shaft into the tube
by tapping new bushes into position.
10•2 Steering
5.6 Steering column upper mounting5.2 Removing steering column shrouds
4.2 Removing steering wheel hub plate2.2 Disconnecting a tie-rod end balljoint

13Stake the lower end of the tube to retain
the bush.
14Reassembly is a reversal of removal,
noting that the universal joint coupling
pinch-bolts should pass smoothly through the
grooves in the steering shaft.
15Fit the steering wheel when the
roadwheels are in the straight-ahead position.
16Tighten all nuts and bolts to the specified
torque. Reconnect the battery.
6 Steering rack-
removal and refitting
4
1Set the steering in the straight-ahead
mode.
2Working inside the car, disconnect thesteering shaft lower coupling by unscrewing
and removing the pinch-bolt (photo).
3Disconnect the tie-rod end balljoints from
the steering arms as described earlier in this
Chapter.
4Unscrew and remove the rack clamp
mounting bolts and withdraw the steering
gear from the car crossmember (photo).
5Refitting is a reversal of removal, but on
completion check the front wheel alignment
as described in Section 8.
7 Steering gear- overhaul
4
1A worn steering gear should not be
overhauled, but a new or factory
reconditioned unit fitted.
2After a high mileage, the following
adjustment may be needed however.
Rack damper - adjustment
3The slipper in the rack housing presses the
rack into mesh with the pinion. This cuts out
any backlash between the gears. Also, due to
its pressure, it introduces some stiffness into
the rack, which cuts out excessive reaction
from the road to the steering wheel.
4In due course, wear reduces the pressures
exerted by the slipper. The pressure is
controlled by the cover plate and a spring.
5The need for resetting of the slipper is not
easy to detect. On bumpy roads, the shockinduced through the steering will give a feeling
of play, and sometimes faint clonking can be
heard. In extreme cases, free play in the
steering may be felt, though this is rare. If the
steering is compared with that of a new rack
on another car, the lack of friction damping is
quite apparent in the ease of movement of the
steering wheel of the worn one.
6Centralise the steering rack. Do this by
counting the number of turns lock-to-lock and
then turning the steering wheel from one lock
through half the number of turns counted.
7Take the cover plate off the damping
slipper, remove the spring and shims, and refit
the cover plate.
8Screw in the cover plate bolts just enough
to hold the slipper against the rack.
9Measure the gap between the cover plate
and the rack housing using feeler blades.
10Select shims from the thicknesses
available (0.10, 0.125 and 0.30 mm) to provide
a shim pack thicker than the gap by between
0.05 and 0.13 mm.
11Remove the cover plate, fit the spring and
bolt on the cover plate with the selected shims.
8 Steering angles and front
wheel alignment
4
1Accurate front wheel alignment is essential
to provide good steering and roadholding char-
acteristics and to ensure slow and even tyre
Steering 10•3
Fig. 10.4 Renewing steering shaft bushes
(Sec 5)Fig. 10.3 Unscrewing combination switch
clamp nuts (Sec 5)Fig. 10.2 Removing steering column
shroud screws (Sec 5)
Fig. 10.6 Camber angle (Sec 8)
A Vertical line B Camber angle (positive)Fig. 10.5 Sectional view of rack damper
(Sec 7)6.4 Steering rack housing at pinion end
10
6.2 Steering shaft coupling

Note: Before diagnosing steering faults, be
sure that trouble is not due to incorrect or
uneven tyre pressures, inappropriate tyre
combinations, or braking system or
suspension defects.
Car pulls to one side
m mIncorrect steering geometry
m mCollision damage
Vibration at steering wheel
m
mRoadwheels out of balance or loose
m mTyre damage
m mLoose driveshaft-to-hub nuts
Car wanders
m
mPlay in steering gear
m mWear in steering balljoints
Heavy or stiff steering
m
mLack of lubricant in steering gear or balljoints
m mIncorrect steering geometry
m mCollision damage
Play at steering wheel
m
mWear in steering rack or balljoints
m mLoose steering shaft coupling pinch-bolt or
worn splines
m mWorn steering column/shaft universal joints
Rattles from steering
m
mSteering damper defective or in need of
adjustment
m mLoose steering column mounting bolts
m mLoose steering column/shaft coupling
pinch-bolts
m mLoose steering rack housing mounting bolts
m mWorn steering shaft bushes
Excessive or uneven tyre wear
m
mIncorrect steering geometry
m mWorn steering components
m mCollision damage wear. Before considering the steering angles,
check that the tyres are correctly inflated, that
the front wheels are not buckled, the hub
bearings are not worn or incorrectly adjusted
and that the steering linkage is in good order,
without slackness or wear at the joints.
2Wheel alignment consists of four factors:
Camber, is the angle at which the road
wheels are set from the vertical when viewed
from the front or rear of the vehicle. Positive
camber is the angle (in degrees) that the wheels
are tilted outwards at the top from the vertical.
Castor, is the angle between the steering
axis and a vertical line when viewed from each
side of the vehicle. Positive castor is indicated
when the steering axis is inclined towards the
rear of the vehicle at its upper end.
Steering axis inclination, is the angle when
viewed from the front or rear of the vehicle
between vertical and an imaginary line drawn
between the upper and lower suspension
strut mountings.
Toe,is the amount by which the distance
between the front inside edges of the
roadwheel rims differs from that between the
rear inside edges.
3If the distance between the front edges is
less than that at the rear, the wheels are said
to toe-in. If the distance between the front
inside edges is greater than that at the rear,
the wheels toe-out.
4Camber and castor are set during
production of the car and are not adjustable.
Any deviation from specification will be due tocollision damage or to gross wear in the
components concerned.
5To check the front wheel alignment, first
make sure that the lengths of both tie-rods are
equal when the steering is in the straight-ahead
position. Measure between the locknut at the
balljoint and the ball cup at the end of the rack
housing by passing a thin rod under the rack of
the gaiter. If adjustment is required, release the
locknut and turn the tie-rod.
6Obtain a tracking gauge. These are
available in various forms from accessory
stores or one can be fabricated from a length
of steel tubing suitably cranked to clear the
sump and bellhousing and having a setscrew
and locknut at one end.
7With the gauge, measure the distance
between the two wheel inner rims (at hub
height) at the rear of the wheel. Push the
vehicle forward to rotate the wheel through
180º (half a turn) and measure the distance
between the wheel inner rims, again at hub
height, at the front of the wheel. This last
measurement should differ from (be less than)
the first by the appropriate toe-in according to
the Specification (see Specifications Section).
8Where the toe-in is found to be incorrect,
release the tie-rod balljoint locknuts and turn
the tie-rods equally. Only turn them a quarter
of a turn at a time before re-checking the
alignment. Viewed from the centre line of the
car, turning the tie-rod clockwise will
decrease the toe-in.
9Make sure that the gaiter outboard clip isreleased otherwise the gaiter will twist as the
tie-rod is rotated.
10Always turn both rods in the same
direction when viewed from the centre line of
the vehicle otherwise the rods will become
unequal in length. This would cause the
steering wheel spoke position to alter and
cause problems on turns with tyre scrubbing.
11On completion, tighten the tie-rod balljoint
locknuts without altering their setting. Check
that the balljoint is at the centre of its arc of
travel and then retighten the gaiter clip.
9 Steering column lock-
removal and refitting
1
1Remove the steering wheel and column
shrouds as described in Section 5, also the
steering column combination switch.
2Unscrew and remove the steering column
mounting bolts and lower the column to
expose the lock shear bolts.
3Drill out the bolts or extract them using an
extractor.
4Refer to Chapter 4 for details of separation
of the ignition switch from the lock section.
5When fitting the new lock, tighten the shear
bolts until their heads break off.
6Bolt up the column, fit the combination
switch, shrouds and steering wheel and
tighten all nuts and bolts to the specified
torque.
10•4 Steering
Fig. 10.9 Steering column lock shear bolts
(arrowed) (Sec 9)
Fig. 10.8 Front wheel alignment diagram
(Sec 8)
X Front dimension Y - X = Toe-in
Y Rear dimension
Fig. 10.7 Castor angle (Sec 8)
A Vertical line B Castor angle (positive)
Fault finding - steering

11
Front suspension
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Independent with MacPherson struts and coil springs
Coil springs
Free height:
903 cc models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 334 mm (13.16 in)
1116 and 1301 cc models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 342 mm (13.5 in)
Number of coils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.25
Rear suspension
Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Beam axle, trailing arms, coil springs and double-acting gas-filled
shock absorbers
Coil springs
Free height . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246.5 mm (9.7 in)
Number of coils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.75
Torque wrench settingsNm lbf ft
Front suspension
Driveshaft/hub nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 200
Strut upper mounting nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 18
Strut spindle nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 44
Strut base clamp bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 36
Track control arm balljoint nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 36
Track control arm inboard mounting bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 66
Roadwheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 63
Crossmember bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 44
Rear suspension
Trailing arm bracket to body bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 15
Trailing arm pivot bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 52
Shock absorber lower mounting bolt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 22
Shock absorber upper mounting nuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 9
Shock absorber spindle nut . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 22
Roadwheel bolts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 63
Chapter 11 Suspension
For modifications, and information applicable to later models, see Supplement at end of manual
Fault finding - suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . See end of Chapter
Front coil spring - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Front crossmember - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Front hub carrier - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Front suspension strut - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
General description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rear coil spring - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Rear shock absorber - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Rear suspension - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Track control arm - removal and refitting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Trailing arm rubber bush - renewal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
11•1
Specifications Contents
Easy,suitable for
novice with little
experienceFairly easy,suitable
for beginner with
some experienceFairly difficult,
suitable for competent
DIY mechanic
Difficult,suitable for
experienced DIY
mechanicVery difficult,
suitable for expert DIY
or professional
Degrees of difficulty
54321

1 General description
The front suspension is of independent
MacPherson strut type.
The rear suspension consists of a beam
axle with trailing arms, coil springs and double
acting gas-filled telescopic shock absorbers.
Operations covering the hubs, roadwheels
and tyres are described in Chapter 7.
2 Maintenance
4
1Periodically check the tightness of all
suspension nuts and bolts using a torque
wrench.
2At the intervals specified in “Routine
Maintenance” inspect all suspension rubber
bushes for deterioration or wear. Renew
where necessary.
3Check for wear in the track control arm to
hub carrier balljoint. Do this by raising the
roadwheel and prising the control arm down.
If the hub carrier is pulled outwards, any up
and down movement or slackness will
necessitate renewal of the track control arm,
although it may be possible to obtain a
balljoint repair kit from a motor factor.
4A defective strut or shock absorber can
usually be detected by the tendency of the car
to pitch badly when braking or cornering.
However the component can be tested more
thoroughly in the following way.
5Remove the strut and take off the coil
spring or withdraw the rear shock absorber as
described later in this Chapter.
6Grip the strut or shock absorber lower
mounting in the jaws of a vice and then fully
extend and contract the unit five or six times,
with the unit held in a vertical attitude. If there is
any lack of resistance, jerkiness or seizure, then
the unit will have to be renewed, no repair being
possible. It is recommended that struts orshock absorbers are renewed in pairs as axle
sets, in order to maintain similar suspension
characteristics on both sides of the car.
7Check for signs of hydraulic fluid leakage
from around the front strut spindle gland and
also the condition of the dust excluding boot.
Oil leakage will mean a new unit, a split boot
can be renewed after having withdrawn the
coil spring.
3 Front suspension strut-
removal and refitting
4
1Raise the front of the car, support it
securely and remove the roadwheel.2Release the brake hydraulic hose
from the strut by unscrewing the retaining clip
bolt.
3Unscrew and remove the two bolts from the
clamp at the bottom of the strut, push the hub
carrier down out of the clamp (photo).
4Open the bonnet. Unscrew and remove the
domed reinforcement cover. Then remove the
strut top mounting nuts from the turret. Do not
attempt to unscrew the centre spindle nut
(photos).
5Withdraw the strut downwards and out
from under the wing (photo).
6Coil spring clamps must now be fitted.
These are available from most motor stores or
can be hired (photo).
7Once the spring has been compressed to
11•2 Suspension
3.5 Withdrawing a front strut3.4B Strut upper mounting nuts
3.4A Strut reinforcement plate3.3 Strut clamp bolt
Fig. 11.1 Front suspension arrangement (Sec 1)Fig. 11.2 Rear suspension arrangement (Sec 1)

balljoint from the hub carrier using a suitable
“splitter” tool. If such a tool is not available,
support the base of the brake disc and drive
the balljoint taper pin downwards, but screw
on the nut to protect the threads.
4Remove the hub carrier.
5Refitting is a reversal of removal, use a new
driveshaft nut and tighten all nuts and bolts to
the specified torque. Stake the driveshaft nut
after tightening.
6 Track control arm-
removal and refitting
3
1Raise the front of the car and support it
securely.
2Unless a special tool is available to press
the track control arm balljoint from the hub
carrier, the driveshaft will have to be
disconnected as described in Chapter 7,
Section 2, paragraphs 1 to 8 to provide more
space to enable the balljoint taper pin to be
driven from the hub carrier. This should now
be done as described in the preceding
Section (photo).
3Unbolt the inboard end of the track control
arm. This is retained by a pivot bolt and a
clamp (photo).
4As previously explained, a worn balljoint or
flexible pivot bushes will necessitate renewal
of the track control arm complete. Note that itmay, however, be possible to obtain a
replacement balljoint through a motor factor.
5Refitting is a reversal of removal. Tighten all
nuts and bolts to the specified torque. Use a
new driveshaft nut and stake it into the
driveshaft groove after tightening.
7 Front crossmember-
removal and refitting
3
1Raise the front of the car, support securely
with axle stands placed under the
side-members or sill jacking points.
2Remove the front roadwheels.
3Unscrew the nuts from the tie-rod end
balljoint taper pins and then using a balljoint
“splitter” tool disconnect the balljoints from
the steering arms on the hub carrier.
4Unscrew the bolts which hold the inboard
track control arms to the body members, and
also withdraw the pivot bolt from the body
bracket.
5Support the weight of the engine/
transmission using a hoist or support bar
across the top of the engine compartment as
described in Chapter 6.
6Disconnect the lower (central) engine/
transmission flexible mounting from the floor
pan.
7Unscrew the steering rack mounting boltsand remove them. Leave the steering rack
hanging loose.
8Remove the front crossmember mounting
bolts and manoeuvre it from the car.
9Refitting is a reversal of removal. Tighten all
nuts and bolts to the specified torque wrench
settings and on completion, check the front
wheel alignment as described in Chapter 10.
8 Rear shock absorber-
removal and refitting
3
1Open the tailgate and remove the cover
from the shock absorber top mounting which
is located within the luggage area (photo).
2Hold the flats on the spindle with an
open-ended spanner and then unscrew the
self-locking nut.
3Working under the car, disconnect the
shock absorber lower mounting.
4Withdraw the unit from under the wing.
5The shock absorber can be tested as
described in Section 2.
6Refitting is a reversal of removal. Tighten
mounting nuts and bolts to the specified
torque.
9 Rear coil spring-
removal and refitting
3
1Raise the rear of the car and support it
securely on axle stands placed under the
side-members or sill jacking points.
2Remove the roadwheel.
3Place a jack under the brake drum and
support the suspension trailing arm.
4Disconnect the shock absorber lower
mounting and then lower the trailing arm jack
until the coil spring can be withdrawn.
5Refitting is a reversal of removal. If the
spring is being changed, make sure that it is
of the same colour code as the original and
that its lower coil is correctly located up
against its stop in the spring pan.
6Tighten the shock absorber lower mounting
bolt to the specified torque.
11•4 Suspension
8.1 Rear shock absorber upper mounting
coverFig. 11.7 Front crossmember bolts (Sec 7)Fig. 11.6 Steering rack mounting bolts
(Sec 7)
6.3 Track control arm inboard fixing6.2 Separating track control arm balljoint
from hub carrier