STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-3
Hard Steering
Tire not adequately inflated Inflate tires to proper pressure.
Malfunction of power steering system Check and correct.
Bind in tie rod end ball studs or lower ball joints Replace tie rod end or front sus-
pension arm.
Disturbed front end alignment Check and adjust front end align-
ment.
Rack and pinion adjustment Check and adjust rack and pinion
torque.
Bind in steering column Repair or replace.
Too Much Play in
SteeringWheel bearings worn Replace.
Loose steering gear case bolts Tighten.
Rack and pinion adjustments Check and adjust rack and pinion
torque.
Worn steering shaft joints Replace joint.
Worn tie rod ends or tie rod inside ball joints Replace tie rod end or tie rod.
Worn lower ball joints Replace front suspension control
arm.
Poor Returnability
Bind in tie rod end ball studs Replace tie rod end.
Bind in ball joints Replace.
Bind in steering column Repair or replace.
Poorly lubricated rack and pinion Check, repair or lubricate rack and
pinion.
Disturbed front end alignment Check and adjust front end align-
ment.
Rack and pinion adjustment Check and adjust rack and pinion
torque.
Tires not adequately inflated Adjust tire pressure.
Rack and Pinion Noise
(Rattle or Chuckle)Loose steering gear case bolts Tighten.
Worn rack bush Replace.
Rack and pinion adjustment Check and adjust rack and pinion
torque.
Abnormal Noise,
Front EndWorn, sticky or loose tie rod ends, lower ball
joints, tie rod inside ball joints or drive shaft
jointsReplace tie rod end, suspension
arm, tie rod or drive shaft joint.
Damaged struts or mountings Repair or replace.
Worn suspension arm bushings Replace.
Loose stabilizer bar Tighten bolts or nuts, replace
bushes.
Loose wheel nuts Tighten wheel nuts.
Loose suspension bolts or nuts Tighten suspension bolts or nuts.
Broken or otherwise damaged wheel bearings Replace.
Broken suspension springs Replace.
Poorly lubricated or worn strut bearings Replace strut bearing. Condition Possible Cause Correction
3-4 STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES
Wander or Poor
Steering StabilityMismatched or uneven tires Replace or inflate tires to proper
pressure.
Loosen ball joints and tie rod ends Replace suspension arm or tie rod
end.
Faulty struts or mountings Replace strut or repair mounting.
Loose stabilizer bar Tighten or replace stabilizer bar or
bush.
Broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
Rack and pinion adjustment Check and adjust rack and pinion
torque.
Disturbed front end alignment Check and adjust front end align-
ment.
Erratic Steering When
BrakingWorn wheel bearings Replace.
Broken or sagging springs Replace coil spring.
Wheel tires are inflated unequally Inflate tires to proper pressure.
Disturbed front end alignment Check and adjust front end align-
ment.
Brakes not working in unison Check and adjustment brake sys-
tem.
Leaking wheel cylinder or caliper Repair or replace wheel cylinder or
caliper.
Warped discs Replace brake disc.
Badly worn brake linings Replace brake shoe lining.
Drum is out of round in some brakes Replace brake drum.
Defective wheel cylinders Replace or repair wheel cylinder.
Low or Uneven Trim
Height
NOTE:
See NOTE *1.Broken or sagging springs Replace.
Over loaded Check loading.
Incorrect springs Replace.
Ride Too Soft
Faulty struts (shock absorber) Replace strut.
Suspension Bottoms
Overloaded Check loading.
Faulty struts (shock absorber) Replace strut.
Incorrect, broken or sagging springs Replace.
Body Leans or Sways
in CornersLoose stabilizer bar Tighten stabilizer bar bolts or nuts,
or replace bushes.
Faulty struts (shock absorbers) or mountings Replace strut or tighten mounting.
Broken or sagging springs Replace.
Overloaded Check loading.
Cupped Tires
Front struts defective Replace.
Worn wheel bearings Replace.
Excessive tire or wheel run-out Replace tire or wheel disc.
Worn ball joints Replace front suspension arm.
Tire out of balance Adjust tire balance. Condition Possible Cause Correction
STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES 3-7
RADIAL TIRE LEAD
“Lead” is the deviation of the vehicle from a straight path on a level rod even with no pressure on the steering
wheel.
Lead is usually caused by:
Incorrect alignment.
Uneven brake adjustment.
Tire construction.
The way in which a tire is built can produce lead in a vehicle. An example of this is placement of the belt. Off
center belts on radial tires can cause the tire to develop a side force while rolling straight down the road. If one
side of the tire has a little larger diameter than the other, the tire will tend to roll to one side. This will develop a
side force which can produce vehicle lead.
The procedure in above figure (Lead Diagnosis) should be used to make sure that front alignment is not mis-
taken for tire lead.
Part of the lead diagnosis procedure is different from the proper tire rotation pattern currently in the owner
and service manuals. If a medium to high mileage tire is moved to the other side of the vehicle, be sure to
check that ride roughness has not developed
Rear tires will not cause lead.
VIBRATION DIAGNOSIS
Wheel unbalance causes most of the highway speed vibration problems. If a vibration remains after dynamic
balancing, its possible causes are as follows.
Tire runout.
Wheel runout.
Tire stiffness variation.
Measuring tire and/or wheel free runout will uncover only part of the problem. All three causes, known as loaded
radial runout, must be checked by using a Tire Problem Detector (TPD). If TPD is not available, alternative
method of substituting known-good tire and wheel assemblies on the problem vehicle can be used, although it
takes a longer time.
[A] : Tire out of round 1. Smooth road
[B] : Tire stiffness variation 2. Suspension movement (loaded runout)
[C] : Rim bent or out of round
FRONT END ALIGNMENT 3A-3
DIAGNOSIS
DIAGNOSIS TABLE
For the details, refer to Section 3.
PRELIMINARY CHECKS PRIOR TO ADJUSTING FRONT ALIGNMENT
Steering and vibration complaints are not always the result of improper alignment. An additional item to be
checked is the possibility of tire lead due to worn or improperly manufactured tires. “Lead” is the deviation of the
vehicle from a straight path on a level road without hand pressure on the steering wheel. Procedure for deter-
mining the presence of a tire lead problem contains in SECTION 3. Before making any adjustment affecting toe
setting, the following checks and inspections should be made to ensure correctness of alignment readings and
alignment adjustments:
1) Check all tires for proper inflation pressures and approximately the same tread wear.
2) Check for loose of ball joints. Check tie rod ends; if excessive looseness is noted, it must be corrected
before adjusting.
3) Check for run-out of wheels and tires.
4) Check vehicle trim heights; if out of limits and a correction is to be made, it must be made before adjusting
toe.
5) Check for loose of suspension arms.
6) Check for loose or missing stabilizer bar attachments.
7) Consideration must be given to excess loads, such as tool boxes. If this excess load is normally carried in
vehicle, it should remain in vehicle during alignment checks.
8) Consider condition of equipment being used to check alignment and follow manufacturer's instructions.
9) Regardless of equipment used to check alignment, vehicle must be on a level surface both fore and aft and
transversely.
TOE ADJUSTMENT
1) Loosen right and left tie rod end lock nuts (1) first.
2) Rotate right and left tie rods (2) by the same amount to align
toe-in to specification. In this adjustment, right and left tie
rods (2) should become equal in length “A”.
3) After adjustment, tighten lock nuts (1) to specified torque.
Tightening torque
Tie rod end lock nuts (a) : 45 N·m (4.5 kg-m, 32.5 lb-ft) NOTE:
Before rotating tie rods (2), apply grease between tie
rods and rack boots so that boots won't be twisted.
NOTE:
Make sure that rack boots are not twisted.
3A-4 FRONT END ALIGNMENT
CAMBER AND CASTER CHECK AND
ADJUSTMENT
Should camber or caster be found out of specifications upon
inspection, locate its cause first.
If it is in damaged, loose, bent, dented or worn suspension parts,
they should be replaced.
If it is in vehicle body, repair it so as to attain specifications.
STEERING ANGLE CHECK AND ADJUST-
MENT
When tie rod or tie rod end was replaced, check toe and then also
steering angle with turning radius gauge (1).
If steering angle is not correct, check if right and left tie rods are
equal in length “A”.
Steering angle
Inside : 35° ± 3°
Outside : 31° ± 3°
SIDE SLIP (REFERENCE)
For inspecting front wheel side slip with side slip tester:
Side slip limit
IN : 2 mm/m (0.079 in/3.3 ft)
OUT : 1 mm/m (0.039 in/3.3 ft)
If side slip exceeds above limit, toe-in or front wheel alignment
may not be correct.NOTE:
To prevent possible incorrect reading of camber or
caster, vehicle front end must be moved up and down a
few times before inspection.
NOTE:
If tie rod lengths were changed to adjust steering angle,
reinspect toe-in.
3B-8 MANUAL RACK AND PINION
5) Hoist vehicle and remove both wheels.
6) Remove split pins (3) and tie rod castle nuts (2) from both
knuckles (1).
7) Disconnect both tie rod ends (2) from knuckles (1), using
special tool.
Special tool
(A) : 09913-65210
8) Remove exhaust No.1 pipe (1).
9) For ease of adjustment after installation, make marking of tie
rod end lock nut position on tie rod end thread. Then loosen
lock nut and remove tie rod end.
10) Remove steering gear case mount bolts (1) and gear case
brackets, then remove gear case (2).
1
NOTE:
For right-hand steering 4WD vehicle, before removing
steering gear case, remove transfer assembly referring
to Section 7D if necessary.
2
1
3B-10 MANUAL RACK AND PINION
6) Reinstall cover (1) removed previously to steering shaft joint.
7) Put back floor mat as it was.
8) Install both wheels and tighten wheel nuts to specified
torque.
Tightening torque
Wheel nut : 85 N·m (8.5 kg-m, 61.5 lb-ft)
9) Lower hoist.
10) Check toe setting. Adjust as required (refer to Section 3A).
11) Tighten both tie rod end lock nuts to specified torque.
Tightening torque
Tie rod end lock nut (d) : 45 N·m (4.5 kg-m, 32.5 lb-ft)
RACK BOOT/TIE ROD
REMOVAL
1) Remove steering gear case by performing “MANUAL RACK
AND PINION ASSEMBLY REMOVAL” of this section.
2) For ease of adjustment after installation, make marking (1) of
tie rod end lock nut position of tie rod end thread.
3) Loosen tie rod end lock nut and remove tie rod end.
4) Remove boot wire (2) and clip (1).
5) Remove boot from tie rod.
WHEELS AND TIRES 3F-5
MAINTENANCE AND MINOR ADJUSTMENTS
WHEEL MAINTENANCE
Wheel repairs that use welding, heating, or peening are not approved. All damaged wheels should be replaced.
WHEEL ATTACHING STUDS
If a broken stud is found, see Section 3E (rear) or Section 3D (front) for Note and Replacement procedure.
MATCHED TIRES AND WHEELS
Tires and wheels are match mounted at the assembly plant.
This means that the radially stiffest part of the tire, or “high spot”,
is matched to the smallest radius or “low spot” of the wheel.
This is done to provide the smoothest possible ride.
The “high spot” of the tire is originally marked by paint dot (1) on
the outboard sidewall. This paint dot will eventually wash off the
tire.
The “ow spot” of the wheel is originally marked by paint dot (2) on
the wheel rim-flange. Properly assembled, the wheel rims’ paint
dot should be aligned with the tires’ paint dot as shown in left fig-
ure.
Whenever a tire is dismounted from its wheel, it should be
remounted so that the tire and wheel are matched. If the tire’s
paint dot cannot be located, a line should be scribed on the tire
and wheel before dismounting to assure that it is remounted in
the same position.
TIRE MAINTENANCE
TIRE PLACARD
The “Tire Placard” is located on the left door (right door for right-hand side steering vehicle) lock pillar and
should be referred to tire information.
The placard lists the maximum load, tire size and cold tire pressure where applicable.
NOTE:
Whether rim size and/or maximum load are listed or not depends on regulations of each country.