2000 SUZUKI SWIFT wheel alignment

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

3A-2 FRONT END ALIGNMENT
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Front alignment refers to the angular relationship between the
front wheels, the front suspension attaching parts and the ground.
Generally, the only adjustment required for front alignment is toe
setting.
Camber and caster can’t be adjusted. Therefore, should camber
or caster be out of specification due to the damage caused by
hazardous road conditions or collision, whether the damage is in
body or in suspension should be determined. If the body is dam-
aged, it should be repaired and if suspension is damaged, it
should be replaced.
TOE SETTING
Toe is the turning in or out of the front wheels. The purpose of a
toe specification is to ensure parallel rolling of the front wheels
(Excessive toe-in or toe-out may increase tire wear).
Toe-in
“B”-“A” : 0 ± 1 mm (0 ± 0.039 in.)
For adjusting toe setting, refer to “TOE ADJUSTMENT” in this
section.
CAMBER
Camber is the tilting of the front wheels from the vertical, as
viewed from the front of the vehicle. When the wheels tilt outward
at the top, the camber is positive. When the wheels tilt inward at
the top, the camber is negative. The amount of tilt is measured in
degrees.
Camber “C”
2WD vehicle : –0° 20’ ± 1°
4WD vehicle : 0° ± 1°
ALIGNMENT SERVICE DATA (REFERENCE)
Caster
2WD vehicle : 3° 25’ ± 2°
4WD vehicle : 3° 35’ ± 2°
Kingpin inclination
2WD vehicle : 12° 40’ ± 2°
4WD vehicle : 12° 15’ ± 2° NOTE:
Toe-in value was measured by using a toe-in gauge.
[A]: Wheel top view
1. Forward
“A”
“B”1 [A]
1. Body center [A]: Front view
2. Center line of wheel
2
1
90
o
C [A]

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.

3C-6 STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN
STEERING WHEEL
REMOVAL
1) Remove driver air bag (inflator) module from steering wheel.
Refer to “DRIVER AIR BAG (INFLATOR) MODULE”.
2) Remove steering shaft nut.
3) Make alignment marks (1) on steering wheel and shaft for a
guide during reinstallation.
4) Remove steering wheel (1) with special tool.
Special tool
(A) : 09944-36011 CAUTION:
Removal of the steering wheel allows the contact coil to
turn freely but do not turn the contact coil (on the combi-
nation switch) more than allowable number of turns
(about two and a half turns from the center position
clockwise or counterclockwise respectively), or coil will
break.
CAUTION:
Do not hammer the end of the shaft. Hammering it will
loosen the plastic shear pins which maintain the column
length and impair the collapsible design of the column.

3C-8 STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN
4) From the position where contact coil became unable to turn
any further (it stopped), turn it back clockwise about two and
a half rotations and align center mark (1) with alignment
mark.
CONTACT COIL AND COMBINATION SWITCH
ASSEMBLY
REMOVAL
1) Remove steering wheel from steering column referring to
“STEERING WHEEL” in this section.
2) Remove steering column hole cover (1).
3) Remove steering column cover screws (1).
4) Separate upper cover (2) and lower cover (3), then remove
them.
CAUTION:
Do not turn contact coil (on combination switch) more
than allowable number of turns (about two and a half
turns from the center position clockwise or counter-
clockwise respectively), or coil will break.
1

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN 3C-13
11) Disconnect horn connector (1) from instrument panel har-
ness.
12) If equipped with power steering (P/S) system, disconnect
connector (2) from P/S control module (1).
13) Remove steering joint cover.
14) Make alignment marks (1) on joint (2) of steering column and
steering lower shaft (3) for a guide during reinstallation.
15) Remove joint bolt (steering column side) (4).
16) Remove steering column mounting nuts (“A”, “B”).
17) Remove steering column assembly from vehicle.
18) If it is necessary to remove steering lock assembly (ignition
switch), remove it, referring to “STEERING LOCK ASSEM-
BLY (IGNITION SWITCH)” in this section.
CAUTION:
Don’t separate steering column assembly into steering
column and shaft. If column or shaft is defective, replace
as an assembly.

STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN 3C-17
5) Tighten new bolts (1) until head of each bolt is broken off.
6) Turn ignition key to “ACC” or “ON” position and check to be
sure that steering shaft (2) rotates smoothly. Also check for
lock operation.
7) Install steering column. Refer to “STEERING COLUMN”.
STEERING LOWER SHAFT
REMOVAL
1) Turn steering wheel so that vehicle’s front tires are at
straight-ahead position.
2) Turn ignition switch to “LOCK” position and remove key.
3) Remove steering joint cover (5).
4) Make alignment marks (4) on lower shaft (1) and shaft joint
of steering column (2) and lower shaft (1) and pinion shaft
(3) for a guide during reinstallation.
5) Remove lower shaft joint bolts (6).
6) Remove steering lower shaft (1).
CAUTION:
Never turn steering wheel while steering lower shaft is
removed.
Should it have been turned and contact coil (on combina-
tion switch) have got out of its centered position, it needs
to be centered again. Also, turning steering wheel more
than about two and a half turns will break contact coil.