2005 SUZUKI JIMNY Steering

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6F1
6F2
6G
3
7B1
7C1
7B1
7B1
7C1
7D
7E
7F
8A
8B
8C
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10A
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SECTION 3
STEERING, SUSPENSION, WHEELS AND TIRES
DIAGNOSIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
FRONT END ALIGNMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3A-1
STEERING GEAR BOX AND LINKAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3B-1
POWER STEERING SYSTEM (IF EQUIPPED) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3B1-1
STEERING WHEEL, COLUMN AND SHAFT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3C-1
FRONT SUSPENSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3D-1
REAR SUSPENSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3E-1
WHEELS AND TIRES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Section 3F-1
CONTENTS
General Diagnosis............................................. 3-2
Diagnosis Table .............................................. 3-2
Tire Diagnosis ................................................... 3-5
Irregular and/or Premature Wear .................... 3-5Wear Indicators ............................................... 3-5
Radial Tire Waddle ......................................... 3-5
Radial Tire Lead.............................................. 3-7
Vibration Diagnosis .......................................... 3-7

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General Diagnosis
Since the problems in steering, suspension, wheels and tires involve several systems, they must all be consid-
ered when diagnosing a complaint. To avoid using the wrong symptom, always road test the vehicle first.
Proceed with the following preliminary inspections and correct any defects which are found.
1) Inspect tires for proper pressure and uneven wear.
2) Raise vehicle on a hoist and inspect front and rear suspension and steering system for loose or damaged
parts.
3) Spin front wheel. Inspect for out-of-round tires, out-of-balance tires, bent rims, loose and/or rough wheel
bearings.
Diagnosis Table
Condition Possible Cause Correction
Vehicle Pulls (Leads)
Mismatched or uneven tires Replace tire.
Tires not adequately inflated Adjust tire pressure.
Broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
Radial tire lateral force Replace tire.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check and adjust wheel alignment.
Disturbed rear wheel alignment Check and adjust wheel alignment.
Brake dragging in one road wheel Repair front brake.
Loose, bent or broken front or rear suspension
partsTighten or replace suspension part.
Abnormal or
Excessive Tire WearSagging or broken springs Replace spring.
Tire out of balance Adjust balance or replace tire.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check wheel alignment.
Faulty shock absorber Replace shock absorber.
Hard driving Replace tire.
Overloaded vehicle Replace tire.
Not rotating tire Replace or rotate tire.
Worn or loose road wheel bearings Replace wheel bearing.
Wobbly wheel or tires Replace wheel or tire.
Tires not adequately inflated Adjust the pressure.
Wheel Tramp
Blister or bump on tire Replace tire.
Improper shock absorber action Replace shock absorber.

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Shimmy, Shake or
VibrationTire or wheel out of balance Balance wheels or replace tire
and/or wheel.
Loose wheel bearings Replace wheel bearing.
Loose wheel hub nuts Retighten.
Worn tie rod ends Replace tie rod end.
Worn king pin bearings or king pins Replace king pin bearing and/or
king pin.
Excessive wheel runout Repair or replace wheel and/or tire.
Blister or bump on tire Replace tire.
Excessively loaded radial runout of tire / wheel
assemblyReplace tire or wheel.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check and adjust front wheel align-
ment.
Loose or worn steering linkage Tighten or replace steering linkage.
Loose steering gear box bolts Tighten box bolts.
Worn steering knuckle oil seal Replace.
Hard Steering
Bind in tie rod end ball studs or king pin bear-
ingsReplace tie rod end or king pin
bearing.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check and adjust front wheel align-
ment.
Steering gear box adjustment Check and adjust steering gear
box.
Tire not adequately inflated Inflate tires to proper pressure.
Bind in steering column Repair or replace.
Low fluid level, loose drive belt or malfunction of
power steering system (if equipped with P/S)Check and correct.
Too Much Play in
SteeringWheel bearings worn Replace wheel bearing.
Steering gear box attachments loose Tighten or repair.
Steering gear box adjustments Check and adjust steering gear
box.
Worn steering shaft joints Replace joint.
Worn tie rod ends drug rod ball joints Replace tie rod end.
Worn king pin bearings or king pin Replace king pin bearing and/or
king pin.
Poor Returnability
Bind in tie rod end ball studs Replace tie rod end.
Bind in king pin bearings Replace king pin bearing.
Bind in steering column Repair or replace.
Steering gear box needing lubricant Check, repair or lubricate steering
gear box.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check and adjust front wheel align-
ment.
Steering gear box not properly adjusted Check and adjust steering gear box
torque.
Tires not adequately inflated Adjust pressure.
Steering Noise
(Rattle or Chuckle)Loose bolts and nuts Retighten.
Broken or otherwise damaged wheel bearings Replace wheel bearing.
Worn or sticky tie rod ends Replace tire rod end.
Linkage joints needing grease Lubricate or replace. Condition Possible Cause Correction

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Abnormal Noise,
Front EndWorn, sticky or loose tie rod ends, drug rod ball
joints, king pin bearings or axle shaft jointsReplace tie rod end, king pin bear-
ing or axle shaft joint.
Damaged shock absorbers or mountings Replace or repair.
Worn leading arm bushings Replace.
Worn stabilizer bar bushings Replace.
Worn Iateral rod bushings Replace.
Loose stabilizer bar Tighten bolts or 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 wheel bearing.
Broken suspension springs Replace spring.
Wander or Poor
Steering StabilityMismatched or uneven tires Replace tire or inflate tires to
proper pressure.
Loose king pin bearings and tie rod ends Replace king pin bearing or tie rod
end.
Faulty shock absorbers or mounting Replace absorber or repair mount-
ing.
Loose stabilizer bar Tighten or replace stabilizer bar or
bushes.
Broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
Steering gear box not properly adjusted Check or adjust steering gear box
torque.
Front wheel alignment Check and adjust front wheel align-
ment.
Erratic Steering when
BrakingWorn wheel bearings Replace wheel bearing.
Broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
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.
Wheel tires are inflated unequally Inflate tires to proper pressure.
Defective wheel cylinders Replace or repair wheel cylinder.
Disturbed front wheel alignment Check front wheel alignment
Ride Too Soft
Faulty shock absorber Replace shock absorber.
Suspension bottoms
Overloaded Check loading.
Faulty shocks absorber Replace shock absorber.
Incorrect, broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
Body Leans or Sways
in CornersLoose stabilizer bar Tighten stabilizer bar bolts or
replace bushes.
Faulty shocks absorbers or mounting Replace shock absorber or tighten
mounting.
Broken or sagging springs Replace spring.
Overloaded Check loading.
Cupped Tires
Worn wheel bearings Replace wheel bearing.
Excessive tire or wheel run-out Replace tire or wheel disc.
Tire out of balance Adjust tire balance. Condition Possible Cause Correction

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Tire Diagnosis
Irregular and/or Premature Wear
Irregular and premature wear has many possible causes. Some
of them are: incorrect inflation pressures lack of tire rotation, driv-
ing habits, improper alignment.
If the following conditions are noted rotation is in order:
Front tire wear is different from rear.
Uneven wear exists across the tread of any tire.
Left front and right front tire wear is unequal.
Left rear and right rear tire wear is unequal.
There is cupping, flat spotting, etc.
A wheel alignment check is in order if the following conditions are
noted:
Left front and right front tire wear is unequal.
Wear is uneven across the tread of any front tire.
Front tire treads have scuffed appearance with “feather”
edges on one side of tread ribs or blocks.
Wear Indicators
The original equipment tires have built-in tread wear indicators to
show when tires need replacement. These indicators will appear
as 12 mm (0.47 inch) wide bands when the tire tread depth
becomes 1.6 mm (0.063 inch). When the indicators appear in 3 or
more grooves at 6 locations, tire replacement is recommended.
Radial Tire Waddle
Waddle is side to side movement at the front and/or rear of the
vehicle. It is caused by the steel belt not being straight within the
tire. It is most noticeable at low speed, 5 to 30 mph. It is possible
to road test a vehicle and tell on which end of the vehicle the
faulty tire is located. If the waddle tire is on the rear, the rear end
of the vehicle will shake from side to side or “waddle”. From the
driver’s seat it feels as though someone is pushing on the side of
the vehicle. If the faulty tire is on the front, the waddle is more
visual. The front sheet metal appears to be moving back and forth
and the driver feels as though he is at the pivot point in the vehi-
cle. Waddle can be quickly diagnosed by using a Tire Problem
Detector (TPD) and following the equipment manufacturer’s rec-
ommendations.
If a TPD is not available, the more time consuming method of sub-
stituting known good tire / wheel assemblies on the problem vehi-
cle can be used as follows:
[A] : Hard cornering, under inflation or lack of tire rotation
[B] : Incorrect wheel alignment, tire construction not uniform or wheel heavy acceleration

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1) Ride vehicle to determine whether the front or rear waddles.
2) Install tires and wheels that are known to be good (on similar vehicle) in place of those on wadding end of
vehicle. If wadding end cannot be identified, substitute rear ones.
3) Road test again. If improvement is noted, reinstall originals one at a time till waddle causal tire is found. If no
improvement is noted, install known good tires in place of all four. Then reinstall originals in the same man-
ner as above.
EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURE’S RECOMMENDATIONS
INFLATE TIRES TO RECOMMENDED
PRESSURE
ROAD TEST VEHICLE LEVEL
UNCROWNED ROAD IN
BOTH DIRECTIONS
SWITCH FRONT TIRES
SIDE TO SIDE AND
ROAD TEST AGAIN
LEAD CORRECTED IF
ROUGHNESS RESULTS.
REPLACE TIRES
INSTALL A KNOWN GOOD TIRE
ON ONE FRONT SIDE
LEAD REMAING
INSTALL A KNOWN GOOD TIRE IN
PLACE OF OTHER FRONT TIRE
LEAD REMAING
KNOWN GOOD TIRES ARE NOT GOOD
LEAD CORRECTED
REPLACE TIRE
LEAD REVERSES
DIRECTION
PUT TIRES BACK IN
ORIGINAL POSITION
AND CHECK ALIGNMENT
LEAD IN SAME
DIRECTION
LEAD CORRECTED
REPLACE TIRE

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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:
1) Incorrect alignment.
2) Uneven brake adjustment.
3) 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.
1) 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.
2) 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.
1) Tire runout.
2) Wheel runout.
3) 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

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