11-74610-00
Problem Possible Cause Action
Excessive vibration of
steering wheel (shimming)Broken steering linkage Replace
Looseness of steering gear box Retighten
Broken or binding of steering ball joint Replace
Worn or damaged front wheel bearing Replace
Damaged wheel or tire Repair or replace
Defective suspension Repair or replace
Abnormal noise from
steering systemLooseness of steering gear box Retighten
Defective steering gear Replace the gear
assembly
Interference between steering column and
partsRepair
Looseness of steering linkage Retighten
Loosened or damaged oil pump drive belt Repair or replace
Looseness of oil pump bracket Retighten
Looseness of oil pump Retighten
Air insertion into system Bleed air
Defective oil pump Replace
Abnormal noise when
turning steering wheelLooseness of steering column Retighten
Worn or damaged steering shaft bearing Replace the steering
column
Looseness of intermediate shaft Retighten
Too heavy steering wheel Worn or damaged steering shaft bearing Replace the steering
column
Ignition key cannot be
inserted into key cylinderDefective lock cylinder Replace the steering
column
Defective ignition switch Replace the ignition
switch
12-10
4. WHEEL ALIGNMENT
▶Toe-in
▶Camber
In automotive engineering, toe, also known as
tracking, is the symmetric angle that each wheel
makes with the longitudinal axis of the vehicle, as
a function of static geometry, and kinematic and
compliant effects. This can be contrasted with
steer, which is the anti-symmetric angle, i.e. both
wheels point to the left or right, in parallel
(roughly). Positive toe, or toe in, is the front of the
wheel pointing in towards the center line of the
vehicle. Negative toe, or toe out, is the front of the
wheel pointing away from the center line of the
vehicle. Toe can be measured in linear units, at
the front of the tire, or as an angular deflection.
Camber is the angle made by the wheels of a
vehicle; specifically, it is the angle between the
vertical axis of the wheels used for steering and
the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from
the front or rear. It is used in the design of
steering and suspension. If the top of the wheel
is farther out than the bottom (that is, away from
the axle), it is called positive camber; if the
bottom of the wheel is farther out than the top, it
is called negative camber. Wheel alignment consists of adjusting the angles of the wheels so that they are parallel to each other
and perpendicular to the ground, thus maximizing tire life and ensures straight and true tracking along
a straight and level road.
Camber angle alters the handling qualities of a particular suspension design; in particular, negative
camber improves grip when cornering. This is because it places the tire at a better angle to the road,
transmitting the forces through the vertical plane of the tire rather than through a shear force across it.
Another reason for negative camber is that a rubber tire tends to roll on itself while cornering. Negative
camber can also be caused by excessive weight on the front wheels. This is commonly seen on
modified cars with larger engines than standard; the weight of the modified engine can make the
wheels negatively camber. The inside edge of the contact patch would begin to lift off of the ground if
the tire had zero camber, reducing the area of the contact patch. This effect is compensated for by
applying negative camber, maximizing the contact patch area. Note that this is only true for the outside
tire during the turn; the inside tire would benefit most from positive camber.
