Steering And Suspension Wear — Know What To Look For
Steering and suspension components wear gradually over time. Unfortunately, springtime pothole stricken roads can accelerate wear and tear on these components—making it very important to inspect these systems annually.
Before you begin to make any repairs on your customer’s vehicle, a close inspection of the front and rear suspension, along with the steering components is recommended (typical front and rear suspension are shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2). And, never assume that the vehicle has not been in an accident, as non-wearing suspension components, such as stabilizer bars, are often overlooked for distorsion. The following components should be thoroughly inspected.
CONTROL ARMS
Inspect the lower control arms for signs of damage from contact with the ground or road debris. If the upper (as equipped) or lower control arms show any sign of damage, inspect for distortion. Do NOT attempt to repair or straighten a broken or bent control arm. If damaged, the control arm casting(s) are serviced only as a complete component.
The serviceable components of the control arm are: the ball joint assembly, ball joint assembly grease seal and control arm bushings. Inspect control arm bushings for severe deterioration, and replace if required. Inspect ball joint per inspection procedure (below) and replace if required.
BALL JOINTS & TIE RODS
Raise and support the vehicle and determine how to unload the load-carrying ball joint. Make sure that axial (up and down) and radial (horizontal) play does not exceed specifications. Some ball joints have a built-in wear indicator and must have the vehicle weight on the joint to inspect it properly. Also inspect outer and inner (as equipped) tie rod ends for excessive wear. Replace as required.
STABiLIZER BARS
Inspect for broken or distorted sway bar bushings, bushing retainers, and worn or damaged sway bar strut attaching links. Lateral links, trailing arms or stabilizer bars (Figure 2) that are bent should be readily apparent, but are not always. Replace any damaged parts with a new component.
SHOCKS AND STRUTS
First, inspect the shock or strut assembly for evidence of fluid running down the side of the housing (actual leakage will be a stream of fluid running down the side and dripping off lower end of unit). A slight amount of seepage between the rod and shaft seal is not unusual and does not affect performance of the strut or shock assembly. Also inspect jounce bumpers for signs of damage or deterioration.
On coil-over strut designs (Figure 1), be sure to inspect for damaged or broken coil springs and inspect the coil spring isolator on the lower spring seat for any signs of damage or deterioration. Shocks and struts should be replaced every 50,000 miles to prevent body roll and handling problems.
HUB BEARINGS
Most late-model Chrysler Group vehicle front wheel bearings are a sealed hub bearing assembly. With the wheel, disc brake caliper and brake rotor removed, rotate the wheel hub. Any roughness or resistance to rotation may indicate dirt intrusion or a failed hub bearing. If the hub bearing exhibits any of these conditions during diagnosis, the hub bearing will require replacement—the bearing is not serviceable.
Damaged bearing seals and the resulting excessive grease loss may also require bearing replacement. Moderate grease weapage from the hub bearing is considered normal and should not require replacement of the hub bearing.
To view the entire article including the steering and diagnosis chart download the following pdf.
Steering and Suspension Diagnosis Chart
