General - Wheel Alignment: Troubleshooting
TROUBLESHOOTING CHART
| Trouble symptom | Probable cause | Trouble symptom |
|---|---|---|
| Hard steering | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Excessive turning resistance of lower arm ball joint | Replace | |
| Flat tire | Adjust | |
| No power assist | Repair or replace | |
| Poor return of steering wheel to center | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Poor ride quality | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Damaged shock absorber | Repair or replace | |
| Broken or worn stabilizer | Replace | |
| Broken or worn coil spring | Replace | |
| Worn lower arm bushing | Replace | |
| Improper tire inflation pressure | Correct | |
| Abnormal tire wear | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Worn shock absorber | Replace | |
| Wandering | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Poor turning resistance of lower arm ball joint | Repair | |
| Loose or worn lower arm bushing | Replace | |
| Vehicle pulls to one side | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Excessive turning resistance of lower arm ball joint | Replace | |
| Broken or worn coil spring | Replace | |
| Bent lower arm | Replace | |
| Steering wheel shimmy | Improper front wheel alignment | Correct |
| Excessive turning resistance of lower arm ball joint | Replace | |
| Broken or worn stabilizer | Replace | |
| Worn lower arm bushing | Replace | |
| Worn of shock absorber | Replace | |
| Broken or worn coil spring | Replace | |
| Bottoming | Broken or worn spring | Replace |
| Malfunction of shock absorber | Replace | |
| Abnormal sound | Loose parts | Retighten |
| Damaged or worn wheel bearings | Replace | |
| Faulty shock absorber | Replace damaged parts | |
| Defective tire | Replace | |
| Poor ride control | Excessive tire pressure | Adjust pressure |
| Faulty shock absorber | Replace | |
| Loose wheel nuts | Tighten to specified torque | |
| Sagging or broken coil spring | Replace | |
| Vehicle body tilts to one side | Defective tire | Replace |
| Worn bushing | Replace | |
| Deformation of driveshaft and arm assembly | Replace | |
| Sagging or broken coil spring | Replace |