Steering Wheel Turning Force
- Place vehicle on smooth concrete surface with engine idling. Use a spring balance to measure steering effort. See Fig 1
. On Legacy and Loyale, steering effort should be 6.6 lb. (3 kg) or less in each direction. On XT and XT6, steering effort should be 7.1 lb. (3.2 kg) or less. On all models, adjust rack and pinion backlash if effort is not to specification. See RACK & PINION BACKLASH
under ADJUSTMENTS.
Courtesy of SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
- Turn engine off. On Loyale, use spring balance to measure steering effort. Steering effort should be 20.9 lb. (9.5 kg) or less in each direction. If effort is not to specification, adjust rack and pinion backlash, and retest.
- If effort is still not to specification, disconnect universal joint from steering column. With joint removed, steering effort should be 0.51 lb. (0.23 kg) or less in each direction. If effort is within specification, inspect tie rod ends and ball joints for wear and looseness. Ensure folding force of universal joint is within specification. See Fig 2
.
- On all models, measure rotating and sliding resistance of gear box assembly. See Fig 3
. On Legacy and Loyale, rotating resistance should be 2.51 lb. (1.14 kg) around center position and 3.55 lb.(1.61 kg) or less in all other positions, with a 20 percent difference between clockwise and counterclockwise. Sliding resistance should be 68 lb. (31 kg) or less, with 20 percent difference between left and right directions.
- On XT and XT6, rotating resistance should be 1.76 lb. (.80 kg) around center position and 2.27 lb. (1.03 kg) or less in all other positions, with a 20 percent difference between clockwise and counterclockwise. Sliding resistance should be 55 lb. (25 kg) or less, with 20 percent difference between left and right directions.
Courtesy of SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.
Courtesy of SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC.