Table of contents: Checking shock absorbers ↓ Checking other suspension and… ↓ Checking the steering play ↓
Note: Steering and suspension components should be checked regularly - wear can cause excessive and dangerous tire wear, poor ride and handling, and increased fuel consumption. For more information on steering and suspension components, see Chapter 10.
Checking shock absorbers
1. Park the car on a level surface, turn off the engine and apply the parking brake. Check the tire inflation pressure.
2. Press hard with your hand on one corner of the car and release your hand. Pay attention to the movement of the body. It should stop swinging and return to its original position after one or two oscillations.
3. If the car continues to rock or does not return to its original position, then a possible cause is a worn shock absorber.
4. Repeat the above procedure for each of the three remaining corners of the car.
5. Jack up the car and place it on supports.
6. Inspect the shock absorbers for signs of fluid leakage. A light film of fluid is not a cause for concern. If a leak is detected, make sure that the fluid is coming from the shock absorber and not from somewhere else.
7. Check the correct installation, secure fastening and integrity of the shock absorbers. Check the upper supports of the front suspension struts for damage and signs of wear. If any are found, replace the struts.
8. If you need to replace the shock absorbers, please refer to the instructions Chapter 10. Always replace both components on the same axle. If possible, try to replace all four components as a set.
Checking other suspension and steering components
9. Inspect the steering system components for damage and deformation. Pay attention to the condition of the dust boots. Make sure the power steering fluid lines are tight, especially at their connections.
10. Clean the steering knuckle from dirt in the area of the suspension ball joint. Ask an assistant to grab the lower edge of the wheel and rock it while you watch the movement of the ball joint connecting the steering knuckle to the suspension arm. Inspect the dust boots of the suspension ball joints for tears (see illustrations). If play or torn boots are detected, the ball joint and its boot should be replaced.
10.10a. Suspension ball joint dust boots
10.10b. Front suspension strut joint dust boots
11. Grasp each front wheel at the front and rear edges and try to turn it with the front edge inward and the rear edge outward to check for play in the steering gear. If play is found, check for loose steering gear and tie rod end joints. Tighten any loose joints. Loose tie rods may be caused by worn joints (first check the reliability of tightening the nuts). Check the condition of the steering gear boots and ball joints of the tie rod ends (see illustration). If the end cap boots are torn, replace them together with the end caps. Make sure that the lock nut (1) is tightened to 40 Nm. For more information on steering and suspension, see Chapter 10.
10.11. Steering tie rod joint dust boots
Checking the steering play
12. Set the steering wheel to the straight-ahead position.
13. Turn the steering wheel from side to side, watching the front wheels. The steering wheel with the engine running may have a play of no more than 2.5 mm (by the outer radius of the steering wheel). There should be no play in the steering column when attempting to move the steering wheel up/down or left/right.
14. If there is more play in the steering wheel, check the steering rods and steering gear.