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Alignment Procedures | Up
Construction Mechanic Advanced - Construction methods and practices | Next
Figure 12-14.—Ball joint wear indication. |
Figure 12-10.—Portable turntable.
Figure 12-11.—Mechanical toe-measuring gauge.
3. Grasp the idler arm and try to work it up and
down; then try to spread the tires apart while watching
the steering linkage, (fig. 12-1 2). In either case, you
should not see excessive movement. Inspect the tie rod
ends for uncontrolled movement.
4. Check the upper and lower control arm bushing
for wear or looseness. Either defect will contribute to
improper alignment. Repair as needed.
5. Inspect the upper and lower ball joints. You are
checking the axial and radial play. Make sure either does
not exceed the manufacturer’s specifications. Inspect
one wheel at a time in the following manner: (A) If the
lower ball joint carries the load (spring rides on the lower
control arm) (fig. 12-13, A), place the jack under the
lower control arm. If the upper ball joint carries the load
(spring mounted on top of the upper control arm) (fig.
12-13, B), put the jack under the vehicle frame. (B)
Using a pry bar under the tire, work it up and down while
watching for movement at the ball joints. This is axial
Figure 12-12.—Checking the steering linkage.
Figure 12-13.—Checking ball joints for wear.
play. (C) While holding the wheel at the top and bottom,
push in at the top and pullout on the bottom; then reverse
the procedure. You are checking for radial play. Some
ball joints have wear indicators. The nipple that the
grease fitting is threaded into sticks out of the ball joint
12-7
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