Preliminary Inspection

Steering and vibration complaints are not always the result of improper alignment. They may also be caused by wheel and tire imbalance. An additional item to be checked, is the tire lead due to worn or defective tires. "Lead" is the deviation of the vehicle from a straight path on a level road without hand pressure on the steering wheel. To ensure correct alignment readings and adjustments, the following inspections should be made before checking caster, camber or toe.

Inspect the following:
1. All tires for proper inflation pressures and approximately the same tread wear.
2. Wheel bearings for looseness. Refer to Transmission and Drivetrain.
3. Ball studs. If excess looseness is noted, correct before adjusting.
4. Tie rod ends. If excessive looseness is noted, correct before adjusting.
5. Lateral runout of tires/wheels and tires.
6. Vehicle trim heights. Refer to Body and Frame. If heights are beyond the limits and a correction is to be made, the correction must be made before adjusting toe.
7. Rack and pinion mounting.
8. Operation of struts.
9. Control arms for looseness.

NOTE:
^ Consideration must be given to excessive loads. If an excess load is normally carried in the vehicle, it should remain in the vehicle during alignment checks.
^ Consider the condition of the equipment being used to check alignment and follow the manufacturer's instructions.
^ Regardless of equipment used to check alignment, the vehicle must be on a level surface fore, aft and transversely.