ASE T5 Study Guide: Suspension and Steering Expertise
1. The truck with the air suspension system shown above leans to the right. Technician A says that valve
could be the cause. Technician B says that valve Y
could be the cause. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔1. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Height
control valves can fail in either direction-that is, by controlling the height at too great a
level or at too low a level. If the truck leans, the cause can be either too great a height on one side or too
low a height on the other. Until the technician knows that
one side is too high or the other too low, he must assume that either valve might be malfunctioning.
4. The drive axles on a truck with a walking beam suspension are out of alignment in a manner that is
causing vehicle tire wear and steering instability.
Technician A says the cause could be that the torque rods are too long or too short. Technician B says the
cause could be worn walking beam bushings. Who is
right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔4. The correct answer is B. The beam bushings maintain horizontal
alignment of the axles, especially on turns. When bushings are worn, the beam on either
side can move forward or backward, turning the axles in relation to the frame and causing the type of
misalignment that causes tire wear and steering problems.
2. The driver of a truck says that he hears a clattering noise from the front axle when driving on a rough
road. Technician A says the cause could be worn shock absorber mounting bushings. Technician B says
the cause could be worn shackle bushings. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
,B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔2. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Either a
worn shackle bushing or worn shock bushing can cause noise due to looseness when the truck hits a
good bump. If there is clearance between the rubber bushing and mounting bolt, or if the rubber
bushing has worn very thin, elongated or even broken and fallen out, the result will be a clattering noise
as the motion of the suspension repeatedly takes up the
clearance first in one direction and then in the other.
5. The driver of a truck says that it is too hard to steer and that the steering wheel return is too fast.
Which of these is the most likely cause?
A. too much negative caster
B. too much positive caster
C. too much negative camber
D. too much positive camber - correct answer ✔✔5. The correct answer is B. Caster action is the most
critical suspension alignment specification in terms of affecting steering wheel return to the center.
Caster
actually lifts the truck as the wheel is turned in either direction; when the driver allows the wheel to
return to center, the weight of the truck actually forces the steering system to that position. When the
caster setting is too high, the weight of the truck exerts too much force in centering the steering and
creates the symptoms
noted.
3. The driver of a truck that has just had its front springs and hangers replaced says that it is hard to keep
the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position. Technician A says the cause could be that the caster
shims were installed backwards. Technician B says the cause could be that the wrong spring hangers
were installed. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔3. The correct answer is A. Correct caster is critically important in
keeping tires at the right angle and enabling the steering system to maintain directional
, stability. Since the caster shims would have to be removed for this work to be done, it's quite logical to
assume they might have been installed backwards, which would create the critically incorrect caster
setting that would make the truck wander severely.
6. A steering gear binds when turning to the left after it has been adjusted. The most likely cause is that
the:
A. worm bearing preload was set too high
B. steering shaft U-joints are sticking
C. gearbox was not centered when the lash was adjusted
D. recirculating ball nut thrust adjustment is off - correct answer ✔✔6. The correct answer is A. Excessive
worm bearing preload would show up as binding as the steering was turned to one extreme and the
friction became excessive due to the combination of normal load and too much preload. B is not the
answer because sticking U-joints should be apparent and cause rough rotation
of the wheel at all steering angles. If either lash or ball nut thrust adjustment was incorrect, the box
would either bind at the center or be too loose at the extremes
of travel.
7. Which of these is most likely to cause steering wheel shimmy?
A. too much positive caster
B. out-of-balance wheels
C. air in the power steering system
D. low tire pressure - correct answer ✔✔7. The correct answer is B. Out-of-balance wheels cause a high
frequency vibration, which shows up in the wheel as shimmy. A is not the answer because caster shows
up as too much self-centering action (hard steering). Air in the power steering system causes constantly
or intermittently hard steering (lack of hydraulic force). Low tire pressures generally do not cause an
uneven force on the steering system, but rather poor tread contact with the road and vague steering or
hard steering.
8. Technician A says that steering columns are collapsible to prevent the column from causing serious
injury to the driver during a collision. Technician B says that when a steering column has been collapsed,
the entire column must be replaced. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
1. The truck with the air suspension system shown above leans to the right. Technician A says that valve
could be the cause. Technician B says that valve Y
could be the cause. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔1. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Height
control valves can fail in either direction-that is, by controlling the height at too great a
level or at too low a level. If the truck leans, the cause can be either too great a height on one side or too
low a height on the other. Until the technician knows that
one side is too high or the other too low, he must assume that either valve might be malfunctioning.
4. The drive axles on a truck with a walking beam suspension are out of alignment in a manner that is
causing vehicle tire wear and steering instability.
Technician A says the cause could be that the torque rods are too long or too short. Technician B says the
cause could be worn walking beam bushings. Who is
right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔4. The correct answer is B. The beam bushings maintain horizontal
alignment of the axles, especially on turns. When bushings are worn, the beam on either
side can move forward or backward, turning the axles in relation to the frame and causing the type of
misalignment that causes tire wear and steering problems.
2. The driver of a truck says that he hears a clattering noise from the front axle when driving on a rough
road. Technician A says the cause could be worn shock absorber mounting bushings. Technician B says
the cause could be worn shackle bushings. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
,B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔2. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Either a
worn shackle bushing or worn shock bushing can cause noise due to looseness when the truck hits a
good bump. If there is clearance between the rubber bushing and mounting bolt, or if the rubber
bushing has worn very thin, elongated or even broken and fallen out, the result will be a clattering noise
as the motion of the suspension repeatedly takes up the
clearance first in one direction and then in the other.
5. The driver of a truck says that it is too hard to steer and that the steering wheel return is too fast.
Which of these is the most likely cause?
A. too much negative caster
B. too much positive caster
C. too much negative camber
D. too much positive camber - correct answer ✔✔5. The correct answer is B. Caster action is the most
critical suspension alignment specification in terms of affecting steering wheel return to the center.
Caster
actually lifts the truck as the wheel is turned in either direction; when the driver allows the wheel to
return to center, the weight of the truck actually forces the steering system to that position. When the
caster setting is too high, the weight of the truck exerts too much force in centering the steering and
creates the symptoms
noted.
3. The driver of a truck that has just had its front springs and hangers replaced says that it is hard to keep
the steering wheel in a straight-ahead position. Technician A says the cause could be that the caster
shims were installed backwards. Technician B says the cause could be that the wrong spring hangers
were installed. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
D. Neither A or B - correct answer ✔✔3. The correct answer is A. Correct caster is critically important in
keeping tires at the right angle and enabling the steering system to maintain directional
, stability. Since the caster shims would have to be removed for this work to be done, it's quite logical to
assume they might have been installed backwards, which would create the critically incorrect caster
setting that would make the truck wander severely.
6. A steering gear binds when turning to the left after it has been adjusted. The most likely cause is that
the:
A. worm bearing preload was set too high
B. steering shaft U-joints are sticking
C. gearbox was not centered when the lash was adjusted
D. recirculating ball nut thrust adjustment is off - correct answer ✔✔6. The correct answer is A. Excessive
worm bearing preload would show up as binding as the steering was turned to one extreme and the
friction became excessive due to the combination of normal load and too much preload. B is not the
answer because sticking U-joints should be apparent and cause rough rotation
of the wheel at all steering angles. If either lash or ball nut thrust adjustment was incorrect, the box
would either bind at the center or be too loose at the extremes
of travel.
7. Which of these is most likely to cause steering wheel shimmy?
A. too much positive caster
B. out-of-balance wheels
C. air in the power steering system
D. low tire pressure - correct answer ✔✔7. The correct answer is B. Out-of-balance wheels cause a high
frequency vibration, which shows up in the wheel as shimmy. A is not the answer because caster shows
up as too much self-centering action (hard steering). Air in the power steering system causes constantly
or intermittently hard steering (lack of hydraulic force). Low tire pressures generally do not cause an
uneven force on the steering system, but rather poor tread contact with the road and vague steering or
hard steering.
8. Technician A says that steering columns are collapsible to prevent the column from causing serious
injury to the driver during a collision. Technician B says that when a steering column has been collapsed,
the entire column must be replaced. Who is right?
A. Technician A only
B. Technician B only
C. Both A and B
