ASE T5 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026

ASE T5 EXAM QUESTIONS WITH CORRECT ANSWERS LATEST UPDATE 2026 1. The truck with the air suspension system shown above leans to the right. Technician A says that valveX 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 - Answers 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 D. Neither A or B - Answers 8. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Steering columns are made to be collapsible to prevent the column from seriously impacting the driver during a front-end collision. If an accident has occurred, and the steering column has partially collapsed, the entire column must be replaced. 12. The driver of a new truck says that he feels a light tire thump. Technician A says the cause could be an out-of-balance tire. Technician B says the cause could be an over-inflated tire. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 12. The correct answer is A. A tire that is out of balance produces uneven forces in the steering system, The tire tends to bounce up-and-down as the heavier portion alternately goes over the top and hits the pavement. Tires that are overinflated still produce constant forces on the steering system. Overinflation tends to create uneven wear and may cause imprecise steering because the full width of the tread does not contact the road surface. 13. A vehicle has exhibited power steering fluid leakage. Disassembly of components has revealed deteriorated seals in both the pump and steering gear. Technician A says to find out if the vehicle has been run severely overloaded. Technician B says to check for use of an incorrect replacement hose. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 13. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. The most likely cause of the problem is overheating of the fluid because all the seals in the system deteriorated. Running a vehicle severely overloaded or installing a hose with too small a diameter could overheat the power steering fluid and create widespread failure of the system's seals. 9. A constant buzzing noise comes from the power steering pump. Technician A says the cause could be air in the system. Technician B says the cause could be that the relief valve is stuck in the open position. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 9. The correct answer is A. Fluid passes through the power steering system parts at high flow rates and under high pressures. When it becomes aerated, the bubbles cause rough, uneven flow and consequent noise. When a relief valve sticks open, fluid flows more smoothly (in a less restricted manner than normal). causing no noise but poor power assist instead. 14. During inspection of a tire, a technician finds a slight bulge in one area of the tread. The next step taken should be: A. Remove the tire from the rim and seal the inner liner (the bulge probably results from an air leak). B. Replace the tire as its use is in violation of CVSA regulations and would put the truck out of service if it were subjected to a roadside inspection. C. Have the tire retreaded. D. Measure the size of the bulge to see if it is no greater than 3/8 inch and look for a small, blue triangle stamped into the tire nearby. - Answers 14. The correct answer is D. A bulge not exceeding 3/8-in. and marked by a blue triangle indicates that the tire is bulging not because of a structural defect but because of a section repair. The blue triangle merely indicates a repair has been made. A tire that has a bulge from a repair of a dimension within the 3/8-in. limit will pass a roadside inspection without any problem and will operate safely. 10. The steering gear sector shaft preload is to be set. Technician A says the steering wheel must be in the center position. Technician B says the drag link should be disconnected from the pitman arm. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 10. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. The steering wheel must be in the center position because clearances in the box change (they are tightest at center) and setting preload at another position would cause binding at the center. The drag link must be disconnected because preload is measured by turning the steering box. It produces a very small amount of friction that must be measured with an inch pound torque wrench and is much smaller than the friction inherent in the rest of the steering system. 11. Which of these could cause the front tires of a truck to show a feather-edged wear pattern? A. a wrong toe-in setting B. a wrong camber setting C. a wrong caster setting D. wrong tire pressure - Answers 11. The correct answer is A. Toe-in that is incorrect causes the entire tread to contact the road at an angle; this is what produces feather-edge wear. Incorrect camber causes wear on one side of the tire because it contacts the road unevenly, from side-to-side, when camber is incorrect. C is not the answer because caster that is incorrectly set can produce poor steerability, but usually does not critically affect tire wear. Wrong tire pressures produce wear that is excessive at center or on both sides. 15. Technician A says that when diagnosing a power steering leak, the wheels should be in a straight-ahead position. Technician B says that when diagnosing a power steering leak, the steering wheel should be rotated from stop-to-stop to put pressure on the system. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 15. The correct answer is B. When diagnosing a power steering leak, the area should be clean and the system should be full of power steering fluid. The engine should be started and the steering wheel rotated from stop-to-stop, making sure the wheel is not held against either stop for more than two seconds. 16. A truck's leaf springs have broken at a low mileage. A careful inspection reveals no problems related to the spring system, such as frozen shackle bushings or worn hangers, bushings or spring pins. The truck has not been run overloaded. Technician A says the problem may have occurred because the -bolt nuts were not retorqued at specified intervals after the springs were replaced. Technician B says the whole problem could be re-use of old U-bolts or installation of an inferior type of U-bolt. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 16. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Leaf spring stacks are extremely sensitive to proper mounting. They naturally tend to settle especially shortly after being installed. U-bolts must be of extremely high quality to retain torque adequately. Thus, the best procedure would be to replace the U-bolts with an approved part, torque the nuts to specification and be sure to retorque them at specified intervals. 19. A tractor with a single height control valve exhibits a ride height that is consistently too high. A brief inspection has revealed that the height control valve is in reasonable mechanical condition and properly adjusted. Technician A says to check the air brake system operating pressure and make sure it is not too high. Technician B says to check the physical condition of all the shock absorbers as well as all the travel stops that may be incorporated in the suspension. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 19. The correct answer is B. The shocks and travel stops are probably not working properly. Even with a high brake air system pressure, the control valve will shut off tight, sealing even with excessive pressure at the proper ride height. On the other hand, if suspension travel is excessive in the downward direction, this can allow the truck to ride at too low a height for a brief period over hard bumps. This tricks the control valve into feeding air to the system when it is not actually needed. 17. A truck exhibits a strange combination of symptoms. The drive axles exhibit chronic seal wear problems. At the same time, there is some evidence of irreqular drive axle tire wear. There is no evidence of driveshaft imbalance or worn driveshaft parts. The MOST likely cause of the problem is: A. driver abuse of the truck by frequently popping the clutch in very low gears on a steep upgrade B. severe imbalance of the drive axle tires and wheels C. worn shock absorbers on the tandem drive axle suspension system D. worn bushings in the torque rods locating the drive axles - Answers 17. The correct answer is D. Worn bushings in the torque rods are causing the drive axles to sometimes run with their mounting angles incorrect. This, in turn, is causing the symptoms because the driveshafts sometimes operate at excessive angles. This excessive angularity causes vibration, which eventually reaches the seals and destroys them. Also, incorrect operating position causes the tires in the tandem setup to track improperly (work against each other), causing the symptoms noted. Popping the clutch frequently would be more likely to produce twisted or worn driveshafts and rapid tire wear as opposed to irregular wear. Severe imbalance, although it would wear the tires irregularly, would not tend to impact the seals. Worn shocks might cause tire wear if they were almost completely ineffective, but they would not likely cause a seal problem. 20. A truck fleet has had repeated tire blowouts. Technician A says they should review their tire changing procedures to make sure the proper tire changing tools and sealing solvents are being used. Technician B says they should review their repair procedures and make sure they are sealing a tire's inner liner when a puncture occurs. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 20. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Either improper tire changing procedures or such incorrect repair procedures as failure to seal the inner liner can result in insidious damage and a blowout down the road. 18. A truck has exhibited problems with spring leaf failure that can be explained by inadequate clamping force. During an inspection, a technician is having trouble deciding whether or not a particular spring stack is adequately clamped. He knows the fasteners are properly torqued, but suspects bad fasteners have been used and wants a quick way to determine whether or not attaching parts should be replaced to protect the springs from further problems. Technician A says that if the stack feels and looks tight and parts retain the required torque after a few miles of operation, the fasteners are working. Technician B says to rap the U-bolt with a brass hammer. If the bolt yields a ringing sound, torque is probably OK. If it vields a dull thud, it should be replaced. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 18. The correct answer is B. Pull-around torque or the torque required to turn a fastener is not always an indicator of clamping force. On the other hand, a U-bolt that exhibits a ringing sound is probably under sufficient tension to hold the stack secure, while one that exhibits a dull thud is not tight enough. 21. A technician has been asked by a customer if he can get more even tire wear, and thereby improve tire life, by rotating the eight tires on the tandem drive axles of his tractor. Technician A says all the tires endure practically identical stresses and wear patterns. Technician B says irregular wear patterns will be canceled out. Who is right? A. Technician A only B. Technician B only C. Both A and B D. Neither A or B - Answers 21. The correct answer is B. Tread wear is uneven on tandem drive axles for two reasons: First, the distribution of power is not perfectly equal between all the wheel positions and rotation will equal out the variations. Second, when a tandem axle tractor takes a corner, the forward axle's tires scrub a bit more than those on the rear axle; rotation equalizes this wear, too. 22. When checking the front-end alignment on a truck, it is necessary to add and the included angle: A. kingpin inclination and toe-in B. caster and camber C. kingpin inclination and camber D. toe-in and caster - Answers 22. The correct answer is C. This is because this sum gives the relationship between the centerline of the wheel and the centerline of the kingpin (or knuckle support pivots with lighter duty type front axles). This angle is built into the knuckle forging and remains constant unless the spindle is damaged during use. Toe-in and caster do not have any effect on this angle. 23. Which of these is the LEAST likely cause of too much front tire wear? A. underinflated tires B. out-of-balance tires C. a wrong toe-in setting D. a wrong caster setting - Answers 23. The correct answer is D. Caster does not affect the way the tread contacts the road or cause the tire to scrub down the road at an angle. Underinflation forces the edges of the tire to take most of the load, concentrating wear, as well as producing excessive flexing (squirming) of the tread and consequent wear. Tires that are out of balance focus wear where the heavier portion of the tire slaps against the road. Toe-in makes the tread scrub across the road, causing featheredge wear. 28. The vehicle's suspension system must do all of the following EXCEPT: A. support the load B. articulate the load (that is, maintain alignment during up-and-down motion) C. remove excess energy that otherwise becomes stored up in the springs and prevents smooth ride D. provide a rigid foundation for frame or trailer support - Answers 28. The correct answer is D. The suspension system is, by nature, not rigid, as a rigid system would transfer all the energy generated as the wheels run over bumps to the frame and the load. Even systems designed to support extreme loads at least incorporate rubber cushioning. The system must obviously support the load, keep the vehicle's axles and frame in appropriate alignment for safe steering and level support, and remove excess energy (with shock absorbers) 24. All of these must be checked before aligning the front wheels on a truck EXCEPT: A. tire pressure B. trim height C. wheel bearing adjustment D. tire balance - Answers 24. The correct answer is D. Tire balance is the only one of the four factors that does not affect alignment readings. An unbalanced tire will still hold the vehicle at the right height, and sit at the same angle to the vehicle as an unbalanced tire. Tire pressure affects ride height and, therefore, can affect the angle between the frame (and front axle) and the ground. This, in turn, affects the angles of the kingpins, which is what determines caster. Trim height affects frame angle and will affect alignment just as incorrect tire pressure will. Wheel bearing adjustment that is incorrect will change the angle between the wheel and frame and, therefore affect alignment reading. 25. The driver of a truck with power steering says that it takes too much effort to steer. Any of these could be the cause EXCEPT. A. too low a power steering fluid level B. front-end out-of-alignment C. too much steering gear backlash