ASE T5 SUSPENSION & STEERING PRACTICE
TEST 5 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
1. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Height control valves can fail in
either direc-tion—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.
1. The truck with the air suspension system shown above leans to the right. Technician A says
that valve X 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
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.
,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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
, 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.
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
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.
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
TEST 5 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
1. The correct answer is C, both technicians are right. Height control valves can fail in
either direc-tion—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.
1. The truck with the air suspension system shown above leans to the right. Technician A says
that valve X 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
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.
,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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
, 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.
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
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.
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
