ASE T5 SUSPENSION & STEERING PRACTICE
TEST 4 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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-
TEST 4 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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-
