Important:
| • | Do not jerk the right tire and wheel assembly back and forth, causing
an up-and-down movement of the idler arm. This is not an acceptable testing
procedure because there is no control on the amount of force being applied
to the idler arm. |
| • | Use care whenever loose idler arms are suspected of causing shimmy complaints.
Before suspecting suspension or steering components, consider the following
areas: |
| - | Force variation of tire and wheel assemblies |
| - | Road surface irregularities |
- Raise the and support the vehicle. Refer to
Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle
in
General Information.
- Allow the front wheels to rotate freely and the steering mechanism freedom
to turn.
- Position the wheels in the straight ahead position.
- Place a spring scale near the relay rod end of the
idler arm (2).
- Exert 110 N (25 lb) force upward and then downward (2)
while measuring the total distance the arm moves.
The allowable deflection
is 3.18 mm (1/8 in) from the center for a total of 6.35 mm (¼ in) (1).
- Replace the idler arm if the measurements are not within the specified
range.
