Front suspension and steering
1. Raise the front of the car and place it on secure props (see appendix: Lifting the vehicle and placing it on stands).
2. Examine a condition of covers of spherical hinges and covers of a steering mechanism on presence of cracks, attritions or signs of decomposition. Wear on the boots will cause grease to leak out, water to enter the assembly and cause rapid failure.
3. Inspect the steering hydraulic hoses for abrasions and signs of decomposition, as well as pipeline connections for leaks. Also inspect the steering gear boots for pressure leaks, which means the internal seals are failing.
4. Grab the front wheel in a vertical plane (pic. 7.4) and try to shake it. There may be a slight play, but if the movement is noticeable, it is necessary to find out its cause. Continue pumping the wheel and ask an assistant to depress the brake pedal at this time. If the play is significantly reduced, then this may indicate wear on the wheel bearings. If the play remains the same when the pedal is depressed, then the hinges or suspension mounts are worn out.
5. Now grab the wheel on the right and left and again try to shake it in a horizontal plane. Backlash in this case can also be due to wear on the hub bearings, as well as wear on the steering ball joints. If the inner or outer tie rod joint is worn, the play will become quite noticeable.
6. Using a large screwdriver or pry bar, check the suspension bearing bushings by inserting a lever between the appropriate part and its fulcrum. There should be some play as the mounts are made of rubber, but significant wear will become apparent. Also inspect the rubber bushings for cracks, delamination and rubber degradation.
7. Lower the wheels to the ground and have an assistant turn the steering wheel left and right about 1/8 turn. The delay between the rotation of the steering wheel and the front wheels should be negligible or non-existent. If this is not the case, carefully inspect the joints as above, and in addition check the steering column cardan joint for wear, as well as the engagement of the steering gear with the rack.
Suspension strut and shock absorber
8. Inspect the damper body for signs of fluid leakage, which may indicate a failure of its stem seal. If a leak is found, the entire rack should be replaced.
Comment. Suspension struts should only be replaced in pairs, i.e. on both sides of the car.
9. The effectiveness of shock absorbers can be checked as follows. Press the corner of the car and release it. The car must return to its original position without hesitation or after making one-D83 oscillation. Also inspect the upper and lower shock absorber mounts for wear.