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.
