Determining the technical condition of suspension parts on a car

During each maintenance, as well as during repairs, the condition of the protective covers of the ball joints is checked, paying special attention to the absence of mechanical damage to the covers.

They find out if there are any cracks on the suspension parts or traces of rubbing against road obstacles or the body, deformations of the transverse levers, stretch marks, the stabilizer bar and its struts and the subframe at the attachment points of the suspension units and parts. Deformations of the suspension parts and, above all, the stretch marks and the subframe violate the angles of the wheels and lead to the impossibility of their adjustment.

Check the condition of rubber-metal hinges, rubber pads, suspension ball joints, as well as the condition of the upper supports of the telescopic suspension struts. Rubber-metal hinges and rubber pads are replaced in case of ruptures and one-sided buckling of rubber and when cutting their end surfaces.

To check the condition of the suspension ball joint, remove the wheel and measure the distance between the lower arm 9 (see fig. 97) and brake disc 12 and in zone B. If this distance changes by more than 0.8 mm when the suspension is rocking, the ball joint is replaced. To measure the clearance in the ball joint on a car, use tool 02.7834.9503. A more accurate check of the ball joint is described below (see sect. «Checking the technical condition»).