Deck 25: Steering and Alignment

Question 1

Which of the following components defines steering toe-out on turns?

A) Pitman arm
B) Ackerman geometry
C) drag link
D) steering control arm

Answer 1

B

Question 2

When checking out the front end geometry of a heavy duty truck,which of the following steps should be performed FIRST?

A) neutralize suspension by driving unit back and forth in a straight line
B) jack the front end up and scribe the front tires
C) disconnect the drag link
D) check the over-center adjustment of the steering gear

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Which of the following types of manual steering gears are used on heavy-duty trucks?

A) worm and roller
B) rack and pinion
C) recirculating ball
D) both A and C

Answer 3

D

Question 4

What size steering wheel is most commonly used on heavy-duty trucks?

A) 18-inches (46 cm)
B) 20-inches (50 cm)
C) 22-inches (56 cm)
D) 24-inches (60 cm)

Question 5

A truck is placed on alignment turntables with the wheels in the straight ahead position.After removing the pins and zeroing the protractor scales,the wheels are turned all the way left until they contact the turn stop.How will the protractor scale read?

A) right turn angle exceeds the left
B) left turn angle exceeds the right
C) both turn angles should be within 1-degree

Question 6

When a truck equipped with radial steering tires specifies a toe-in,which of the following specifications is more likely?

A) 1/16-inch (1.5 mm)
B) 1/8-inch (3 mm)
C) 3/16-inch (4.5 mm)
D) 1/4-inch (6 mm)

Question 7

How is should steering knuckle vertical clearance be adjusted?

A) adding or subtracting shims
B) selecting the correct draw key
C) using the appropriate bushings
D) adjusting a stop bolt and jam nut

Question 8

What is used to retain a straight kingpin in a steering knuckle assembly?

A) draw key
B) snap rings
C) cotter pins
D) bearing caps

Question 9

Which of the following is the maximum permitted freeplay specification for a 22-inch steering wheel on a truck?

A) 1.75 inches (4.5 cm)
B) 2.20 inches (5.6 cm)
C) 2.50 inches (6.4 cm)
D) 2.75 inches (7.0 cm)

Question 10

What connects a pair of Ackerman arms on a truck steering system?

A) drag link
B) Pitman arm
C) steering column
D) tie-rod assembly

Question 11

Technician A says that to adjust steering toe,one of the crosstube tie-rod ends must be removed from an Ackerman arm so that it can be rotated.Technician B says that a tie-rod crosstube has left-hand threads on one side,and right-hand threads on the other.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 12

Technician A says that objective of a toe specification in commercial truck steering systems is achieve zero toe when the truck is fully loaded and running at highway speeds.Technician B says that when setting toe on the shop floor on a truck equipped with radial tires,it is common to set it either at zero or with a fractional toe-in.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 13

When the front tires of a truck both lean outward slightly at the top,which of the following is indicated?

A) positive camber
B) negative camber
C) positive caster
D) negative caster

Question 14

Technician A says that a kingpin can be straight.Technician B says that a kingpin can be tapered.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 15

If you increase the length of a tie rod on a typical heavy-duty truck steering system,what happens to the toe setting?

A) toe-out increases
B) toe-in decreases
C) toe-in increases
D) toe remains neutral

Question 16

What two steering components does an Ackerman arm connect?

A) steering knuckle and steering control arm
B) drag link and Pitman arm
C) steering knuckle and tie-rod end
D) drag link and tie-rod end

Question 17

Technician A says that a cross tube assembly connects a pair of Ackerman arms.Technician B says that tie rod ends have ball sockets built into them.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 18

What connects a Pitman arm to the steering control arm?

A) drag link
B) tie-rod
C) steering knuckle
D) Ackerman arm

Question 19

What device does a steering knuckle pivot on?

A) Pitman arm
B) kingpin
C) Ackerman arm
D) steering control arm

Question 20

How many Ackerman arms would you find on a typical single axle truck steering system?

A) one
B) two
C) three
D) four

Question 21

What is the tool of choice required to remove a tie-rod end ball socket from an Ackerman arm?

A) pickle fork
B) slide hammer
C) 8 lb sledge and chisel
D) oxy-acetylene torch

Question 22

Which of the following alignment factors have the potential to cause the greatest amount of tire wear?

A) toe
B) camber
C) caster
D) KPI

Question 23

Technician A says that under-inflated steering tires while producing harder steering actually increases driver control in emergency maneuvers.Technician B says that over-inflated tires are dangerous because the road-contact footprint is reduced,decreasing driver control.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 24

When the wheels are turned to full lock on a truck with 3 degrees of positive caster,which of the following should be observed?

A) front bumper on one side should raise slightly and the other side should lower
B) steering wheel should attempt to return to straight ahead when released
C) both A and B are correct
D) neither A nor B are correct

Question 25

Which of the following is NOT good practice when adjusting for positive caster?

A) more positive caster should be set on the left side
B) there should be no more than 1/2 degree difference from left to right
C) the thickest part of the caster shim goes toward the rear
D) caster readings must factor for any frame angle off level

Question 26

Which of the following is the least likely complaint on a truck set with excessive positive caster?

A) hard steering
B) wandering
C) low speed shimmy
D) darting

Question 27

Higher than specified toe-in can cause which of the following tire wear patterns?

A) accelerated wear to both the inside and outside shoulders of the tread
B) scuffing and feather-edge wear across the width of the tread
C) accelerated wear and scuffing at the center of the tread
D) cupped and uneven wear across inside treads

Question 28

A truck front-end measures excessive negative camber on the left,and specified camber on the right.Which of the following could result from this condition?

A) left tire wears excessively on the inside shoulder
B) left tire wears excessively on the outside shoulder
C) truck will tend to lead to the right
D) both A and C

Question 29

A truck that is being measured for alignment is determined to have a positive frame angle of 2 degrees and the caster measurement is 5 degrees positive.What is the true caster angle?

A) 7 degrees
B) 5 degrees
C) 3 degrees
D) 2 degrees

Question 30

Technician A says that manual steering gear should be filled with a 75W gear oil for operations in northern winter conditions.Technician B says that use of 90W gear oil in a manual steering gear can produce hard steering in certain conditions.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 31

Which of the following accurately describes caster as it applies to heavy-duty trucks?

A) a directional stability angle
B) front end is set with some positive caster
C) tandem-drive trucks need less positive caster than single drive axle trucks
D) all of the above

Question 32

Which of the following statements regarding toe adjustment is true?

A) do not adjust until camber and caster are known to be correct
B) neutralize the suspension before adjusting
C) make toe measurements at axle spindle height
D) all of the above

Question 33

Technician A says that when inspecting kingpins minor abrasive wear is not significant if it has not penetrated the hard-surfacing.Technician B says that after installation,kingpin bushings should be broached into their bores.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 34

Technician A says that all steering defects should be considered OOS and the vehicle deadlined until the conditioned is repaired.Technician B says that excessive toe-in may cause some accelerated tire wear but should not require a vehicle to be OOS deadlined.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 35

What is the directional tracking of one axle in relation to other axles on a multi-axle vehicle known as?

A) toe-out
B) thrustline
C) trackline
D) caster

Question 36

When troubleshooting a hard steering problem on a highway tractor that occurs only when towing a loaded trailer,which of the following should be checked out first?

A) trailer suspension
B) fifth wheel lubrication
C) tractor rear suspension
D) tractor kingpin lubrication

Question 37

What measuring tool should be used to check kingpin upper and lower bushing freeplay?

A) thickness gauges
B) dial indicator
C) internal micrometer
D) telescoping gauges and micrometer

Question 38

When a vehicle is driven in the straight-ahead position and the thrustline of the axles do not all track perpendicular to the vehicle,which of the following conditions can result?

A) dog-tracking
B) suspension damage
C) tire damage
D) all of the above

Question 39

When using a light beam alignment system to check axle tracking on a highway semi-trailer,how should the kingpin flag assembly be mounted to the trailer?

A) on the kingpin perpendicular to the vehicle centerline
B) on the kingpin aligned longitudinally to the vehicle centerline
C) on axle extensions
D) clamped to the foremost part of the upper coupler plate

Question 40

After adjusting tie-rod ends,which of the following precautions should be observed when tightening the clamps?

A) ensure that the tie-rod end threads extend into the tie-rod beyond the split slot
B) ensure the clamps and fasteners do not interfere with other components during a full turn
C) ensure that there is a space between the clamp and the end of the crosstube
D) all of the above

Question 41

What is the reason for the hourglass shape that is used on the worm gear on some manual steering gear?

A) increases ratio during over-center operation
B) increases ratio as steering cuts into a turn
C) ensures less steering effort required for straight-ahead driving
D) thicker teeth are required for greater force required to turn the vehicle

Question 42

Technician A says that air power steering assist systems are usually retrofit to truck manual steering systems.Technician B says that air power steering assist systems are very rare on modern trucks.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 43

Technician A says that an advantage of a power steering analyzer is that all of the system checks can be performed without running the engine.Technician B says that to check the system relief valve setting using a power steering analyzer,the flow control valve should be choked down.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 44

Which of the following best describes how a Pitman shaft connects to the output or sector shaft of a steering gear?

A) splines and bolt-secured clamp
B) ball socket and cotter pin
C) jam nut and cotter pin
D) wedged shaft,nut,and cotter pin

Question 45

If a power steering gear shifts position on its mounting point on the frame,which of the following can be affected?

A) hard steering
B) binding steering
C) erratic response
D) all of the above

Question 46

In a truck manual steering gear,which of the following components could be referred to as the driven gear component?

A) input shaft
B) steering column
C) worm gear
D) sector shaft

Question 47

What are typical peak pressures on a highway truck,hydraulic steering-assist system?

A) 120 psi (8 bar)
B) 800 psi (55 bar)
C) 1500 psi (103 bar)
D) 3000 psi (207 bar)

Question 48

When is the most steering effort require of a truck driver?

A) loaded and parking
B) unloaded at highway speeds
C) loaded at highway speeds
D) loaded and overtaking another truck

Question 49

When you remove shims acting on a worm gear,which of the following is likely to result?

A) worm gear endplay increases
B) worm gear preload decreases
C) worm gear preload increases
D) sector shaft endplay decreases

Question 50

Technician A says that power steering systems on heavy-duty highway trucks can be described as hydrostatic systems.Technician B says that all current highway truck power steering systems default to manual operation in the event of a loss of hydraulic power.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 51

Which of the following is required in a power steering analyzer?

A) flow meter
B) flow meter and pressure gauge
C) flow meter,pressure gauge,and gate valve
D) flow meter,pressure gauge,gate valve,and thermometer

Question 52

Technician A says that when computer-controlled,electronically variable steering (EVS)is used on current trucks,it must have a full redundancy to mechanical operation.Technician B says that an advantage of EVS is that hydraulic-assist pressure can be managed independently from engine speed.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 53

Technician A says that a Pitman arm is usually timed to a sector shaft by means of center alignment marks.Technician B says that to center an off-center steering wheel,set the steering tires in the straight-ahead position,remove the Pitman arm,center the steering wheel,then reconnect the Pitman arm.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 54

Technician A says that the best way to warm power steering fluid to operating temperature is to start the engine and then cycle the steering from full lock to full lock until the temperature exceeds 140 degrees.Technician A says that the maximum reading on a power steering flow meter will be observed when the gate valve is almost fully closed.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B

Question 55

Technician A says that many of today's unitized steering axles are designed to run maintenance-free for the life of the axle.Technician B says that many types of unitized steering axles are lubed for life with synthetic grease and never require additional lube.Who is correct?

A) Technician A only
B) Technician B only
C) Both A and B
D) Neither A nor B