Chevrolet Cobalt Service & Repair Manual: Wheel Alignment
Preliminary Inspection
| 1. |
Ensure all tires are of recommended
size and are inflated to proper pressure. |
| 2. |
Inspect all tires for damage and uneven
tread wear. |
| 3. |
Ensure wheel bearings, control arm
ball studs and bushings, relay rods and tie rod ends are in satisfactory
condition. Looseness must be corrected before wheels can be aligned. |
| 4. |
Inspect wheel and tire radial and lateral
runout, as follows: |
| |
a. |
With wheel and tire assembly off vehicle,
runout should be approximately .050 inch. |
| |
b. |
When on vehicle, runout should be approximately
.060 inch. |
| 5. |
If wheel and tire assembly runout specifications
cannot be met, separate tire from wheel and measure wheel runout.
Wheel runout should be approximately .030 inch. |
| 6. |
Inspect vehicle ride height. |
| 7. |
Ensure steering gear is not loose at
frame mounting. |
| 8. |
Inspect stabilizer shafts for loose
or missing components. |
| 9. |
Ensure struts and shocks are not leaking
or excessively worn and strut upper mounts are in satisfactory condition. |
| 10. |
Inspect all remaining suspension and
steering components for damage and repair or replace prior to setting
wheel alignment. |
| 11. |
Ensure fuel tank is full or compensating
ballast is added for proper weight distribution. |
| 12. |
Ensure vehicle is on level surface
and all loads that are normally carried inside vehicle are present. |
| 13. |
Bounce front and rear of vehicle three
times before beginning wheel alignment procedures. |
|
Front
Caster
| Caster is not adjustable. If caster
angle is not within specifications, inspect for suspension support misalignment
or front suspension damage. |
Camber
| 1. |
Loosen both strut to knuckle nuts just
enough to allow for movement. |
| 2. |
If strut has not been modified previously,
proceed as follows: |
| |
a. |
Remove strut from knuckle. |
| |
b. |
File lower hole until groove of stamped
ring around hole, Fig. 1. |
| 3. |
Adjust camber to specification by moving
top of wheel in or out. |
|
Toe
| Toe-out is controlled by tie rod
position. Adjustment is made by loosening the clamp bolts or jam nuts at
the steering knuckle end of the tie rods and rotating the rods to obtain
proper toe setting, Fig. 2. After proper toe setting
is obtained, torque mounting nuts and bolts to 50 ft. lbs. |
Fig. 1 Strut modification for camber adjustment
Fig. 2 Toe adjustment
