4.3.18. Check of a free wheeling (side play) of a steering wheel

At the increased free wheeling of a steering wheel driving as it with delay reacts to actions of the driver is at a loss. Besides, the increased course which does not manage to be eliminated with adjustment of the steering mechanism, testifies to malfunction of steering (weakening of fastening of the steering mechanism, steering drafts or wear of their details).

Check a side play of a steering wheel on the car installed on an equal nonslipping covering. The side play should not exceed 5 °. It is possible to determine a side play and in linear units (mm) by a formula L = (5 °/360 °) by pD where

L — a side play of a steering wheel, mm;

p = 3,14;

D — the outer diameter of a steering wheel, mm.

For a steering wheel which outer diameter makes 380 mm the side play should not exceed 16–18 mm.

It will be required to you: a ruler, swept (or a wire) for drawing tags.

1. Establish forward wheels in the situation corresponding to the rectilinear movement of the car.

2. Establish a ruler so that its end face rested against the dashboard, and the plane of a ruler concerned an external surface of a rim of a steering wheel. Without changing the provision of a ruler, turn a steering wheel until the beginning of turn of forward wheels to the left. In this situation apply a tag on a rim of a steering wheel (fix a wire).	3. Without changing the provision of a ruler, turn a steering wheel until the beginning of turn of forward wheels to the right.

4. In this situation apply the second tag on a rim of a steering wheel (fix a wire).

5. Measure on a rim distance between tags. It has to be no more than the calculated value. If the distance (a free wheeling of a steering wheel) is more, it is necessary to establish the reason and to eliminate it.