Isuzu Rodeo UE. Manual - part 50

WHEEL AND TIRE SYSTEM

3E–5

Condition

Correction

Possible cause

Erratic Steering When Braking

Worn wheel bearings.

Replace wheel bearings.

Broken or sagging springs.

Replace spring (pairs).

Leaking caliper.

Repair or replace caliper.

Warped discs.

Replace brake disc.

Badly worn brake pads.

Replace brake pads.

Tires are inflated unequally.

Inflate tires to proper pressure.

Low or Uneven Trim Height

Broken or sagging springs.

Replace springs (In pairs).

Vehicle overloaded.

Reduce load.

Incorrect springs.

Adjust or replace torsion bar.

Suspension Bottoms

Vehicle overloaded. 

Reduce load.

Faulty shock absorber.

Replace shock absorber.

Incorrect, broken or sagging springs.

Replace springs.

Body Leans

Loose stabilizer bar.

Tighten stabilizer bar bolts or replace
bushings.

Faulty shock absorber, struts or
mounting.

Replace shock absorber.

Broken or sagging springs.

Replace springs (In pairs).

Vehicle overloaded.

Reduce load.

Cupped Tires

Worn wheel bearings.

Replace wheel bearing.

Excessive tire or wheel run out.

Replace tire or wheel.

Worn ball joints.

Replace ball joints.

Tire out of balance.

Adjust tire balance.

Irregular and Premature Wear

480RS001

Irregular and/or premature wear has many causes.
Some of them are incorrect inflation pressures, lack of tire
rotation, poor driving habits or improper wheel alignment.
Incorrect inflation is common cause of tire premature
wear.

NOTE: Due to their design, radial tires tend to wear faster
in the shoulder area, particularly on the front tires.  This
makes regular rotation especially necessary.  After
rotation, be sure to check wheel nut torque, and set tire
pressures. 

3E–6

WHEEL AND TIRE SYSTEM

Tire Rotation

Tire rotation is recommended to equalize wear for longer
tire life.

480RS002

Legend

(1) Spare Tire

If the following conditions are noted, rotate the tires:

f

Front tire wear is different from rear.

f

Uneven wear exists across the tread of any tire.

f

Left and right front tire wear is unequal.

f

Left and right rear tire wear is unequal.

Check wheel alignment if the following conditions are
noted:

f

Left and right front tire wear is unequal.

f

Wear is uneven across the tread of any front tire.

f

Front tire treads have a scuffed appearance with
“feather” edges on one side of the tread ribs or blocks.

Tread Wear Indicators

480RS006

The original equipment tires have built-in tread wear indi-
cators(1) to show when tires need replacement.  These

indicators may appear as wide bands.  When the indica-
tors appear in two or more grooves at three locations, tire
replacement is recommended.

Inflation of Tires

710RW002

Tire pressure, in cold condition (after vehicle has set for
three hours or more, and driven less than one mile),
should be checked monthly or before any extended trip.
Tire pressure increases approximately 15% when the
tires become hot during driving.  Tire pressure specifica-
tion is shown on the label located on the left door lock pil-
lar.

NOTE: Check the tire pressure whenever irregular wear
is found.  Tire inflation greatly affects tire wear.  If the
alignment check does not reveal any alignment problems,
check the condition of the shock absorbers and wheel/tire
balance.

Diagnosis List

If the following conditions are noted, rotation is required.

1. Front tire wear is different from rear.
2. Uneven wear exists across the tread of any tire.
3. Left and right front tire wear is unequal.
4. Left and right rear tire wear is unequal. 

If the following conditions are noted, check the wheel
alignment.

1. Left and right front tire wear is unequal.
2. Uneven wear exists across the tread of any tire.
3. Front tire treads have scuffed appearance with

“feather” edges on one side of tread ribs or blocks.

4. There is cupping, flat spotting etc. 

Higher than recommended pressure can cause:

1. Hard ride.
2. Poor steering stability.
3. Rapid and uneven wear at center of the tread.

Lower than recommended pressure can cause:

1. Tire squeal on turns.
2. Hard steering.
3. Rapid and uneven wear on the edges of the tread.
4. Tire rim bruises and rupture.

WHEEL AND TIRE SYSTEM

3E–7

5. Tire cord breakage.
6. High tire temperatures.
7. Reduced handling.
8. Reduced fuel economy.

Unequal pressure on same axle can cause:

1. Uneven braking.
2. Steering lead.
3. Reduced handling.
4. Swerve on acceleration.

Radial Tire Waddle

480RW011

Waddle is side-to-side movement at the front and/or rear
of the car. It can be caused by the steel belt not being
straight within the tire, or by excessive lateral runout of the
tire or wheel. It is most noticeable at low speed, about 8
to 48 km/h (5 to 30 mph). It may also cause rough ride at
80 to 113 km/h (50 to 70 mph).
The car can be road tested to see which end of the car has
the faulty tire.  If the tire causing the waddle is on the rear,
the rear end of the car will “waddle”. From the driver’s
seat, it feels as if someone is pushing on the side of the
car.
If the faulty tire is on the front, the waddle is more easily
seen. The front sheet metal appears to be moving back
and forth. It feels as if the driver’s seat is the pivot point
in the car.
Another more time-consuming method of determining the
faulty tire is substituting tire and wheel assemblies that
are known to be good. Follow these steps:

1. Drive the car to determine if the waddle is coming

from the front or rear.

2. Install tire and wheel assemblies known to be good

(from a similar car) in place of those on the end of the
car which is waddling. If the waddle cannot be
isolated to front or rear, start with the rear tires.

3. Road test again. If improvement is noted, install the

original tire and wheel assemblies one at a time until
the faulty tire is found. If no improvement is noted,
install tires known to be good in place of all four. Then,
install the originals one at a time until the faulty tire is
found.

Radial Tire Lead/Pull

“Lead/Pull” is vehicle deviation from a straight path, on a
level road with no pressure on the steering wheel.
Lead is usually caused by:

1. Poorly manufactured radial tires.
2. Uneven brake adjustment.
3. Wheel alignment.

The way in which a tire is built can produce lead in a car.
An example of this is placement of the belt. Off-center
belts on radial tires can cause the tire to develop a side
force while rolling straight down the road and the tire will
tend to roll like a cone.
The “Radial Tire Lead/Pull Correction” chart should be
used to make sure that front wheel alignment is not mis-
taken for tire lead.
Rear tires will not cause lead/pull.

3E–8

WHEEL AND TIRE SYSTEM

Radial Tire Lead/Pull Correction Chart

Step

Action

Yes

No

1

1. Inflate tires to recommended pressure.
2. Road test vehicle on level uncrowned road.

Was a problem corrected?

End.

Go to Step 2 

2

Switch front tires side to side and road test again.

Was a problem corrected?

If roughness

results,replace

tires.

Go to Step 3 

3

Did the vehicle lead in same direction?

Go to Step 4 

Go to Step 5 

4

Put tires back in original position and check alignment.

Was a problem corrected?

End.

Go to Step 5

5

Install known good tire on one front side.

Was a problem corrected?

Replace tire.

Install a known

good tire in place
of other front tire.

If lead corrected,

replace tire.

Typical examples of abnormal tire ahead wear and major
causes:

CAUTION: Similar wear patterns can be caused by
worn suspension parts, misalignment of wheels and
tires, and other suspension related problems.

Spotty wear – wear localized on shoulder sections, and
in an extreme cases, the tire becomes polygonal in
shape.

480RW002

1. Tire or wheel out of round or distorted.
2. Hub or knuckle out of round or distorted.
3. Play in hub bearings or ball joint.
4. Rotating parts out of balance.

Tread wear one-sided.

480RW003

1. Rotating parts out of balance.
2. Tire or wheel out of round.
3. Hub or knuckle out of round or distorted.