Ten ASE A4 Suspension & Steering questions in the ASE format: four options, one best answer. They are free to use, print and share, and there is nothing to sign up for on this page.
01How to use these
The questions come from the ToolboxPrep A4 bank and are spread across the test's content areas in the proportion the ASE test specification gives them: A (Steering Systems Diagnosis and Repair), B (Suspension Systems Diagnosis and Repair), C (Wheel Alignment Diagnosis, Adjustment, and Repair), D (Wheel and Tire Diagnosis and Service). Answer each one before opening the explanation. Every explanation covers all four options, because knowing why the wrong answers are wrong is most of the skill.
- Pace. The A4 test gives you 60 minutes for 50 questions (40 scored, 10 unscored), about 1 min 12 s a question. Try these at that pace.
- Print. The printed version shows the questions and the answer key without the explanations, so it works as a handout.
02The questions
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In a column-mounted electric power steering system, how does the assist motor's effort reach the steering?
- Through a ball nut on the steering rack
- Through a worm gear on the column shaft
- By driving a hydraulic pump for the gear
- Through a second pinion on the rack
Show the answer
B. Correct. In a column-type system the motor drives a worm that turns a worm wheel fixed to the column shaft, multiplying the motor's torque. The assist is added to the driver's effort above the intermediate shaft, so the U-joints and gear carry the combined load.
Why not the others
A. A motor-driven ball nut around the rack is how a rack-type EPS works, with the motor on the gear housing. A column-mounted system adds its assist through a worm gear on the column shaft.
C. An electric motor turning a hydraulic pump is electro-hydraulic assist, which still uses fluid and a hydraulic gear. In a column EPS the motor drives the column shaft through a worm gear.
D. A motor driving a second pinion on the rack is a dual-pinion rack system, with the motor at the gear, not a column system. Column EPS adds its torque through a worm gear on the column shaft.
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With the engine idling, a hydraulic power steering pump groans while the steering wheel is held against a stop, and the noise ends as soon as the wheel is eased off the stop. The fluid is full and clear, and the belt and its tension check good. What is happening at the stop?
- Air is being drawn in at the pump inlet
- The pump is at its relief pressure
- The belt is slipping on the pump pulley
- The gear is leaking past its seals
Show the answer
B. Correct. At a stop the gear cannot move, so flow is blocked and pressure rises until the pump's relief valve opens and bypasses fluid, which makes the groan. It is normal, but holding the wheel there heats the fluid quickly, so the wheel is not held against a stop for long.
Why not the others
A. Air drawn in at the inlet makes the fluid foamy and the pump noisy whenever it runs, but the fluid is clear and the noise ends off the stop. The groan is the relief valve bypassing at full pressure.
C. The belt and its tension check good, and a slipping belt squeals rather than groans. The groan that ends off the stop is the relief valve bypassing at maximum pressure.
D. Internal gear leakage reduces assist while steering; it does not make the groan that starts only at the stop. At the stop, pressure peaks and the pump's relief valve opens, making the noise.
-
The manufacturer of a rack-mounted electric power steering gear states that its module eases off assist as the steering wheel nears full lock, just before the end of the rack's travel. Why does it do this?
- So the rack does not slam into its stop
- So the steering ratio slows near the stop
- So the tires cannot turn far enough to rub
- So the gear does not reach relief pressure
Show the answer
A. Correct. Turning toward full lock at parking speed calls for high assist, and with full motor force behind it the rack would butt hard against its stop, loading the rack, its drive and the tie rod joints. Easing off assist just before the stop softens the end of travel, so a wheel that turns a little harder in its last few degrees is normal on such a system.
Why not the others
B. Assist changes how hard the driver must turn, not how far the rack moves for each turn of the wheel; the ratio is set by the rack and pinion teeth. Easing off assist keeps the rack from butting hard into its stop.
C. How far the wheels can turn is set by the rack's mechanical travel, and easing off assist does not shorten it; the driver can still turn to the stop with a little more effort. The module eases off so the rack does not butt hard into the stop.
D. An electric gear has no pump, fluid or relief valve, so there is no pressure to limit at full lock. The module eases off motor assist so the rack does not butt hard into its stop.
-
A pickup's short-long arm front suspension has its coil springs between the frame and the lower control arms. Where is the jack placed to unload the ball joints before checking them for play?
- Under the lower control arm, at its inner pivot bushings
- Under the lower control arm, close to the ball joint
- Under the frame, so the wheel hangs free
- Under the tire, lifting the wheel straight up
Show the answer
B. Correct. With the jack under the lower arm near the joint, the jack takes the spring's force, so the joints carry no load and their free play can be measured. Lifting anywhere else leaves the spring pushing on the lower arm and holding the load-carrying lower joint tight.
Why not the others
A. The inner pivots sit next to the frame, so lifting there is much like lifting the frame: the spring still pushes the outer end of the arm down and keeps the lower joint loaded. The jack goes under the arm near the ball joint.
C. With the frame lifted and the wheel hanging, the spring keeps pushing the lower arm down, so the lower joint stays loaded and its wear is hidden. Lifting the frame suits designs with the spring above the upper arm.
D. Lifting the tire pushes the knuckle up through the lower joint and compresses the spring, loading the joint fully. The jack belongs under the lower arm near the joint so the spring's force bypasses the joints.
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What mainly sets how much force a hydraulic shock absorber develops as the suspension moves?
- How fast its piston is moving
- How far it has been compressed
- How much weight is on that corner
- How much gas pressure it holds
Show the answer
A. Correct. A shock absorber forces oil through valved orifices, so its resistance rises with piston speed and it adds little force while the suspension is still. That is why it controls bouncing without holding the vehicle up.
Why not the others
B. Force that rises with how far the suspension compresses describes a spring. A shock's resistance depends on how fast oil is forced through its valves.
C. The weight on a corner is carried by the spring; a shock's force depends on how fast its piston moves, not on the static load.
D. A gas charge adds only a small, nearly steady extending force whether the piston is moving or not; the damping force comes from oil forced through the valves, which rises with piston speed.
-
A vehicle's rear suspension strikes its jounce bumpers hard over dips and large bumps, and the bumpers show fresh contact marks. Any of these could cause it EXCEPT:
- sagged rear coil springs.
- regular loads above the vehicle's rating.
- worn rear shock absorbers.
- low rear tire pressures.
Show the answer
D. Correct. A jounce bumper limits travel between the axle or arm and the body, and that clearance is set by how far the load compresses the springs. Tire pressure changes how high the wheel sits above the road, not the load on the springs, so it does not bring the suspension closer to its bumpers; a softer tire takes up a little more of each bump itself.
Why not the others
A. This could cause it. Sagged springs lower the rear, leaving less clearance before the suspension reaches the jounce bumpers, so it strikes them more often and harder.
B. This could cause it. Overloading compresses the springs far into their travel, so dips drive the suspension into the jounce bumpers.
C. This could cause it. Weak damping lets the suspension travel farther and faster over a dip, so it reaches the jounce bumpers more often.
-
A front-wheel-drive car tugs to one side under hard acceleration but tracks straight while cruising, coasting and braking. Any of these could cause this torque steer EXCEPT:
- a rear thrust angle out of specification.
- a front corner sitting lower than the other.
- worn front lower control arm bushings.
- front tires of two different sizes.
Show the answer
A. Correct. A thrust angle aims the rear wheels off the vehicle's centerline, so it steers the car, or leaves the steering wheel off center, all the time, including while cruising and coasting. A tug that appears only under hard acceleration comes from how drive torque reaches the front wheels.
Why not the others
B. A low corner changes that side's half-shaft angle, and unequal half-shaft angles let drive torque steer the wheels unevenly under load. Ride height is compared side to side when torque steer is diagnosed.
C. Worn bushings let the control arm shift under drive torque, which changes toe and caster at that wheel while accelerating and can tug the car. With no torque applied, the arm stays put and the car tracks straight.
D. Tires of different sizes or tread depths put the drive force to the road unevenly, and with each wheel's force acting at a distance from its steering axis, the imbalance steers the car under hard acceleration. Matched tires across the axle are a first check.
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The manufacturer of a rear-wheel-drive car specifies a small amount of static toe-in at the front wheels. Why is this toe-in set?
- It keeps camber from going positive under load
- It helps the steering wheel return after turns
- It offsets the toe-out the wheels take in turns
- It offsets linkage flex from rolling drag
Show the answer
D. Correct. On a rear-wheel-drive car the front wheels are pushed along, and the drag of the tires on the road takes up the play and flex in the steering linkage and bushings, pushing the wheels toward toe-out. A little static toe-in lets them run close to zero toe at speed, which saves tire wear.
Why not the others
A. Toe is the direction the wheels point and does not set camber, their tilt. Static toe-in offsets the toe-out that rolling drag causes at speed.
B. Return to center after a turn comes mainly from caster and steering axis inclination, not toe. Static toe-in is set to offset the toe-out that rolling drag causes.
C. The toe-out of the wheels in a turn comes from the steering arm geometry and is meant to be there, so the inner wheel follows a tighter circle. Static toe-in instead offsets the toe-out that rolling drag causes when driving straight.
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On a car with independent rear suspension and adjustable rear toe links, any of these could put the left rear toe reading out of specification EXCEPT:
- a left rear shock that has lost its damping.
- a left rear toe link bent by road debris.
- worn bushings in the left rear knuckle.
- a left rear spring sagging below ride height.
Show the answer
A. Correct. A shock absorber only resists motion; it neither carries the car's weight nor locates the knuckle, so one that has lost its damping leaves ride height and static toe where they were. It shows up as poor body control on a bounce or road test, not as a toe reading.
Why not the others
B. A bent toe link changes its effective length, which turns the knuckle and changes that wheel's toe, so this could cause the reading.
C. Worn knuckle bushings let the knuckle shift on its mounts, which changes the static toe of that wheel, so this could cause the reading.
D. Many independent rear suspensions change toe as they move through their travel, so a corner sitting below ride height can read out of range; ride height is corrected before rear toe is judged.
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A front wheel and tire assembly has a heavy spot near its inner edge and an equal heavy spot near its outer edge, directly opposite each other. It is statically balanced but out of balance dynamically. What does this condition cause at highway speed?
- Up-and-down hop of the tire and wheel
- Side-to-side shimmy of the steering wheel
- Steady pull toward that side of the car
- Pulsation in the brake pedal when stopping
Show the answer
B. Correct. Two equal heavy spots on opposite sides and in different planes form a couple that wobbles the spinning wheel first one way and then the other, which the driver feels as shimmy. A two-plane (dynamic) balance places weights on both the inner and outer planes to cancel it.
Why not the others
A. Up-and-down hop (wheel tramp) comes from static imbalance, a heavy spot that lifts the wheel as it turns. This assembly is statically balanced; its two opposite heavy spots wobble it side to side instead.
C. Imbalance changes direction every revolution, so it shakes the steering rather than pushing the car steadily to one side. A steady pull comes from conditions such as unequal pressures or a tire with conicity.
D. Pedal pulsation comes from a rotor with thickness variation or an out-of-round drum. Wheel imbalance is felt whether or not the brakes are applied, here as side-to-side shimmy.
03Answer key
| Question | Answer | Content area |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | B | Steering Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q2 | B | Steering Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q3 | A | Steering Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q4 | B | Suspension Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q5 | A | Suspension Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q6 | D | Suspension Systems Diagnosis and Repair |
| Q7 | A | Wheel Alignment Diagnosis, Adjustment, and Repair |
| Q8 | D | Wheel Alignment Diagnosis, Adjustment, and Repair |
| Q9 | A | Wheel Alignment Diagnosis, Adjustment, and Repair |
| Q10 | B | Wheel and Tire Diagnosis and Service |
04Questions by content area
Working on one part of the A4 test? Each content area has its own page with five more free questions.
05More free questions
The A4 study guide covers each content area and how to study for it, and the ASE A4 Suspension & Steering practice test page describes the full A4 question bank. The same free format is available for the other eight tests.
How these questions are written and checked: how our questions are made. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.
ToolboxPrep is an independent study site. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE (the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence). Our questions are original practice questions written to the published ASE test specifications; they are not actual test questions.