Initial Inspection and Diagnostic Overview

WHEEL/TIRE RUNOUT
Excessive radial and lateral runout of a wheel and tire assembly can cause roughness, vibration, wheel tramp, tire wear, and steering wheel nibble (tremor).

TIRE LEAD
Description
"Lead" is the movement or wander of the vehicle from a straight path on a level road with no pressure on the steering wheel.

CAUSES
Lead is usually caused by:
^ Incorrect wheel alignment.
^ Uneven brake adjustment.
^ Uneven or incorrect tire inflation pressures.
^ Damaged or worn tire construction.
^ The way in which a tire is constructed can produce lead. An example of this is placement of the radial belts. Off-center belts on a radial tire can cause the tire to develop a side force while rolling straight down the road. If one side of the tire is a little larger in diameter than the other, the tire will tend to roll to one side. This will develop a side force which can produce lead.