Pontiac FIREBIRD 1972 Service Manual page 252

SECTION
3
FRONT SUSPENSION
The following caution applies to one or more steps in the assembly proce-
dure of components in this portion of the manual as indicated at appropri-
ate locations by the terminology "See Caution on page 1 of this Section".
C AUTI 0 N: THIS FASTENER IS A N IMPOR TA NT A TTA CHING
PART IN THAT IT COULD AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE OF
VITAL COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS, AND/OR COULD RE-
SUL T IN MAJOR REPAIR EXPENSE, IT MUST BE REPLACED
WITH ONE OF THE SAME PART NUMBER OR WITH AN
EQUIVALENT PART IF REPLACEMENT BECOMES NECES-
SAR Y. DO NOT USE A REPLACEMENTPAR T OFLESSER QUAL-
ITY OR SUBSTITUTE DESIGN TORQUE VALUES MUST BE
USED AS SPECIFIED DURING REASSEMBLY TO ASSURE
PROPER RETENTION OF THIS PART.
CONTENTS OF THIS SECTION
Trouble Diagnosis and Testing
................................
3-2
Tires Wearing Uneven or Scuffing
........................
3-2
Tires Cupping
.....................................................
3-2
Front Wheel Shimmy at Low Speeds
..................
3-2
Front Wheel Tramp at High Speeds
....................
3-3
Road Shock or Steering Kick Back
Over Rough Roads or Bumps
..........................
3-3
Hard Steering
......................................................
3-3
Erratic Steering or Brake Application
..................
3-4
Car Pulls to Right or Left
....................................
3-4
Car Wanders
........................................................
3-5
Shock Absorbers
..................................................
3-5
General Description
.......... .......... .......... ........... .
3- 1 1
Shock Absorbers
Description
.... . . . . . . . . . . . .
. .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .
. .
. . . . . .
,
. . . . . . . . . .
3- 12
Operation
..............................................................
3-12
Suspension Alignment
......................... ...................
3-1 3
Caster
....................................................................
3-13
Camber
...............................................................
3-14
ToeIn
.................................................................
3-14
Cross Caster and Camber
....................................
3-14
Curb Weight and Height
....................................
3-14
Ball Joint Inspection
Upper Ball Joint
................................ ... ..............
3-15
Lower Ball Joint
B & F Series
........................................
.
.
3-1 5
A, G & X Series
.............................. ....... ... .
3-16
General Information
................................................
3- 16
Adjustment Procedures
Front Wheel Bearings
........................................
3-16
Suspension Alignment..
.. . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
,
. .
, ,
.
.
. .
3- 17
Inspection Before Checking Front Wheel
Alignment
......
.................................. . . . .
.
3- 18
Checking and Adjusting Sequence
-
Front
Wheel Alignment
............................ ...............
3- 19
Adjust Caster and Camber
..................................
3-19
Check and Set Toe-In
..........................................
3-20
Cross Caster and Camber
....................................
3-21
Minor Service
..........................................................
3-21
Wheel Bearing
B & F Series
....................................................
3-21
A, G & X Series
.............................................
3-22
Shock Absorber
............................................
3-24
Stabilizer Shaft
....................................................
3-24
Major Service
....................................................
3-25
Spring
.................................................................
3-25
Steering Knuckle and/or Steering
Knuckle Arm (B & F Series)
..........................
3-26
Steering Knuckle (A, G & X Series)
..................
3-26
Upper Control Arm
............................................
3-28
Upper Control Arm Shaft and/or Bushings
(Control Arm Removed From Car)
..............
3-28
Lower Control Arm
.........................................
3-29
Lower control Arm Bushing
..............................
3-30
Upper Ball Joint
................................................
3-31
Lower Ball Joint
...............................................
3-32
Torque Specifications
..............................................
3-33
Alignment Specifications
........................................
3-34
Special Tools
....................................
.....
...................
3-35