1. Clean the steering gear parts and steering gear housing from dirt.
2. Set the wheels to a position that corresponds to driving in a straight line.
3. Turn the steering wheel in both directions to make sure that:
- free play of the steering wheel does not exceed 5° (when measured along the wheel rim no more than 18–20 mm);
- there are no knocks in the joints, connections and steering mechanism;
- the fastening of the steering gear housing and the pendulum arm bracket is secure (tighten threaded connections if necessary);
- there is no free play in the ball joints of the traction rod and in the pendulum arm bracket, and the worm shaft does not move in the axial direction;
- steering wheel turning force (when installing the front wheels on a smooth plate) does not exceed 196 N (20 kgf).
4. By turning the adjusting couplings of the side rods, make sure that their clamps are securely tightened.
5. Check the condition of the ball joints and rubber protective caps as indicated below.
Checking the ball joints of the steering rods
1. First of all, check the movement of the rod ends along the axis of the pins.
2. To do this, using a lever and support, move the tip parallel to the axis of the pin. The axial movement of the tip relative to the pin should be 1–1.5 mm. Such movement indicates that the pin insert is not jammed in the socket of the rod tip and moves together with the pin, compressing the spring.
3. Replace the joint with the jammed insert.
4. By shaking the steering wheel in both directions, check by touch for any free play in the steering rod joints.
5. If free play is felt at the ball joint, replace the tie rod end or tie rod assembly.
6. Check the condition of the protective rubber caps of the ball joints of the steering rods. The cap must be replaced if it has cracks, tears or separation of the rubber from the edging, and also if grease penetrates out when squeezed by hand.
7. If the protective caps are in good condition and keep the inside of the joints clean, the service life of the latter is practically unlimited. If moisture, dust, etc. gets into the joint, its parts wear out prematurely.
The text is taken from the online resource VazBook