Troubleshooting - Suspension and Steering
Symptom-driven guide to diagnosing vibration, rear-end knocking, vehicle pull, and abnormal tire wear on the Porsche 924, 944, and 968.
Difficulty: Easy2 min readApplies to: 924 · 944 · 944S · 944S2 · 944 Turbo · 968
SUSPENSION & STEERING TROUBLESHOOTING
Pick the symptom you have to jump to its causes and checks.
Introduction
This troubleshooting guide is intended to help identify and repair suspension and steering problems. Symptoms covered:
- Vibration or Shake during Driving
- Knock or Thump from Rear End
- Vehicle Pulls to One Side
- Abnormal Tire Wear
Vibration or Shake During Driving
| Possible Cause | Checks | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel alignment | Have alignment checked by a wheel/alignment shop. | N/A |
| Tire or wheel out of balance | Have balance checked by a wheel/alignment shop. | N/A |
| Worn ball joints or tie rods | Check ball joints and tie rods for excessive play. | N/A |
| Loose or worn wheel bearings | Check and adjust wheel bearings as necessary. | SUSP-08 |
Knock or Thump From Rear End
| Possible Cause | Checks | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| CV Joint | Remove axle, inspect CV joint, and repack with fresh grease. | SUSP-01 |
| Transaxle | If the CV joints are not the problem, the noise may be from a transaxle bearing. Have a transmission shop listen to the noise to determine if the transaxle needs to be rebuilt. | N/A |
Vehicle Pulls to One Side
| Possible Cause | Checks | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Wheel alignment | Have alignment checked by a wheel/alignment shop. | N/A |
| Uneven tire pressures | Check pressures and adjust if necessary. | N/A |
| Front brake dragging | Raise each side of the vehicle and spin the front wheels to check for brake drag. | N/A |
| Worn strut or shock absorber | Check ride heights from side to side for equal height (measure from the ground to the highest point on the wheel well on each side). | N/A |
Abnormal Tire Wear
| Possible Cause | Checks | Procedure |
|---|---|---|
| Wear on both edges — wheel alignment | Have alignment checked by a wheel/alignment shop. | N/A |
| Tire or wheel out of balance | Have balance checked by a wheel/alignment shop. | N/A |
| Worn ball joints or tie rods | Check ball joints and tie rods for excessive play. | N/A |
| Loose or worn wheel bearings | Check and adjust wheel bearings as necessary. | SUSP-08 |
Tags:suspensionsteeringvibrationtire wearwheel bearingcv jointalignment