20 Suspension Components Practice Questions & Answers

Every Suspension Components practice question from the ASE G1 Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.

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1. A vehicle with electronically controlled air suspension is being raised on a lift to replace the rear shock absorbers. What must be done before the vehicle is lifted?
- A.Leave the ignition on so the compressor holds the vehicle at ride height
- B.Raise the suspension to its highest setting so the springs extend fully
- C.Disable the air suspension at its service switch before raising the vehicle✓ Answer
- D.Loosen the air line fitting at each spring to bleed the system down
An air suspension left active tries to correct ride height while the wheels hang free, which can burst air springs, tear lines and damage height sensors, and it can also move the vehicle on the lift. The manufacturer's disable procedure, usually a service switch, takes the compressor and height control out of operation first.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: disabling an air suspension system before serviceReport a problem with this question
2. A loaded lower ball joint that uses a built-in wear indicator is being checked during a chassis inspection. How is this type of joint evaluated?
- A.Support the control arm on a stand and measure axial play with a dial indicator
- B.Raise the wheel and pry under the tire to measure vertical play at the joint
- C.Raise the wheel and check horizontal movement at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions
- D.Leave the tires on the ground and see if the indicator boss still protrudes✓ Answer
A wear-indicator joint is judged while it is carrying the vehicle's weight, because that is the condition the indicator was designed for. The grease fitting boss stands proud of the joint housing while the joint is good and becomes flush with or sinks into the housing as the bearing wears, so the check is visual and no play measurement is used.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting ball joints with and without wear indicatorsReport a problem with this question
3. On a short-and-long-arm front suspension with the coil spring seated on the lower control arm, the lower ball joint carries the load. How must the vehicle be supported to check that joint for wear?
- A.The tires stay on the ground with the full vehicle weight on the joint
- B.The lower control arm is supported so the spring load comes off the joint✓ Answer
- C.The frame is supported so the lower arm hangs at full rebound travel
- D.The upper control arm is supported so the knuckle hangs from above
A load-carrying joint has to be unloaded before play can be felt, because spring force holds the ball tight in its socket and hides the wear. Placing the stand under the lower control arm near the ball joint lets the spring hold the arm instead, so a pry bar or dial indicator will show the real clearance.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting upper and lower ball jointsReport a problem with this question
4. A strut assembly has been removed and is being taken apart to install a new strut cartridge and upper mount. Which practice is correct?
- A.Hold the shaft with an impact gun and remove the nut with the spring seated
- B.Clamp the strut body in a vise and drive the nut off with an air chisel
- C.Compress the coil spring with a spring compressor before removing the nut✓ Answer
- D.Loosen the shaft nut first and then compress the spring to free the mount
The coil spring in an assembled strut is under heavy preload and the shaft nut is the only thing holding the upper mount against it. Compressing the spring first transfers that stored energy into the compressor, so the mount can be removed without the spring launching.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: servicing strut cartridges, assemblies and upper mountsReport a problem with this question
5. Read the whole question before answering. All of the following suspension repairs require a wheel alignment check afterward EXCEPT:
- A.replacing a front strut assembly and its upper mount
- B.replacing a lower control arm and its pivot bushings
- C.replacing a rear shock absorber and its bushings✓ Answer
- D.replacing a rear suspension toe link and its fasteners
A shock absorber only damps suspension motion; it does not locate the wheel, so removing and replacing one does not change camber, caster or toe. Control arms, struts with their upper mounts, and toe links all position the wheel, so any of those repairs is followed by an alignment check.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: suspension component service and the need for a follow-up alignmentReport a problem with this question
6. A bonded rubber control arm bushing has been replaced. When should the pivot bolt be tightened to its final torque?
- A.While the suspension hangs at full rebound on the lift
- B.Before the control arm is bolted to the steering knuckle
- C.As soon as the new bushing is pressed into the arm
- D.After the suspension is loaded to normal ride height✓ Answer
The bolt clamps the bushing's inner sleeve so the rubber, not a bearing surface, twists as the arm swings. Torquing at normal ride height leaves the rubber neutral at the position the vehicle actually sits in; torquing at full rebound locks in a permanent twist that tears the bushing early.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: control arms, bushings and shaftsReport a problem with this question
7. During an underbody inspection a lower control arm bushing is found cracked and separated from its sleeve. Besides noise and ride harshness, why is the arm unserviceable?
- A.The bushing rubber insulates the arm electrically from the frame
- B.The arm needs the bushing to limit its jounce travel at the stop
- C.The bushing carries the spring load that the ball joint cannot
- D.The arm can shift under load, changing wheel position and tire wear✓ Answer
The bushing is a locating part, not just an isolator: it holds the arm's pivot in a fixed place relative to the frame. Once the rubber separates from the sleeve the arm can move fore and aft under braking and cornering loads, so camber and caster wander and the tire wears even if the alignment was set correctly.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting control arm bushings for serviceabilityReport a problem with this question
8. A front jounce bumper is crushed and the control arm below it shows fresh contact marks. What does this finding call for?
- A.Measuring ride height and inspecting the springs for sag✓ Answer
- B.Adjusting the shock absorber valving to firm up the ride
- C.Replacing the bumper and returning the vehicle as serviced
- D.Loosening the stabilizer links to restore suspension travel
A jounce bumper is only supposed to be touched at the extreme of travel, so repeated contact means the suspension is sitting too low or running out of travel. Measuring ride height against specification and checking the springs finds the real cause; replacing the bumper alone leaves the vehicle bottoming out again.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: rebound and jounce bumpers, ride height concernsReport a problem with this question
9. Ride height is about to be measured at the manufacturer's specified points. What must the technician do first?
- A.Loosen the stabilizer bar links so the springs settle evenly
- B.Set tire pressures to the placard values and unload the vehicle✓ Answer
- C.Raise the vehicle and let the suspension settle at full rebound
- D.Run the engine so the suspension compressor tops off its tank
Ride height is a measurement of how the loaded suspension sits, so anything that changes the load or the rolling radius changes the number. Low tires drop the body and cargo compresses the springs, so the pressures are set to the placard value and the vehicle is emptied before any reading is compared to specification.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: measuring and evaluating ride heightReport a problem with this question
10. A light truck with a non-independent rear axle on leaf springs has a broken spring center bolt. Why must this be corrected before the vehicle is released?
- A.The center bolt locates the axle on the spring, which can shift✓ Answer
- B.The center bolt sets ride height by preloading the spring leaves
- C.The center bolt clamps the spring leaves along their full length
- D.The center bolt carries the shackle load and sets the spring rate
The head of the center bolt sits in a locating hole in the axle spring seat, and that is what ties the axle to the spring pack; the U-bolts only clamp. With the bolt broken the axle can walk fore and aft under drive and brake torque, which throws the axle out of square with the vehicle.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: leaf springs, center pins, shackles and mountsReport a problem with this question
11. Two technicians are inspecting the rear leaf spring shackles on a light truck. Technician A says a shackle bushing is checked by prying on the shackle and watching for movement between the bushing and the bracket. Technician B says worn shackle bushings can let the axle move and produce a clunk over bumps. Who is right?
- A.Technician A only
- B.Technician B only
- C.Neither Technician A nor Technician B
- D.Both Technician A and Technician B✓ Answer
Both statements describe correct practice. A shackle bushing is a press-in rubber or composite part with no adjustment, so the inspection is a pry test looking for relative motion, and because the shackle is part of the spring's fore-and-aft location, worn bushings let the axle shift and knock over road irregularities.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting leaf spring shackles, brackets and bushingsReport a problem with this question
12. Front ride height on a torsion bar front suspension measures below the manufacturer's specification, and the bars and their mounts are in good condition. What is the correct action?
- A.Shim the lower control arm mounts to raise the spindle position
- B.Turn the torsion bar adjusters to bring height to specification✓ Answer
- C.Install spacers between the coil spring and its upper insulator
- D.Swap the left and right torsion bars to even out the settled side
A torsion bar suspension has no coil spring; ride height is a designed adjustment made by turning an adjuster bolt that changes the bar's preload at the anchor arm. The bars themselves are wound for one side of the vehicle and are marked left and right, so they are not interchanged to correct height.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: torsion bars and mounts, ride height adjustmentReport a problem with this question
13. Stabilizer bar bushings and links are being inspected on a lift. Which finding makes a stabilizer bar bushing unserviceable?
- A.Rubber that is cracked, split or swollen so the bar moves in the bracket✓ Answer
- B.A thin film of road grime on the outside of the bracket and bushing
- C.Bushing rubber that grips the bar tightly enough to resist rotation
- D.A bushing whose split seam is not aligned with the bar's stop collar
The bushing's job is to hold the bar in one place while letting it twist, so wear is judged by whether the bar can move inside the bracket. Cracked, split or oil-swollen rubber no longer holds that position, which lets the bar knock and delays the bar's action in a turn.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: stabilizer bar bushings, brackets and linksReport a problem with this question
14. Two technicians are inspecting shock absorbers. Technician A says a light film of fluid on the shock body with no drips does not by itself condemn the shock. Technician B says fluid running down the body and collecting at the lower mount means the shock must be replaced. Who is right?
- A.Technician A only
- B.Neither Technician A nor Technician B
- C.Technician B only
- D.Both Technician A and Technician B✓ Answer
Both are right. A shock rod seal is designed to leave a thin lubricating film on the rod, so slight misting is normal, but fluid that runs and pools means the seal has failed and the shock has lost the oil it needs to damp, which makes it unserviceable.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting shock absorbers, mounts and bushingsReport a problem with this question
15. A front strut upper mount with a bonded bearing is being inspected with the strut assembly on the bench. Which finding makes the mount unserviceable?
- A.The mount rubber is dusty where it meets the strut tower
- B.The mount rotates smoothly with light drag through its travel
- C.The bearing binds or notches as the shaft is turned by hand✓ Answer
- D.The dust boot on the strut shaft is compressed at full jounce
On a strut front suspension the upper mount bearing is the top steering pivot, so it must turn freely under the weight of the vehicle. A bearing that binds or notches adds steering effort and makes noise on turns, and because the bearing is bonded into the mount the whole mount is replaced.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: strut bearings and upper mountsReport a problem with this question
16. A bolt-on sealed wheel hub and bearing assembly is being replaced on a front-wheel-drive car. Which step is correct?
- A.Install a new axle nut and torque it to the manufacturer's specification✓ Answer
- B.Press the old bearing out of the hub and fit new races and seals
- C.Run the axle nut down with an impact gun until the hub stops turning
- D.Reuse the original axle nut and stake it again in the same groove
A sealed hub unit is serviced as a complete assembly and is not taken apart, and the axle nut is what clamps the drive joint into the bearing. Staked or stretch-type axle nuts are one-time-use fasteners, so a new nut tightened with a torque wrench to the published value is what loads the bearing correctly.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: wheel bearing and hub assembly service, excluding press-type bearingsReport a problem with this question
17. Two technicians are servicing an independent rear suspension. Technician A says a rear toe link ball socket with a torn boot but no felt play may be left in service. Technician B says an adjustable rear toe link must have rear toe reset after it is replaced. Who is right?
- A.Technician A only
- B.Both Technician A and Technician B
- C.Technician B only✓ Answer
- D.Neither Technician A nor Technician B
Only Technician B is right. A torn boot lets grease escape and water and grit in, so the socket is already condemned even though play has not developed yet; and because a toe link sets the wheel's toe angle, its length must be reset and measured after replacement.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: rear ball joints, toe links and follow-up adjustmentReport a problem with this question
18. A rear track bar on a non-independent axle is being inspected for worn bushings. What does this bar do?
- A.It limits rear axle travel at full jounce
- B.It locates the axle laterally under the body✓ Answer
- C.It resists axle wind-up on acceleration
- D.It carries part of the rear spring load
A track bar runs across the vehicle from the body on one side to the axle on the other, so it is the part that keeps the axle centered side to side while the springs handle vertical load. Worn track bar bushings therefore let the axle shift sideways, which shows up as a rear end that feels loose over bumps.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: track bars, lateral links and trailing armsReport a problem with this question
19. Read the whole question before answering. A steering knuckle is being inspected after a curb strike. All of the following findings require replacing the knuckle EXCEPT:
- A.surface rust on the machined bearing face✓ Answer
- B.a bent steering arm that cannot hold toe
- C.an elongated or damaged wheel bearing bore
- D.a visible crack at the strut mounting flange
Cast and forged steering knuckles are never straightened, welded or machined back to size, so a crack, a distorted bearing bore or a bent arm all condemn the part. Light surface rust on a machined face is cleaned off and does not change the knuckle's dimensions, so it does not affect serviceability.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: inspecting steering knuckles and spindle assemblies for damageReport a problem with this question
20. Two technicians are reassembling a front strut. Technician A says the coil spring, its insulators and the upper mount should all be inspected before the assembly goes back together. Technician B says the spring's pigtail end can sit anywhere in the seat because the spring compressor holds it. Who is right?
- A.Both Technician A and Technician B
- B.Technician A only✓ Answer
- C.Neither Technician A nor Technician B
- D.Technician B only
Only Technician A is right. The strut is already apart, so it is the one chance to check the spring for cracks and the insulators and mount for deterioration, and the spring's end must be seated against the stop in the seat because that is what indexes the spring and keeps the assembly's loaded position correct.
Source: Official ASE Study Guide, Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) — Suspension and Steering: coil springs, insulators and strut assembly serviceReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the Test Specification and Task List published in the Official ASE Study Guide for the Automobile Maintenance and Light Repair (G1) test. ASE is a mark of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by ASE. ASE certification requires passing the test and documenting relevant work experience, and appropriate vocational training may count toward that experience — confirm current requirements with ASE before testing. No question here keys a manufacturer specification: torque values, clearances, pressures and capacities differ by vehicle, so any figure a question needs is given in the question itself, exactly as you would read it off a service manual on the job. About the ASE G1 test →

1. A vehicle with electronically controlled air suspension is being raised on a lift to replace the rear shock absorbers. What must be done before the vehicle is lifted?

2. A loaded lower ball joint that uses a built-in wear indicator is being checked during a chassis inspection. How is this type of joint evaluated?

3. On a short-and-long-arm front suspension with the coil spring seated on the lower control arm, the lower ball joint carries the load. How must the vehicle be supported to check that joint for wear?

4. A strut assembly has been removed and is being taken apart to install a new strut cartridge and upper mount. Which practice is correct?

5. Read the whole question before answering. All of the following suspension repairs require a wheel alignment check afterward EXCEPT:

6. A bonded rubber control arm bushing has been replaced. When should the pivot bolt be tightened to its final torque?

7. During an underbody inspection a lower control arm bushing is found cracked and separated from its sleeve. Besides noise and ride harshness, why is the arm unserviceable?

8. A front jounce bumper is crushed and the control arm below it shows fresh contact marks. What does this finding call for?

9. Ride height is about to be measured at the manufacturer's specified points. What must the technician do first?

10. A light truck with a non-independent rear axle on leaf springs has a broken spring center bolt. Why must this be corrected before the vehicle is released?

12. Front ride height on a torsion bar front suspension measures below the manufacturer's specification, and the bars and their mounts are in good condition. What is the correct action?

13. Stabilizer bar bushings and links are being inspected on a lift. Which finding makes a stabilizer bar bushing unserviceable?

14. Two technicians are inspecting shock absorbers. Technician A says a light film of fluid on the shock body with no drips does not by itself condemn the shock. Technician B says fluid running down the body and collecting at the lower mount means the shock must be replaced. Who is right?

15. A front strut upper mount with a bonded bearing is being inspected with the strut assembly on the bench. Which finding makes the mount unserviceable?

16. A bolt-on sealed wheel hub and bearing assembly is being replaced on a front-wheel-drive car. Which step is correct?

17. Two technicians are servicing an independent rear suspension. Technician A says a rear toe link ball socket with a torn boot but no felt play may be left in service. Technician B says an adjustable rear toe link must have rear toe reset after it is replaced. Who is right?

18. A rear track bar on a non-independent axle is being inspected for worn bushings. What does this bar do?

19. Read the whole question before answering. A steering knuckle is being inspected after a curb strike. All of the following findings require replacing the knuckle EXCEPT: