Found a problem with my camaro

[Agostino13]

Ok so i am training for my new part time job doing motor vehicle inspections. We are using our own cars to inspect over and over as practice. But i have found 2 problems.

1. At NJ inspection stations they use a lift that is about 18inch by 36 inch this lifts the car from the frame in multiple areas under the engine. but the camaro has these 2 curving bars one on each side i believe they r sway bars that r in the way so if u lift the vehicle u r not lifting by the frame instead only by the sway bars not sure if thats safe my instructor says its ok but i dont know if i trust it and was wondering if anybody knew anything about that.

2. The problem is that part of the inspection you check the front wheels for looseness. When you position your hands at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions with the wheels lifted off the ground and try to shake the wheel it should not shake mine shakes quite a bit my instructor says that it would "barely pass inspections for a brand new vehicle that's a problem" and i should take it to the dealer asap

Does anybody else have this problem or is it just me?

[Taz_FL]

Well, as far as the 1st part of your question, your "instructor" is full of shit if he's telling you it's ok to lift your car by the sway bars. the only way your car should be lifted into the air is by the frame in my opinon, PLEASE, if I'm wrong someone feel free to correct me.
As far as the wheel movement I'm not sure, I wouldn't think you should be able to "shake" it that much. Normaly I would think that would indicate worn parts but I'm no mechanic so I'm not sure.

[Eric Baker]

Well I've never seen or heard of the type of lift you're describing. All the lifts I've seen either lift the wheels(drive-on) or from the sides on the pinch welds or frame. So I don't think that's a real common issue people would be running in to.

As for the "looseness", are you actually getting play like a bad tie rod, or just from the steering rack moving side to side? It a ball joint/tie rod/wheel bearing where bad, you would get a noticeable play that would kind of click as the joint hits the limits of it's play. I highly doubt your car if anywhere near failing.

edit - You should not lift by a weak point like the sway bar. If anything, put blocks of wood on the lift so it lifts by the sub-frame. And you will alway get side to side movement from the steering rack.

[JB @ C and L Machine]

Originally Posted by Agostino13

Ok so i am training for my new part time job doing motor vehicle inspections. We are using our own cars to inspect over and over as practice. But i have found 2 problems.

1. At NJ inspection stations they use a lift that is about 18inch by 36 inch this lifts the car from the frame in multiple areas under the engine. but the camaro has these 2 curving bars one on each side i believe they r sway bars that r in the way so if u lift the vehicle u r not lifting by the frame instead only by the sway bars not sure if thats safe my instructor says its ok but i dont know if i trust it and was wondering if anybody knew anything about that.

2. The problem is that part of the inspection you check the front wheels for looseness. When you position your hands at 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions with the wheels lifted off the ground and try to shake the wheel it should not shake mine shakes quite a bit my instructor says that it would "barely pass inspections for a brand new vehicle that's a problem" and i should take it to the dealer asap

Does anybody else have this problem or is it just me?

Please advise me the inspection station so I can STAY AWAY!!!!!!!!

[ron10]

glad we don't have to go through that crap where i live any more.

[BlaSSt Off]

You lift the car at the lift points... Sounds like you have a drive on lift that has the mid lifts that slide between the two main rails that the car drives on. If thats the case, lift the car by the A-arms, or something that is strong, NOT the swaybar!

As for the instructor.... THIS is the kind of people the State employs to teach and perform state inspections... WOW!!!

[Agostino13]

I dont trust lifting it by the sway bars thats why i did not do it again. they do have a set of blocks you r suppose to use if anything is in the way but the blocks are not high enough by about 1/2 an inch and i did not have anything else to jam in between. also i did not know they were not high enough untill after the car was lifted.

I will try to get a picture of this lift

As for the wheel check u do a 1 oclock/ 7 oclock check to make sure the tie rods arent bad but the 3 oclock 9 oclock position is to check for looseness whatever that means like i said im new at this i am in training i did what he said and the wheel was loose so i asked him to check it and he told me that is bad for a new car bring it to the dealer

[cam5]

one thats crazy.. my gf is from new jersey and i knew they had inspections up there but for them to say a new camaro which passes 2012 safety ratings barely passes road inspection then hes nuts.. thank god for alabama. no inpections.. no problems.

[Agostino13]

its not that the car doesnt pass its just that the wheels should have almost no movement and mine have quite a bit of movement

[Agostino13]

I cannot find a picture but i will try to explain how this lift works.

there are two grooves in the floor in which u place the front tires in.
between these 2 grooves there is a piece of wood with a rubber layer on top that lays flat on the ground the peice of wood is approximately 18 by 36 the entire peice of wood lifts up out of the ground to raise the vehicle u do not position it on the frame it will automatically catch the bottom frame as long as there is nothing in the way.

so in other words a rectangular piece of wood lifts out of the ground lifting the vehicles front end into the air

this peice of wood is very wide which is why it catches the sway bars if it was about 6 inches shorter it would not be a problem Also the blocks they have in case of a situation like this do not work on the camaro cause they are not tall enough.

[cam5]

well im sure the camaro isnt the only car this problem occurs with.. id see if another inspection joint has a diff setup...

[Agostino13]

All the inspection stations in nj have the same equipment unless you go to a private facility

[cam5]

hm.. u know what i love about jersey.. gas stations.. they pump the gas for u up there.. thats awesome.

[v6sonoma]

Was your steering wheel locked? In that test you're checking the wheel bearings and steering components but if the wheel is free spinning the test is moot.

[Agostino13]

The wheel was not locked the car was off though but the shake I'm talking about hapeens as u pull towards u and try to wigggle the wheel

[CamaroSkooter]

Reading your post hurts my head. Does the lift you're using look sort of like this?



That's called a scissor lift.

As far as your steering wheel is concerned, I haven't got a clue what you're talking about. When you lift the car off the ground, and "wiggle" your steering wheel, is your car turned off with the key removed from the ignition? If there's substantial play in the steering wheel, then I would say there might be an issue somewhere. However, if your key is in the ignition and the car is running, then it's called power steering

[Agostino13]

No that's not the lift I'm talking about and I'm not talking about the steering wheel I'm talking about the front rims(wheels) I will get pictures of the lift

[Cam 427]

Originally Posted by Agostino13

I dont trust lifting it by the sway bars thats why i did not do it again. they do have a set of blocks you r suppose to use if anything is in the way but the blocks are not high enough by about 1/2 an inch and i did not have anything else to jam in between. also i did not know they were not high enough untill after the car was lifted.

I will try to get a picture of this lift

As for the wheel check u do a 1 oclock/ 7 oclock check to make sure the tie rods arent bad but the 3 oclock 9 oclock position is to check for looseness whatever that means like i said im new at this i am in training i did what he said and the wheel was loose so i asked him to check it and he told me that is bad for a new car bring it to the dealer

I'm surprised that you didn't bend the skinny sway bar links!

[Russell James]

If they lifted the car by the sway bar, the sway bar needs to be checked. Anybody that told you that was OK, is a clueless idiot.

To find what is loose, may need a second person as a helper to wiggle the wheel/tire while your looking and feeling for what component has excessive play. The service manual has all the specs for how much play can be in stuff like ball joints. Generally though if there is so much play it is obviously felt, it should be easily seen what is doing that, but will take two people.

If the lift isn't contacting the correct spots, they need to fix that, taller blocks... whatever. But you can't just blindly raise a big piece of wood under a car and lift it by whatever it contacts. It has to be watched, and lined up with the lifting points. There are plenty of cars where things like oil filters or oil pans hang down low. You can't be contacting stuff like that with a lifting hoist.

Next time, suggest using the instructors car.

Or maybe tell the instructor, I've been told you absolutely should not lift a car by the sway bar. How about we lift it correctly this time, and then recheck the steering/ suspension looseness when it is raised correctly. Who knows what is happening when it is lifted by the sway bars? That was no accurate test when it wasn't lifted properly.

Raise it up properly, then have one person wiggle the wheel and a second person with a light watching and feeling for where the play is.

[2010 SSRS]

wow, lol