1. With the vehicle on a level surface, apply the parking brake and place the gear selector in first gear (Manual Transmission) or position "parking" (Automatic transmission). Raise the front of the car with a jack and place it on stands.
2. Grab the first front wheel at 12 and 6 o'clock and try to rock it. A slight play is allowed, but if the movement is noticeable, you should find out the reason that causes it. Continue rocking the wheel while having an assistant depress the brake pedal. If wheel movement is limited or significantly reduced, the hub bearings are likely to be faulty. If the play is still noticeable when the brake is pressed, this means that the suspension joints or bearings are worn.
3. After that grab the wheel at the 9 and 3 o'clock position and try to rock the wheel as before. Any movement that will be felt may be due to worn hub bearings or worn tie rod ball joints. If the inner or outer ball joint is worn, movement will be easily visible.
4. Repeat the operation on the other front wheel. If the wheel bearings require adjustment, refer to Chapter 10 for a detailed description of this procedure.