ASE Prep Lab

ASE A4 Suspension & Steering — Free Course & Practice Test

The complete ASE A4 course, free on YouTube: 39 video lessons built from ASE's published A4 task list, with a printable workbook for every module. The ASE A4 exam itself is 50 questions (40 scored + 10 unscored) in 60 minutes.

Steering, suspension, wheel alignment, and wheels and tires — the complete A4.

Course modules — watch free on YouTube

Printable workbooks (Etsy)

Prefer to study on paper? Each module has a printable follow-along workbook with worksheets and practice questions drawn from the same 300-question bank as the video course.

ASE A4 practice test — sample questions

Seven questions from the ASE A4 question bank, spread across the modules. Pick your answer, then open the reveal to check it and read the explanation.

Sample question 1 (QA-23, Module 1)

All of the following can cause a power steering pull (lead) EXCEPT:

  1. A mis-centered steering gear rotary valve
  2. Unequal front tire pressures
  3. A radial tire pull
  4. Excessive steering gear sector lash
Show answer

Answer: D. Sector lash is freeplay at center; it produces wander and play, not a steady one-direction pull. Distractors: A biases assist to one side. B makes the vehicle lead toward the low tire. C — a belt-shifted tire pulls regardless of the steering system. Source: Tasks A5/A15.

Sample question 2 (QA-67, Module 1)

A steering angle sensor lives on the column and was disturbed during column service. After reassembly the wheel is centered but the sensor reads 15° at straight-ahead. Required action:

  1. Nothing; the module will average it out
  2. Replace the tires
  3. Rotate the steering wheel one spline
  4. Recalibrate/relearn the sensor zero per the manufacturer's procedure and verify with the scan tool
Show answer

Answer: D. The sensor's electrical zero must be taught; a 15° offset feeds false data to EPS and stability control. Distractors: A — modules do not self-average a hard offset. C moves the mechanical center off the gear's center instead of fixing the reference. B is unrelated. Source: Tasks A4/A20/C16.

Sample question 3 (QB-23, Module 2)

When pressing a ball joint out of a control arm, the press force must be applied:

  1. To the arm's bushing
  2. Squarely to the joint housing with the arm fully supported so the arm's bore is not distorted
  3. With an impact hammer on the stud
  4. Only with heat
Show answer

Answer: B. The bore in the arm is the press fit's home; unsupported or crooked pressing eggs the bore and the new joint will not stay seated. Distractors: A loads the wrong component. C damages threads and the arm. D ruins temper and bushings. Source: Task B5.

Sample question 4 (QB-68, Module 2)

Interleaf friction in a leaf spring pack is managed by:

  1. Greasing between the leaves in service
  2. Interleaf liners/insulators and tip pads fitted by design; dry, rusty leaves raise friction, harshness, and squeak
  3. Removing leaves
  4. Painting the pack monthly
Show answer

Answer: B. Liners and pads are the designed friction control; corroded packs get noisy and harsh as leaves drag. Distractors: A is not a service practice for modern packs. C changes spring rate. D is cosmetic fantasy. Source: Task B19.

Sample question 5 (QC-26, Module 3)

On a vehicle with no factory caster adjustment, caster out of specification indicates:

  1. A normal condition
  2. That caster need not be measured
  3. A tire fault
  4. Bent, shifted, or worn parts (control arm, strut rod bushings, subframe position, or collision damage) that must be found and repaired
Show answer

Answer: D. A non-adjustable angle out of spec is a damage report, not an adjustment task. Distractors: A/B dismiss a structural finding. C — tires do not change measured caster. Source: Tasks C5/C6/C17.

Sample question 6 (QC-66, Module 3)

A vehicle is being aligned after front strut replacement. The alignment sequence that protects the result is:

  1. Set toe first, then camber
  2. Set the rear last
  3. Set caster/camber first, then toe last, because toe is disturbed by every other adjustment and by its own tie rod work
  4. Random order
Show answer

Answer: C. Toe is always the final front adjustment; anything done after it un-does it. Distractors: A inverts the protected order. B — the rear is the foundation and goes first on a four-wheel job. D is not a sequence. Source: Tasks C4/C6/C7.

Sample question 7 (QD-19, Module 4)

A vehicle has a steady pull to the right. Pressures are equal, brakes are free, alignment is in specification. Swapping the front tires side-to-side makes the vehicle pull LEFT. The diagnosis is:

  1. Radial (conicity) tire pull — the tire itself generates the lateral force
  2. A bent wheel
  3. A steering gear fault
  4. Road crown
Show answer

Answer: A. A pull that follows a tire across the car is the tire's confession: belt/conicity forces steer it regardless of position. Distractors: B — a bent wheel wobbles; it does not reverse a pull in this test. C/D stay with the car when the tires move — the pull did not. Source: Task D7.

All 300 questions for ASE A4 — with full answer keys — are in the printable workbooks above, and every one is worked through in the free video lessons.