The condition where one or more mounting feet are not level with the others is called ___________.

• A. Soft foot
• B. Bent foot
• C. Uneven foot
• D. Tilted foot

Answer: (A)

Soft foot describes a mounting condition where one or more machine feet do not sit on the same plane as the others, so the base isn’t truly level when the machine is bolted down. This makes the frame rest on three feet and a low foot, causing a tilt that can mask true shaft alignment and lead to improper alignment readings and bearing loads. The fix is to identify the low feet and add shims or otherwise relevel the base so all feet contact the surface solidly and the machine sits level in its operating position. This term is the standard way to describe the issue; other terms like bent, uneven, or tilted foot aren’t the conventional designation for this particular condition.