32–01 Suspension Inspecting
Freightliner Spring Front and Rear
Suspension Spring Assemblies
Inspecting
Inspect the front and rear suspension spring assem-
blies for pitted, cracked, broken, or abnormally bent
leaves and extreme rust. If any of these conditions
exist, replace the spring assembly. See Group 32 of
the
Business Class
®
Trucks Service Manual
for
instructions.
WARNING
Do not replace individual leaves of a damaged leaf
spring assembly; replace the complete spring as-
sembly. Visible damage (cracks or breaks) to one
leaf causes hidden damage to other leaves. Re-
placement of only the visibly damaged part(s) is
no assurance that the spring is safe. On front
spring assemblies if cracks or breaks exist in the
two top leaves, a loss of vehicle control could oc-
cur. Failure to replace a damaged spring assembly
could cause an accident resulting in property
damage, serious personal injury or death.
IMPORTANT: On multi-leaf suspensions, closely
inspect each component of the leaf spring as-
semblies, including the brackets, U-bolts, and
related parts.
Freightliner Spring Rear Suspension
Spring Brackets and Equalizer
Brackets Inspecting
Inspect the forward and rear spring brackets, equal-
izer brackets, and the wear pads, for wear, cracks,
and other damage. If any of these conditions exist,
replace the damaged bracket(s) and wear pad(s).
See Group 32 of the
Business Class
®
Trucks Ser-
vice Manual
for instructions.
WARNING
Failure to replace the forward spring brackets,
equalizer brackets, or rear spring brackets if they
are worn, cracked, or otherwise damaged could
result in progressive damage to and eventual
breakage of the bracket. This could cause a loss
of vehicle control resulting in property damage,
serious personal injury or death.
Freightliner Spring Tandem-Axle
Suspension Crossmember and
Gussets Inspecting
Inspect the tandem-axle frame crossmember and
gussets for wear, cracks, and other damage. If any of
these conditions exist, replace the damaged parts.
See Group 31 of the
Business Class
®
Trucks Ser-
vice Manual
for instructions. Check all fasteners for
tightness; see
Group 00
in this manual for torque
values.
CAUTION
Failure to replace the suspension crossmember or
gussets if they are cracked, worn, or otherwise
damaged could result in damage to the vehicle
chassis.
Freightiner Spring Shock Absorber
Checking
Make sure that the shock absorber brackets are
tight, and that the shock absorber is not striking or
rubbing on the frame or some other part of the chas-
sis. See
Fig. 1
. Check the rubber mounting bushings
and replace if worn. Inspect the shock absorber for
oil leakage.
If the shock absorber is worn or damaged, replace it
with a new one.
Freightliner Spring (Tandem) Radius
Rod Bushing Checking
1.
Without detaching the torque arms, attempt to
move (by hand) each of the radius-rod ends up,
down, in, and out. If there is any movement, re-
place the torque arm.
2.
Inspect the weld seams between the torque arm
tube and the shorter bushing tubes. If there are
cracks, replace the torque arm. Do not weld the
torque arm for any reason.
3.
Inspect the rubber bushing ends. See
Fig. 2
. Re-
place the torque arm for any of the following rea-
sons:
Suspension
32
Business Class Trucks Maintenance Manual, July 1999
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