Scania Leaf spring suspension. Manual - part 1

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Leaf spring suspension

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Contents

Function Description

Multi-leaf springs ........................................................................ 3
Parabolic spring........................................................................... 4
Clamp bolts ................................................................................. 4
Front springs and spring brackets................................................ 5
Rear springs and wedge-shaped spacers ..................................... 6
Rear springs with helper springs ................................................. 6
Rear springs with tag axle ........................................................... 7
Suspension movement ................................................................. 7
Rear springs for tandem bogie .................................................... 8
Balance tandem ........................................................................... 8
Four-spring tandem ..................................................................... 8
Spring bolt ................................................................................... 9
Frame brackets .......................................................................... 10
Anti-roll bar............................................................................... 10

Work Description

Special tools .............................................................................. 11
Other tools ................................................................................. 13
Lifting springs ........................................................................... 14
Renewing front spring ............................................................... 15
Renewing rear spring................................................................. 18
Renewing spring bushing .......................................................... 22
Removing spring bolt and spring bushing as one unit .............. 23
Renewing anti-roll bar bushings................................................ 24
Renewing shock absorber.......................................................... 25
Renewing spring leafs and U-bolts ........................................... 26
Leaning vehicles........................................................................ 28

Contents

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Function Description

General

System components

Multi-leaf springs

Multi-leaf springs are built up of several spring 
leaves of different lengths.

The spring leaves are of the same width and are 
often the same thickness as each other.

The longest leaf is called the main leaf or the 
1st leaf. It has eyes in the ends if the spring is 
attached to the frame using spring bolts.

To prevent a failure of the main leaf causing the 
spring to come loose from the spring bracket, 
the second leaf also has an eye at the front end.

The spring is held together by a centre bolt 
through the spring leaves, plus U-bolts that 
prevent the spring leaves from moving 
laterally.

Multi-leaf spring

1

Centre bolt

2

U-bolt

3

Spring leaf

4

Safety eye

5

First leaf eye

6

Spring bushing

Multi-leaf spring construction

Multi-leaf springs

4

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Parabolic spring

The parabolic spring is built up of two to four leaves 
of equal length and width.

The spring leaves are slightly thicker in the centre 
and taper to a thinner cross section at the ends.

The spring leaves are not in contact with each other, 
as in the multi-leaf spring, but are separated by steel 
spacers. This gives a softer suspension action. 
Parabolic springs are therefore always combined 
with shock absorbers.

The spring has eyes in both ends where the spring 
bushings are pressed into place. The leaf under the 
blade with bushing eyes also has an eye at the front 
end, to prevent the spring from detaching if it fails 
at the spring bushing.

Parabolic spring

1

Centre bolt

2

U-bolts

3

Spring leafs

4

Safety eye

5

First leaf eye

6

Spring bushing

7

Spacer

Parabolic spring construction

Clamp bolts

Both the front and rear spring assemblies are 
clamped to the axle using two clamp bolts per side. 
The clamp bolts are threaded and tightened using 
nuts to a specific torque. Consequently, the 
tightening torque of the clamp bolts determines the 
clamping force in the joint between the spring and 
the axle. Therefore, this bolted joint requires 
periodic inspections and re-tightening.

Clamp bolts

Parabolic spring - Clamp bolts