spring assemblies, if cracks or breaks exist in the
two top leaves, a loss of vehicle control could
occur. Failure to replace a damaged spring assem-
bly 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.
2. Inspect the brackets for cracks in the castings.
Inspect the V-rod tower welds for cracking or
other signs of damage. Also check for contact
between the frame rail and the upper axle clamp
brackets. If contact exists, check the V-rod bush-
ing for wear. Check the V-rod fastener torques.
3. Inspect the rubber center bearing and spring tip
pads for excessive wear, including de-lamination
of the rubber-to-metal shim interface, and distor-
tion and degradation of rubber.
4. Inspect the V-rods and lower control rods for
wear and looseness.
4.1 Without disconnecting the control rods,
use your hand to attempt to move each of
the control rod ends up, down, in, and
out. If there is any movement, examine
the control rods for wear or damage. Re-
place if necessary.
4.2 Inspect the rubber bushings for cracks or
cuts.
4.3 Check for any shifting of the barpin.
4.4 Check for cracks in the metal compo-
nents and welds.
5. Check all fasteners for looseness.
6. Inspect the shock absorbers for oil leaks and
worn rubber bushings. Replace the shock ab-
sorbers and/or rubber bushings if wear or dam-
age is noted.
Chalmers Suspension
1. Chock the front tires, place the transmission in
neutral, and release the parking brakes.
2. Power wash the suspension, or clean it with a
hard-bristle brush before performing a visual in-
spection.
3. Inspect the rubber bushings for cracks or other
damage.
Try to move the torque rod ends using your
hands only, and check for any free-play. If free-
play is felt, replace the torque rod end bushing.
Do not use a pry bar to check for free-play. Use
of a pry bar may lead to premature bushing re-
placement.
4. Lift the rear of the vehicle and support the frame
on jack stands to unload the suspension compo-
nents. The vehicle is lifted high enough when the
beam ends are off of the saddles.
Inspect the walking beam for cracks or other
damage. If damage is found, replace the walking
beam.
Keep the vehicle supported by the jack stands
for the next operation.
5. Manipulate the walking beam so that a microm-
eter, vernier, or dial caliper can be used to deter-
mine the wear area thickness on the bottom
face. See
Fig. 5. Measurements should be taken
a minimum of 1/2 inch from the beam flange
edges to eliminate any edge wear that may have
occurred. Subtract the wear area thickness (see
Fig. 5, Ref. B) from the thickness at the non-
wear area (see Fig. 5, Ref. A) to determine the
amount of wear.
If the beams show any wear greater than 0.062
inch (1.5 mm), a Chalmers wear plate must be
installed, or the walking beam must be replaced.
6. Rotate the restrictor cans 360 degrees and in-
spect the cans for cracks, severe corrosion, and
distortion. If any of these conditions are present,
or the restrictor can is missing, replace the re-
strictor can.
WARNING
Replace all cracked or missing restrictor cans.
Failure to do so could lead to loss of vehicle con-
trol, which could result in property damage, seri-
ous personal injury, or death.
32–02 Suspension Lubrication
Freightliner Spring Front
Suspension
Wipe all dirt from the grease fittings at the forward
spring pin and the spring shackle pins. Then apply
Suspension 32
108SD and 114SD Maintenance Manual, September 2015 32/5
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