Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Table of contents
I. General .................................................................................................................................................1
(I) Structure of equalizing suspension ...............................................................................................1
(II) Technical parameter ....................................................................................................................3
(III) Fault diagnosis............................................................................................................................3
II. Maintenance of equalizing suspension ............................................................................................4
(I) Dismounting ..................................................................................................................................4
(II) Disassembling..............................................................................................................................6
(III) Inspection ...................................................................................................................................6
(IV) Maintenance and replacement ...................................................................................................8
(V) Mounting....................................................................................................................................10
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
I. General
(I) Structure of equalizing suspension
The rear equalizing suspension assembly is composed of connecting shaft bracket assembly part and
thrust rod assembly and other components (including thrust rod upper bracket, stop block bracket, etc.).
General 1
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Equalizing suspension assembly parts
1. Balance shaft bracket 6. Fixing pin 11. Balance bearing hub and
bushing assembly
2. Straight grease nipple 7. O-ring
12. External thrust plate
3. Axle shaft 8. Internal thrust pad
13. Balance bearing cap
4. Axle tube 9. End shim-balance bearing hub
assembly
5. Relief valve 10. Oil seal assembly
14. Bearing cap
Equalizing suspension connection parts
1. U-bolt 3. Spherical washer
2. Cover plate—rear leaf spring 4. Hexagon extra thick nut
2 General
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
(II) Technical parameter
Item Type
Type of suspension Equalizing suspension
Type of leaf spring Uniform multi-leaf spring
Number of spring leaf Depended upon the vehicle model
(III) Fault diagnosis
Fault diagnosis table
Symptom Cause analysis Solutions
Replace the component,
The leaf spring is broken along center
The U-bolt is loose for long. tighten it as required and
hole.
periodically check it.
Load as required, replace the
Overload
leaf spring.
The leaf spring is of early breakage.
The cushion block falls off. Mount it in time.
The leaf spring bushing and lug Fail to fill the lubricating Conduct maintenance and
bushing are of early abrasion. grease as required. lubrication as required.
The balance shaft and bushing are of Fail to fill the lubricating Conduct maintenance and
early abrasion. grease as required. lubrication as required.
General 3
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
II. Maintenance of equalizing suspension
(I) Dismounting
1. Fix the front wheels.
1) Fix the front axle wheels with wooden wedge before and behind the wheel.
2. Dismount the rear wheels.
1) Screw off the nuts of rear axle wheels.
2) Raise up the rear axle with jack, stably support the frame with safety bracket, slowly lower the jack,
make the leaf spring at free state, fix the jack and maintain this state.
3) Dismount the wheels.
Notice: This step is for the convenience of dismounting and assembling the rear leaf spring.
3. Dismount the rear leaf spring assembly.
1) Dismount the U-bolt nut, U-bolt and cover
plate.
2) Use a lever block to dismount the intermediate
and rear leaf spring assemblies.
1. U-bolt 3. Spherical washer
2. Cover 4. Hexagon extra
plate—equalizing thick nut
suspension
4. Dismount the leaf spring seat.
1) Dismount the end cap, external thrust plate
and seal gasket.
1. End shim 3. Balance bearing
cap assembly
2. External thrust
plate
4 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
2) Dismount the side base plate, thrust washer
and adjusting shim.
3) Dismount the leaf spring seat from balance
shaft.
4) Dismount the oil seal from leaf spring seat.
1. Thrust washer 3. Safety valve
2. Pin
5. Dismount the balance shaft and bracket.
1) Dismount the upper and lower thrust rods.
Notice: Before dismounting the thrust rod, it is
necessary to mark the two ends of each thrust
rod for locating purpose when reassembling.
Warning: It is necessary to use wire rope or
other tools to lift the rear axle when
dismounting, in order to avoid the occurrence
of accident due to rear axle rollover and
dropout.
2) Dismount the balance shaft bracket and
balance shaft.
Notice: It is necessary to place a bracket below
balance shaft when dismounting the balance
shaft bracket fixing bolt.
Maintenance of Equalizing suspension 5
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
3) Dismount the balance shaft.
(II) Disassembling
If the rear leaf spring assembly is required to be disassembled for separate replacement of defective
component, it is allowed to fix the leaf spring with C-clip along its thickness direction, dismount the center
bolt, loosen the C-clip and then disassemble the assembly.
1. Use a C-clip to clamp the middle position of leaf spring to prevent the leaf spring loosening.
2. Dismount the center bolt.
3. Slowly loosen the C-clip and disassemble the leaf spring progressively.
4. Reassemble the leaf spring with a new center bolt.
Notice: When assembling, apply the vehicle grease (lithium based grease) onto the two surfaces
of each leaf spring.
5. Fix the leaf spring with C-clip, tighten the center bolt and nut.
6. Dismount the C-clip.
7. Use a punch to pressing the thread end of center bolt after the center bolt is tightened, in
order to prevent the bolt loosening.
(III) Inspection
Leaf spring
Measure the wear extent of leaf spring.
If the wear extent exceeds the nominal thickness of leaf spring by 15%, replace it.
Balance shaft
Measure the external diameter of balance shaft
journal.
Standard size: 125mm
6 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Balance shaft bushing
Measure the internal diameter of balance shaft
journal.
Standard size: 100mm
Wear limit: 100.6mm
Clearance between balance shaft and balance
shaft bushing
Measure the clearance.
Maintenance standard: 0.19~0.29mm
Wear limit: 1.0mm
Thrust washer
Measure the thickness of thrust washer.
Standard size: 5mm
Wear limit: 4.7mm
Maintenance of Equalizing suspension 7
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
(IV) Maintenance and replacement
Balance shaft and bracket
1. Disassemble the balance shaft and
bracket.
2. Reassemble the complete balance shaft
and bracket.
Notice: Apply the grease onto the mounting
position.
3. Mount the balance shaft and bracket on
frame.
Reference tightening torque
Reference
Specification of screw
tightening torque
thread
(N.m)
M18(8.8 grade ) 280-350
M18(10.9 grade ) 320-420
M18(flange face ) 350-470
M20(8.8 grade) 350-450
M20(10.9 grade coarse
430-490
thread )
M20(10.9 grade fine
430-550
thread )
8 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
4. Measure the distance L1 and L2 from two
end faces of balance shaft to machined surface
of balance shaft bracket.
Notice: If the difference between L1 and L2
exceeds 0.2mm, it is allowed to use a hammer
to knock at the balance shaft bracket to adjust
the value of L1 or L2 till the difference is not
greater than 0.2mm.
5. Finally, weld the balance shaft bracket and
the balance shaft solidly.
Thrust rod bushing
1. Place the thrust rod on a clamp, use a
detacher to press out the bushing.
2. Scratch a line on the balance shaft end
face and the bushing side, use a detacher to
press the bushing in balance shaft hole along
the line till the bushing is flush with the upper
surface of thrust rod.
1. Mark alignment
Maintenance of Equalizing suspension 9
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
(V) Mounting
Assemble the leaf spring assembly.
1. Apply an amount of graphite calcium base
grease between spring leaves of leaf spring,
Use a C-clip to fix the leaf spring, and put in
the center bolt.
2. Tighten the center bolt.
Tightening torque: 170~200N·m
1. Rear leaf spring assembly
Mount the balance shaft and bracket.
1. Mount the balance shaft and bracket on
the frame reliably.
Reference tightening torque
Reference
Specification of screw
tightening torque
thread
(N.m)
M18(8.8 grade ) 280-350
M18(10.9 grade ) 320-420
1. Locking nut 2. Nut
M18(flange face ) 350-470
M20(8.8 grade ) 350-450
M20(10.9 grade coarse
430-490
thread)
M20(10.9 grade fine
430-550
thread )
10 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
2. Mount the upper and lower thrust rods.
Tightening torque
Reference
Specification of screw
tightening torque
thread
(N.m)
M20(8.8 grade ) 350-450
M20(10.9 grade coarse
430-490
thread )
M20(10.9 grade fine
430-550
thread )
M18(8.8 grade ) 280-350
M18(10.9 grade ) 320~420
3. Mount the fixing pin and thrust washer on
the balance shaft bracket.
Notice: Be sure to use the thrust washer
without oil groove.
1. Pin 2. Oil seal 3. Thrust washer
4. Mount the oil seal.
5. Mount the relief valve.
6. Mount the fixing pin at two sides of leaf
spring seat.
7. Mount the greased thrust washer.
Notice: It is necessary to make the flat surface
of thrust washer toward the leaf spring seat.
1. Oil seal 2. Leaf spring seat
Maintenance of Equalizing suspension 11
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Mount the leaf spring seat.
1. Apply the grease onto the leaf spring seat
bushing inner ring, mount the leaf spring seat
on the balance shaft.
Notice: When mounting the leaf spring seat, it
is necessary to make the end with safety valve
toward the balance shaft bracket.
1. Thrust washer 3. Safety valve
2. Pin
2. Mount the adjusting shim and side base
plate.
Tightening torque: 220~270N·m
Notice: Be sure to adjust the thickness of
adjusting shim till T-L=0.1~0.3mm (T= total
thickness of adjusting shim, L= distance from
balance shaft end face to thrust washer outer
end face), and then to mount the side base
plate.
Notice: The leaf spring must be of radial
rotation other than axial rotation.
1. Thrust washer 3. Balance shaft
2. Washer 4. Side cover
3. Fill the end cap with the lubricating
grease, and then mount the end shim, external
thrust plate and end cap.
Tightening torque: 23~31N·m
1. End shim 3. Tandem bearing
cap assembly
2. External thrust
plate
12 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
Mount the rear leaf spring assembly
1. Use a lever block or elastic jackscrew to
lift the leaf spring assembly, mount the rear
leaf spring on leaf spring seat.
2. Mount the cover plate, screw on the U-bolt
and nut and mount the rear wheels.
Tightening torque
Reference
Specification of screw tightening torque
thread
(N·m)
M27(29Z33-04133) 860-1000
M24 450-500
M22 400-450 1. U-bolt 3. Spherical washer
2. Cover 4. Hexagon extra
M20 350-400 plate—equalizing thick nut
suspension
M18 280-350
M16 220~280
Notice: Before tightening the nut, it is necessary to apply the engine oil or axle oil at the screw
thread of nut and U-bolt and below leaf spring seat U-bolt hole.
Warning: Be sure to tighten really the U-bolt nut of leaf spring. This has an important bearing
upon the service life of leaf spring.
3. Take off the frame rear end safety bracket and the jack below rear axle.
4. Fill the heavy-duty bearing grease in the grease nipple of balance shaft cap till the grease
overflows from the safety valve of tandem axel seat.
Maintenance of Equalizing suspension 13
Maintenance Manual of Equalizing suspension
14 Maintenance of Equalizing suspension
