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32–01 Suspension Inspecting
Sterling 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 32of
the
Acterra
®
Workshop 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
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.
Sterling 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
Acterra
®
Workshop 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.
Sterling Spring Tandem-Axle
Suspension Crossmember and
Gussets Inpsecting
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 32 of the
Acterra
®
Workshop Manual
for
instructions. Check all fasteners for tightness; see
Group 00 of 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.
Sterling 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.
Sterling 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:
• There are gaps between the rubber bush-
ing and the pin or the outer steel sleeve.
Suspension 32
Acterra Maintenance Manual, September 2002 32/1