Composite Springs
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) defines a crack that causes out-of-service conditions for composite spring assemblies, as a separation in any axis, which passes completely through the composite spring material.
For additional information, refer to the CVSA, Out of Service (OOS) Criteria, for composite spring assemblies, Section 9, Suspension, Pages 44 to 45.
Inspect the Liteflex spring for cracks that result in an out-of-service condition as follows (see Fig. ):
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a side to side crack extending beyond 3/4 of the length of the spring;
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a top to bottom crack extending beyond 3/4 of the length of the spring;
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intersecting cracks of any length.
The Liteflex composite spring should also be removed from service if splintering has occured to the point where noticeable vehicle ride height loss has occurred.
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Side to side crack extending beyond 3/4 of the length of the spring
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Top to bottom crack extending beyond 3/4 of the length of the spring
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Intersecting cracks of any length