Front Suspension Check
Warning: Do not replace individual leaves of a damaged leaf spring assembly; replace the complete spring assembly. Visible damage (cracks or breaks) to one leaf causes hidden damage to other leaves. Replacement 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 assembly could cause an accident resulting in property damage, serious personal injury, or death.
Inspect the front spring assemblies for cracked, broken, or abnormally bent leaves. If any of these conditions exist, replace the spring assembly. See Group 32 of the 122SD and Coronado Workshop Manual for instructions.
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 on composite spring assemblies, refer to the CVSA, Out of Service (OOS) Criteria .
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.
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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
Fig. 1, Out-of-Service Conditions, Composite Spring
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.