GROUP 34B REAR SUSPENSION

<AIR>

SPECIFICATIONS ........................................................................... 34B-2

STRUCTURE AND OPERATION

1. Air Suspension ......................................................................... 34B-3
2. Air Suspension System ............................................................ 34B-4
3. Leveling Valve ................................................................................. 34B-5

TROUBLESHOOTING .................................................................... 34B-7

ON-VEHICLE INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENT

1. Adjustment of Air Spring Height ................................................ 34B-8

LEVELING VALVE .......................................................................... 34B-9

SHOCK ABSORBER
<FP-R>........................................................................................ 34B-14
<FV>............................................................................................ 34B-15

AIR SPRING .................................................................................. 34B-16

LATERAL ROD ............................................................................. 34B-22

LEAF SPRING ............................................................................... 34B-26

34B-1
SPECIFICATIONS
Specifications
Item
FP-R FV
Air spring (effective diameter × installed height) mm φ300 × 344 φ250 × 296
Leaf spring
(712 + 424) × 90 × 35 – 2 (643 + 390) × 80 × 35 – 2
(length × width × thickness – No. of leaves) mm

34B-2
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION 34B
1. Air Suspension

• Air spring, leaf spring assembly, cross beam, and shock absorber are installed between frame and rear axle or
between frame and rear 1st axle as well as rear 2nd axle to support the vehicle body mass and absorb the vibra-
tion and shock from the road surface to prevent them from being directly transmitted to the vehicle body, thus pro-
tecting the vehicle body, occupants, and cargos. This construction also restricts irregular vibration of the wheels to
ensure driving stability. The air spring is characterized by softer spring. Therefore, lateral rod is installed to reduce
rolling which is larger in a softer suspension.
• Leveling valve is fitted on the rear axle housing. The leveling valve senses the increase and decrease of loads
and controls the internal pressure of the air spring depending upon the load.

34B-3
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION
2. Air Suspension System

• The standard vehicle height control is performed by the leveling valve.

• To lower the vehicle height, set the height control switch to DOWN position. The 3-way magnetic valve closes the
air supply passage from the leveling valve to the air springs and at the same time discharges the air in the air
springs, thus the vehicle height lowers. For the above operation, the following conditions must be satisfied.
• The hand control valve is in parking position.
• The transmission is in neutral.

34B-4
 34B
3. Leveling Valve

• The leveling valve is a control device which supplies or discharges compressed air to or from the air spring ac-
cording to loads. The leveling valve body is mounted on the frame.

34B-5
STRUCTURE AND OPERATION
3.1 When load decreased
• The lever of the leveling valve is lowered below the neutral posi-
tion. When the lever moves down beyond the dead zone, ex-
haust valve is opened. Since intake valve remains closed,
therefore, the air from discharge port A flows through the
opened exhaust valve and is discharged into the atmosphere
from exhaust port B.

3.2 When load increased

• The lever of the leveling valve is raised above the neutral posi-
tion. When the lever moves up beyond the dead zone, intake
valve is opened. Since exhaust valve remains closed, therefore,
the air flows from supply port C to discharge port A.

34B-6
TROUBLESHOOTING 34B
Symptoms

cushioning
Periodic jolts during driving on smooth road surface

Too large amounts of air consumed during driving

Hard
Direct impact from uneven road surface
Noise generated with unloaded vehicle

Standard height of air spring too high

Noise generated with loaded vehicle

Standard height of air spring too low

Reference Gr

Height control impossible

Large bouncing
Ride spongy

Large rolling
Possible causes
Cracked or damaged O
Broken O
Leaf spring Spring bracket broken O
U-bolts loose O
Spring bushing worn O
Damaged O
Air spring
Diaphragm cracked O
Damping force decreased, oil leaking O O O
Shock absorber Rubber bushing worn O
Bolt loose O
Faulty adjustment O O O O
Leveling valve
Faulty function O O O
Tires worn unevenly O
Tire Tires and wheels out of balance O Gr31
Inflation pressure too high O O
Height control switch faulty O
Air suspension 3-way magnetic valve operation faulty O O
Air line connections to each device loose or broken O
Transmission neutral relay and parking brake relay opera-
O Gr54
tion faulty

34B-7
ON-VEHICLE INSPECTION AND ADJUSTMENT
1. Adjustment of Air Spring Height

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Location Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
– Lock nut 12 to 15 {1.2 to 1.6} –

CAUTION
• Adjust air spring with no occupant in the vehicle.

• Set air pressure in the air tank to the specified value.

• To prevent dead zone (play) of levelling valve from affecting ad-
justment, loosen lock nut of rod first, then turn turn buckle to
shorten rod length A (distance between centers of eye sections
at rod end). Then gradually extend the distance.
• Measure height of air spring using standard scale. When height
B is the following value, tighten lock nut of rod. <FP-R>
B: 344 mm

• Measure the height of air spring of rear 2nd axle using standard
scale. When height B is the following value, tighten lock nut of
rod. <FV>
B: 296 mm

34B-8
LEVELING VALVE 34B
Removal sequence
1 Leveling valve (See later section.)
2 Bracket

Installation sequence
Follow the removal sequence in reverse.

• After installation, carry out the adjust-

ment of air spring height. (See “ON-
VEHICLE INSPECTION AND AD-
JUSTMENT”.)

34B-9
LEVELING VALVE
Leveling Valve

34B-10
 34B
Disassembly sequence
1 Rod 14 Plug 27 Rocker body
2 Cover 15 Diaphragm nut 28 Cover
3 Filter 16 Washer 29 Cover
4 O-ring 17 Diaphragm 30 Filter
5 Joint 18 Valve body 31 Oil seal
6 Seal 19 Lever 32 Plug
7 Spring 20 Grease nipple 33 Bushing
8 Seal 21 Spring pin 34 Bushing
9 O-ring 22 Plug 35 Actuator body
10 Screw plug 23 Spring
11 Spring 24 Piston : Non-reusable part
12 Seal 25 Shaft
13 O-ring 26 Adjuster

Assembly sequence
Follow the disassembly sequence in reverse.

Repair kit: Leveling valve kit

Service standards (Unit: mm)

Location Maintenance item Standard value Limit Remedy
Projecting length of diaphragm (stem) when specified
17 air pressure of 590 kPa {6 kgf/cm2} is applied to the in- 1.25 ± 0.3 – Adjust
let side
Dead zone at lever end hole (range where air does not
19 8±1 – Adjust
flow in nor out)

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (rod mounting)
12 to 15 {1.2 to 1.6} –
Nut (lever mounting)
Nut (adjuster mounting)
Bolt (cover mounting) 5.5 to 7.3 {0.55 to 0.75} –
Bolt (valve body mounting)
Joint
20 to 29 {2 to 3} –
Screw plug
Plug 16 to 19 {1.6 to 2.0} –
Grease nipple 1.5 to 2.0 {0.15 to 0.20} –
Plug 10 to 15 {1.0 to 1.5} –

Lubricant and/or sealant

Mark Points of application Specified lubricant and/or sealant Quantity
Threads of diaphragm nut Cemedine No. 575 As required
Grease nipple Multipurpose grease
As required
Periphery of shaft [NLGI No. 2 (Li soap)]

34B-11
LEVELING VALVE
Installation procedure
Installation: Diaphragm
• Install diaphragm nut such that the projection length A of dia-
phragm (stem) meets the standard value when the specified air
pressure of 590 kPa {6 kgf/cm2} is applied to the inlet side.

Adjustment: Dead zone at the lever end

• Adjust dead zone A (lever end hole moving range where no air
flow in nor out the valve) for the standard value, using adjuster.

34B-12
 34B
M E M O

34B-13
SHOCK ABSORBER <FP-R>
Removal sequence
1 Washer
2 Washer
3 Shock absorber
4 Rubber bushing
5 Rubber bushing
6 Washer
7 Washer
8 Shock absorber upper bracket
CAUTION
• Before removing the shock absorb-
er, be sure to remove the nut that
holds cress beam and air spring to
prevent the air spring from being
damaged.

Installation sequence
Follow the removal sequence in reverse.

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (shock absorber mounting) 330 to 450 {34 to 46} –
Nut (shock absorber upper bracket mounting) 160 to 220 {16 to 22} Wet

Lubricant and/or sealant

Mark Points of application Specified lubricant and/or sealant Quantity
Chassis grease
Nut thread As required
[NLGI No. 1 (Li soap)]

34B-14
SHOCK ABSORBER <FV> 34B
Removal sequence
1 Washer
2 Rubber bushing
3 Centering washer
4 Centering washer
5 Rubber bushing
6 Washer
7 Washer
8 Shock absorber
9 Rubber bushing
10 Bushing
11 Washer
CAUTION
• Before removing the shock absorb-
er, be sure to remove the nut that
holds cress beam and air spring to
prevent the air spring from being
damaged.

Installation sequence
Follow the removal sequence in reverse.

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (shock absorber mounting) 330 to 450 {34 to 46} –

Installation procedure
Installation: Rubber bushing
• After tightening the nuts, check that the illustrated dimension A
is as follows.
A: 58 mm
• Do not deform the bushings when tightening the nuts.

34B-15
AIR SPRING

34B-16
 34B
Removal sequence
1 Air pipe 6 Bump stopper <FV>
2 Connector 7 Air spring bracket
3 Cross beam 8 Diaphragm
4 Plate <FV>
5 Piston
*a: Leaf spring

Installation sequence
Follow the removal sequence in reverse.

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (air spring mounting) –
38 to 42 {3.8 to 4.2}
Nut (air spring bracket mounting) <FP-R>
Nut (air spring bracket mounting) <FV> 30 to 34 {3.0 to 3.4} –
Nut (air spring mounting) <FV> 61 to 68 {6.2 to 6.9} –
Nut (air spring bracket mounting) 80 to 110 {8 to 11} –
Nut (bump stopper mounting) <FV> 27 to 68 {2.8 to 6.9} –

Lubricant and/or sealant

Mark Points of application Specified lubricant and/or sealant Quantity
Diaphragm bead (piston contacting area) Tire cream As required

Removal procedure
Removal: Piston
<FP-R>
• Supply compressed air through port of diaphragm to extend the
diaphragm.

• After supplying air, pull the piston with hand to expose the seal-
ing part and put an alignment mark.

34B-17
AIR SPRING
• Place the air spring unit (diaphragm and piston) on pieces of
wood, and remove diaphragm and piston, using tool.
CAUTION
• If reusing the diaphragm, do not damage the rubber part
when removing.
• Use the rounded end of the tire lever when using tool.

<FV>
• Supply compressed air through port of diaphragm to extend the
diaphragm.

• After supplying air, pull the piston with hand to expose the seal-
ing part and put an alignment mark.

• Remove nut, then remove piston.

34B-18
 34B
Installation procedure
Installation: Piston
<FP-R>
• Apply tire cream to the piston connecting area on diaphragm be-
fore installation.

• Place piston on pieces of wood, align mating mark of diaphragm

with that of the piston, and put the circumference of diaphragm
on the piston top.

• Finally, install diaphragm on piston by force by putting the cir-

cumference of diaphragm on the top of piston.

<FV>
• Coat with tire cream the area of diaphragm to which bump stop-
per is attached.

• Put together bump stopper and diaphragm making sure they are
in close contact, then install piston and secure it with nut.

34B-19
AIR SPRING
Installation: Air spring
• With the air spring standing upright, apply a thumb to port, then
push down slowly the top of the air spring by hand to expel the
air and contact the air spring to a height appropriate for installa-
tion on the vehicle.

34B-20
 34B
M E M O

34B-21
LATERAL ROD

Removal sequence
1 Lateral rod bushing 4 Lateral rod bracket
2 Lateral rod
3 Lateral rod bracket : Locating pin

Installation sequence
Follow the removal sequence in reverse.

CAUTION
• Do not fully tighten lateral rod nuts before adjusting the height of air spring. Otherwise, the bushings for
the eyes of lateral rod may be twisted.

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (lateral rod mounting) 500 to 680 {51 to 69} Wet
Nut (lateral rod bracket mounting) 160 to 220 {16 to 22} Wet
Bolt (lateral rod bracket mounting) 206 ± 31 {21 ± 3.15} sealant

34B-22
 34B
Lubricant and/or sealant
Mark Points of application Specified lubricant and/or sealant Quantity
Chassis grease
Thread area of nuts As required
[NLGI No. 1 (Li soap)]
Thread area of bolts ThreeBond 2430 or 2440 As required

Special tools (Unit: mm)

Mark Tool name and shape Part No. Application

Tool A
(radius rod rest)
MC019916

A B C D
φ101.6 φ82 φ79 111

Lateral rod bushing removal and in-

stallation

Tool B
(rod bushing remover)
MC019917

A B C D
φ50 φ23.5 60 75

Shackle pin puller

A B C MC019918 Lateral rod bushing installation

φ84.5 φ69 90

34B-23
LATERAL ROD
Removal procedure
Removal: Lateral rod bushing

Installation procedure
Installation: Lateral rod bushing

34B-24
 34B
M E M O

34B-25
LEAF SPRING

34B-26
 34B
Disassembly sequence
1 U-bolt 6 Spacer 11 Leaf spring bracket
2 Spring pad 7 Center spacer
3 Shock absorber lower bracket 8 Leaf spring (No. 1) : Locating pin
4 Leaf spring bolt 9 Center spacer
5 Bushing 10 Leaf spring (No. 2)

NOTE
• Do not disassemble the leaf spring unless there is an abnormality.

Assembly sequence
Follow the disassembly sequence in reverse.

CAUTION
• Do not fully tighten leaf spring bolts before adjusting the height of air spring. Otherwise, the bushings for
the eyes of leaf spring may be twisted.

Service standards (Unit: mm)

Location Maintenance item Standard value Limit Remedy
Clearance between leaf spring bolts and leaf spring
4, 5 0 to 0.03 – Replace
bushings <FP-R>

Tightening torque (Unit: N·m {kgf·m})

Mark Parts to be tightened Tightening torque Remarks
Nut (U-bolt mounting) 740 to 830 {75 to 85} Wet
Nut (leaf spring mounting) <FP-R> 590 to 790 {60 to 80.5} Wet
Nut (leaf spring mounting) <FV>
260 to 350 {27 to 36} Wet
Nut (leaf spring bracket mounting)

Lubricant and/or sealant

Mark Points of application Specified lubricant and/or sealant Quantity
Chassis grease
Thread area of nuts As required
[NLGI No. 1 (Li soap)]

Special tools (Unit: mm)

Mark Tool name and shape Part No. Application

Socket wrench

A B
03703-83000 Removal and installation of U-bolts
Width Width
across flats across flats
30 36

34B-27
LEAF SPRING
Removal procedure
Removal: U-bolt

Removal: Leaf spring

• Compress the leaf spring using a press and remove the nuts.

Installation procedure
Installation: Leaf spring
• Install the leaf spring by following the removal sequence in re-
verse. (See “ Removal: Leaf spring”.)

34B-28