The front suspension consists of a stamped I-beam connected to the steering knuckles using pins. The pins have a flat in the center and are locked in the beam holes with wedge stops. Vertical loads from the steering knuckles are transmitted to the beam by thrust ball bearings, protected from dirt by rubber-metal caps.
The upper bosses of the steering knuckles have annular grooves in which rubber sealing rings are installed, protecting the friction surfaces of the bushings and pins from dirt. The pivot holes in the steering knuckle bosses are covered with covers with gaskets. To lubricate the pin bushings, grease fittings are installed in the center of the covers. The thrust bearings of the pins are lubricated simultaneously with the lubrication of the lower bushings. For the passage of lubricant, spiral grooves are made in the bushings of the steering knuckles.
The steering knuckles consist of two parts — a flange and a spindle pressed into it. The front wheel hubs are mounted on spindles on two tapered roller bearings. The tightening of the bearings is adjusted with a nut.
The steering linkage is located behind the front axle beam. The steering arms are attached to the steering knuckles with bolts. During assembly, their threads are coated with a sealant that prevents them from unscrewing during operation. Limitation of the steering angles is ensured by bolts screwed into the flanges of the steering knuckles.
The longitudinal tie rod is solid-forged, the transverse tie rod is tubular, with threaded ends. The ends have different thread directions, which allows you to adjust the toe-in of the wheels without removing the tie rod from the vehicle.
The suspension is made on longitudinal leaf springs with two hydraulic shock absorbers.
The suspension can use small-leaf or multi-leaf springs. The small-leaf spring consists of two leaves held together by a clamp and a center bolt. A multi-leaf spring has four leaves. The spring is attached to the frame brackets through eyes formed by the bent ends of the leaves, with the front eye formed by two leaves, and the rear one only by the top (main) leaf. The rear eye is attached to the frame side member through a shackle that compensates for changes in the distance between the ends of the spring during suspension operation.
All moving connections: front and rear spring mounts, shackle mounts, upper and lower shock absorber mounts are made on rubber bushings. The spring is attached to the axle beam with U-bolts through a plate. 4×4 vehicles have springs consisting of five leaves. To limit the upward travel of the suspension, a rubber bump stop is installed above the spring.
Shock absorbers are telescopic, two-tube, collapsible. They are attached with the lower end (reservoir) to the axle beam, and with the upper end (rod) to the frame side member bracket.
Front suspension malfunctions, causes and solutions
Knock in the front suspension
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Wear of the kingpin and bushings (plain bearings) | Replace the kingpin and bushings (see article — "How to check and replace the kingpin and bushings") |
| Large axial play of the steering knuckle on the kingpin | Install a shim or replace the thrust bearing |
| Front hub bearings are not adjusted or have failed | Adjust or replace bearings |
| Loosening of the shock absorber | Tighten the threaded connections |
| Wear of the upper and lower shock absorber bushings | Replace the bushings |
Reduced efficiency of the front shock absorber
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Fluid leakage from the front shock absorber | Tighten the shock absorber reservoir nut or replace the shock absorber (see article — "How to replace shock absorbers on car suspensions") |
Uneven wear of the tire tread pattern
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Increased play in hub bearings | Adjust bearing tightness |
| Wheels are not balanced | Balance the wheels |
| Wear of the kingpin and bushings | Replace the kingpin and bushings |
Frequent "bottoming out" when driving on uneven roads
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Settling or breakage of springs | Replace the springs (see article — "How to remove, disassemble and reassemble the front spring") |
| Long-term operation of an overloaded vehicle | Replace the springs |
| Loss of elasticity or destruction of the bump stop | Replace the compression bump stop |
Vehicle leans to one side
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Settling of one spring or breakage of spring leaves | Replace the spring or defective leaves |
Displacement of the front wheel track relative to the rear wheels during straight-line movement
| Cause | Remedy |
|---|---|
| Breakage of the main leaf of one of the springs | Replace the spring or main leaf |
| Breakage of the center clamp bolt of one of the springs | Replace the center clamp bolt |
