Chery A15 Maintenance Manual

Chapter One: Axle and Suspension System

Axles and suspension system ensure the normal running of vehicles by receiving the
torque transferred through transmission system from the engine and making use of the
traction on vehicle by road surface through the adhesion between driving wheels and
the road surface. They also relieve the vehicle body from the impact and vibration
from road surface by transferring and receiving all counterforces applied on wheels by
road surface, thus ensuring the smoothness and stability of vehicle operation.

Section One: Maintenance of Front Axle and Front Suspension

I. Structure of Front Axle and Front Suspension

Front suspension consists of subframe, antiroll bar and control arm, etc., as shown in
the figure below.

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Figure: Front Suspension Assembly

1-Bolt, 35 N·m 2-Lower ball pivot 3-Connecting washer assembly
4-Lower control arm welded assembly 5- Lower control arm front bush
6- Lower control arm rear bush 7-Elastic bush 8-Bolt, M12×1.5×83, 130N·m
9-Bolt, M12×1.5×74, 130N·m 10-Bolt, 25N·m 11-Washer
12-Stability control rubber cover 13-Connecting rod assembly
14-End rubber sleeve 15-Steering gear bolt 16-Clamp assembly
17-Bolt, 25N·m 18-Rubber bearing block 19-Antiroll bar
20-Short bolt, M12×1.5×65, 130N·m 21-Subframe welded assembly
22-Blind nut (inside vehicle body) 23-Front steering knuckle with disk brake assembly
24-Front shock absorber connecting assembly 25-Nut
26-Front shock absorber assembly 27-Bolt
28-Hexegon lock nut combination, 80N·m 29-Engine support

II. Maintenance of Front Suspension

(I). Assembly of Front Axle
Chery SQR7162 car adopts open steering axle as front axle, and shock absorber
(MacPherson) individual suspension as front suspension. Assuming the functions of
both driving and steering, the front suspension of A15 car is connected with vehicle
body at the upper ends and with the steering knuckle at the lower end. The
subframe is connected with hinge by elastic parts through the ball pin of control
arm, improving the roadability and ride comfort.

(II). Maintenance of Front Suspension

(1). Welding or reshaping of supporting device and guiding device are not allowed
during the maintenance of front suspension.
(2). Connecting bolts and nuts shall be removed with special tools, and the tightening
torque shall comply with specified values.
(3). The tightening sequence of bolts connecting subframe to vehicle body shall be:
rear left bolt, rear right bolt, front left bolt and then front right bolt.
(4). Check the steering wheel position and measure front wheel alignment values after
assembling.

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 Chery A15 Maintenance Manual

(III). Maintenance of Front Shock Absorber Assembly

1. Structure of Front Shock Absorber Assembly (as shown in the figure)

Figure: Front Sliding Post Assembly

1. Front shock absorber assembly 2. Front dustcover 3. Front bumper
4. Slotted nut, 40N·m 5. Bearing and vibration isolator assembly
6. Front spring upper disk 7. Washer 8. Front helical spring

2. Disassembling Front Shock Absorber Assembly

(1). Disassemble the wheel, loosen the bolt connecting
transmission shaft and brake disc.
(2). Use a special socket to demount the bolts connecting
individual suspension and vehicle body as shown in the
figure, and then disconnect steering knuckle from shock
absorber.
(3). Shock absorber and helical spring shall be assembled
and disassembled with special tools as shown in the
figure. When disassembling, first press the helical
spring vibration isolator assembly with a puller to
compress the helical spring, then loosen the piston
stem nut and release helical spring.

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3. Assembling Front Shock Absorber

(Refer to Figure: Front Sliding Post Assembly)
(1). Fit the assembled front dustcover 2 and front
bumper 3 on the piston rod of front shock absorber 1.
(2). Fit on front helical spring 8 and compress it to
200-220mm.
(3). Fit on washer 7, front spring upper disk 6,
bearing and vibration isolator assembly 5 in turn,
and tighten the slotted nut 4 with a specified
torque, then release the spring puller.
Figure: Front Sliding Post Assembly
1. Front shock absorber assembly 2. Front dustcover 3. Front bumper
4. Slotted nut, 40N·m 5. Bearing and vibration isolator assembly
6. Front spring upper disk 7. Washer 8. Front helical spring

Note: Both ends of the front helical spring shall reach the corresponding aligning
position on spring disks when assembling.

4. Inspection of Shock Absorber: inspection methods include:

① Pressing vehicle body by hand: Shake the vehicle body on the side where the
shock absorber to be inspected is located for several times in a vertical direction to
feel the function of shock absorber. 2-3 bounces after stop pressing vehicle body will
indicate good condition of shock absorber.
② Observing: The appearance of shock absorber shall not show any oil leakage with
slight oil traces being allowed. Severe oil leakage indicates a damaged shock absorber,
in which case the shock absorber shall be replaced.
③ Feeling: Feel the shock absorber casing by hand after a long time of driving.
Unheated casing indicates a damaged shock absorber.
④ Pulling and pressing: Pull and press the shock absorber piston rod for several
times by hand with the rod pointing upwards, and check:
(a). if the pulling and pressing are forceful, i.e. pulling costs a larger force while
pressing costs a smaller force.

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(b). if empty travel exists during pulling and pressing, i.e. forceful lower end and
forceless upper end when pulling, and forceless upper end and forceful lower end
when pressing.
(c). if the shock absorber is blocked.
(d). if the shock absorber piston rod is badly loose. All the above symptoms indicate a
damaged shock absorber.

(IV). Disassembling/Assembling Front Wheel Bearing

1. Disassembly Steps
(1). Disassemble brake disk, dust cap and press out
wheel hub.
(2). Demount the spring stoppers on both sides,
and press out wheel bearing as shown in the figure.

(3). Pull the bearing inner race out of wheel hub

with a puller equipped with tension sleeve, as shown
in the figure.

2. Inspection Steps
Clean and check all disassembled parts, and replace if necessary.
(1). Brake disk with a severely worn working surface that exceeds specified limit
(wear limit: 10.0mm) shall be replaced.
(2) Distorted and deformed dust cap shall be replaced.
(3). Wheel hub with worn-out or loose splines shall be replaced.
(4). Ineffective spring shall be replaced.
(5). Damaged wheel bearing shall be replaced.

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3. Assembly and Adjustment

(1). First assemble outer spring stopper, then grease
the wheel bearing bracket before pressing the bearing
into the limit position as shown in the figure,
and finally assemble inner spring stopper.

(2). Adjust the opening positions of outer and inner

spring stopper in such a way that they form a 180°
angle. Turn the bearing inner race to see if it works
properly.
(3). Grease wheel hub spline and bearing neck,
and then press wheel hub into the bearing.
(4). Tighten 3 M6 bolts to fix dust cap with a torque of 10N·m.
(5). Wipe working surface of brake disk a piece of non-cottony cloth, and use ethanol
if the surface is stained by oil, then fix brake disk.
(6) Turn the brake disk to see if it is blocked or if there is any abnormal sound.
(V). Maintenance of Lower Control Arm
Replace loose or worn-out ball and rubber cover of lower control arm.
1. Replacing Front Bush of Lower Control Arm
(1). Press out front bush of lower control arm as
shown in the figure.

(2). Apply non-acidic lubricant on front bush

before assembly.
(3). Press in front bush as shown in the figure.

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2. Replacing Rear Bush of Lower Control Arm

(1). If the elastic bush is found rusted and stuck
when pressing out rear bush, cut the outer rubber
and steel cover to press out the elastic bush, as
shown in the figure.

(2). Mounting position of control arm elastic bushes

are shown in the figure. Arrow B or C points to
the upper concave of lower control arm, and the
kidney-like space (arrow A) points to the vehicle
center.

(3). Press in rear bush with a special tool.

(VI). Assembling Front Suspension (refer to
Figure: Front Suspension Assembly)
1. Lock the notch on connecting frame of front
shock absorber assembly 26 to steering knuckle, fix
bolt 27 and tighten locknut 28 to 80 N·m as
shown in the figure.

2. Lock front and rear rubber cover 5 and 6 of left

control arm 4 into the corresponding positions on
subframe welded assembly, fix bolt 8 and tighten it
to the specified torque 130 N·m as shown in the figure.
Assembly steps of right control arm are the
same as left control arm.

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3. Assemble the steering knuckle tie rod assembly onto the subframe, and tighten it
with 4 nuts to the specified torque 30 N·m, as shown in the figure.

4. Apply non-acidic lubricant on the right and

left rubber bearing blocks 18 of stabilizer bar assembly,
hook the bending end of clamp assembly 16 into
the mounting hole on subframe, then mount the
rubber bearing blocks onto the mounting position on
subframe and press them into the corresponding
slots. Fix bolt 17 and tighten it to 25 N·m.

5. Fit washer 11, stability control rubber cover 12

in turn on left and right connecting bars 13 of
stabilizer bar assembly, and fit them respectively
into the installation holes on left and right control
arms, then fix in turn stability control rubber cover 12
and washer 11, tighten locknut 10 to 25 N·m.

6. Lock the ball pin 2 of front left shock absorber and

steering knuckle with brake assembly into the slots in
upper and lower plates of left control arm, align the
positions and fix connecting washer assembly 3, and
then 3 bolts 1, and tighten them to specified torque
35 N·m as shown in the figure. Assembly steps of
right front shock absorber are the same.

7. Lift the front suspension assembly up, align the

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front shock absorber with the shock absorber base on vehicle body, and tighten the
long bolt 9 and short bolt 20 that connect subframe with front girder of vehicle body.
Assemble front shock absorber connector assembly 24, and tighten locknut 25.
Tighten all bolts and nuts to specified torques (130 Nm for bolt 9 and 20, 60 Nm for
locknut 25).

8. After fixing front suspension, mount the front shock absorber upper cover onto the
front shock absorber connector in the engine compartment to prevent dusts and
sundries from entering through clearance in connector and damaging vibration
isolator bearing.

Section Two: Maintenance of Rear Axle and Rear Suspension

SQR7162 car adopts longitudinal traction rear axle and non-individual suspension.
Two wheels are connected with vehicle body by an integral rear axle. The metal
rubber bearer of rear axle is equipped with an adjustable rail, and is rigidly
connected in the longitudinal direction, allowing only lateral deformation to avoid
axial rotation of rear axle and insure superior control over high speed roadability of
the entire car.

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 Chery A15 Maintenance Manual

I. Structure of Rear Axle Assembly

Figure: Rear Axle Assembly

1. Rear axle welded assembly 2. Metal rubber bearer 3. Rear brake hose
4. Hand brake dragline lock thread 5. Rear axle left brake line assembly
6. Hand brake dragline 7. Brake 8. Brake drum 9. Tire fastening bolt (110Nm)
10. Rear axle bracket 11. Nut (60Nm) 12. Bolt (70Nm)

(I). Structure of Rear Axle Assembly

(as shown in the figure)
(II). Assembling Rear Axle Assembly
1. Fixing metal rubber bearer: press the metal
rubber bearer 2 into the axle, and keep pressing
it until the edge reaches solid axle.
2. Connect two rear axle brackets with bolt 13
through the center hole in metal rubber bearer,
standard tightening torque of nut is 60Nm;
(as shown in the figure)

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3. Assemble brake, brake drum and half rear axle;

4. Connect left and right brake line assemblies
respectively to left and right brake assembly,
and fix them onto rear axle with pipe fixing
clips, meanwhile connect leaf spring with rear
brake hose through rear axle brackets.
Tightening torque: 13-19Nm; (as shown in the figure)

5. Fix the hand brake dragline with bracket

clamp and the brake dragline lock thread attached
on rear axle.

II. Rear Shock Absorber Assembly

(I). Structure of Rear Shock Absorber Assembly:

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Figure: Rear Shock Absorber Assembly

1. Thin hexagon nut, 15Nm 2. Rear sliding post upper cover 3. Disk washer
4. Thin hexagon nut, 15Nm 5. Rubber bracket II 6. Bearing sleeve
7. Rear spring upper base 8. Locating ring 9. Rear spring upper pad
10. Rear bumper 11. Dustcover 12. Protection cap
13. Rear shock absorber assembly 14. Rear helical spring 15. Rear spring lower disk
16. Lower disk bearing pad 17. Bowl washer 18. Rubber bearing block I
19. Bearer disk 20. Thin hexagon nut, 25Nm 21. Bolt 22. Nut, 70Nm

(II). Assembling Rear Shock Absorber Assembly (refer to figure: Rear Shock
Absorber Assembly)
1. Fit rear spring lower disk 15 on rear shock absorber assembly 13 and press to fix it
with a force of 9.5-10KN, and then fit lower disk bracket and press to fit with a force
of 2-3KN after mounting the lower disc bearing pad;

2. Fit in turn rear helical spring 14 and protection cap 12 on rear shock absorber
piston rod, and then the assembled rear bumper 10 and dustcover 11;
3. Compress rear helical spring 14 to 280-300mm, and then fix locating ring 8, rear
spring upper pad 9, rear spring upper base 7, bearing sleeve 6 and rubber bearing
block II 5, then tighten thin hexagon nut 4 to specified torque (15Nm);
(III) Assembling Shock Absorber Spring
1). As shown in the figure below, hole a must be aligned with the bush of connecting
sleeve 2 when assembling rear spring lower disk, otherwise spring disk 1 will collide
with tire under the extreme running condition.
2) Pay attention to the position of rear spring upper pad when assembling, as shown
in the figure.

a
a

Figure: Mounting Position of Spring Base Figure: Mounting Position of

Spring Lower Disk
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III. Installing Rear Shock Absorber Assembly (refer to Figure: Rear

Shock Absorber Assembly)
1. Fit the rear shock absorber assembly upward from
the bottom of vehicle body to extrude the piston
rod into passenger compartment through
shock absorber base;
2. Fit in turn bowl washer 17, rubber bearing block 18
and bearer disk 19 on piston rod in the passenger
compartment, and then tighten thin hexagon nut 20
to 25Nm.

3. Lift the car, insert the shock absorber connecting

sleeve in the corresponding position in the rear
axle assembly, and tighten with bolt 21 and nut 22
to specified torque (70Nm).
(As shown in the figure)

4. Fix tire and lay down the car to tighten thin

hexagon nut 20 to specified torque (25Nm).
5. Fit on bowl washer 3, and tighten thin hexagon
nut 1 to specified torque (15Nm).

6. Assemble rear shock absorber upper cover 2 to

prevent dusts and sundries from entering and
causing abnormal wearing of piston rod.
(As shown in the figure)

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