Truck modifications continued apace during the second half of June, with drivers Yoshimasa and Teruhito Sugawara actively taking part in truck fabrication. The finished truck will undergo a shakedown on Hino Motors' test course, and is scheduled to ship out in mid-July for Rally Mongolia 2014.

In Dakar Rally 2014, the team used the A09C engine - whose engine displacement is a liter larger than its predecessor - for the first time, and came away with solid results. However, while increased power resulted in faster speed, the team was able to identify the need to mitigate crew fatigue resulting from the increased pace on the bumpy terrain. To solve the problem, HINO TEAM SUGAWARA began to make major modifications to suspension construction for Dakar Rally 2015.

In the past, the team's trucks rode on multi-leaf suspension, a type of suspension composed of multiple layered sheets, or leaves, of spring steel. But with the dramatic increase in speed that came with the truck's new engine, it became clear that suspension performance also needed to be enhanced. Multi-leaf suspension brings the advantages of durability and ease of setting adjustment, but it also has the disadvantages of its weight and the friction between the layered springs, which interferes with their ability to deliver smooth action under all conditions.

To counter this effect, HINO TEAM SUGAWARA fitted the truck's rear wheels with tapered spring suspension in the last race as a test. Tapered leaf suspension has fewer leaf springs, making it lighter in weight, while reduced friction improves smoothness of response. However, it provides relatively less countering force to keep the tires in position, which has sometimes been a problem in past rallies. To counter this disadvantage, the team decided to attach a component called a torque rod to maintain the axles' positions, and use tapered suspension on all four wheels. The development of this new suspension system was carried out in a project led by Hino Motors' Technical Research Center, the company's advanced research division. The team's primary focus in Rally Mongolia 2014 will be to test this modification, and, based on the results from this test, optimally refine the suspension ahead of Dakar Rally 2015.

<TOPICS> Yoshimasa Sugawara to Race Rally Mongolia 2014 on a Jimny, Develop Younger Talent

Yoshimasa Sugawara has been entering Rally Mongolia on a Jimny for many years now. In addition to the thrill of competing and using the rally as part of his personal training, this effort is also aimed at developing young new team members who aspire to race in the Dakar Rally. Hiroyuki Sugiura, the current navigator of the HINO500 Series Car 2 in the Dakar Rally, learned his navigating skills at Rally Mongolia in 2008 and 2010. At Rally Mongolia 2014, Koji Tanaka, the current driver of HINO TEAM SUGAWARA's support car, will take up navigation for the first time. The team aims to have its members master new skills in order to enhance its overall performance.