Hey hey
You're absolutely corect. THe thing is, Trumpeter screwed up a little here. The instructions show the suspension in the correct orientation, but the actual parts are moulded as a mirror image, resulting in confusion. I haven't actually started building mine yet, but I've heard a LOT of stuff about it, your question more so than anything else.
Check out the Perth Military Modelling site. They have an excellent buildup review of the kit.
http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/models/vehicles/tr00203const.htm