Leaf springs are essential to your truck, Jeep, van, or SUV's suspension. These long, arching spring packs are generally situated at the rear of a vehicle, taking the place of coil springs and link arms.
Leaf springs center the rear axle under the chassis both side-to-side and front-to-back; they also support the weight of your vehicle and its cargo. Additionally, these spring packs provide movement to the rear suspension, compressing and expanding to allow the rear axle to articulate for a smooth and capable ride.
However, like most suspension components, leaf springs are wear items that can degrade with time, eventually requiring a replacement to restore your vehicle's like-new ride quality. But how can you tell when it's time for a new set?
Our experts at RealTruck have compiled a list of driving characteristics and visual symptoms to look out for on your leaf spring-equipped truck, van, Jeep, or SUV. Read on to see if your ride's due for replacements!
How should leaf springs look when they’re in good condition? For one thing, they won’t be making your truck sag or rattle at the rear. Find out the symptoms of bad leaf springs and how to tell if the ones on your truck are in bad condition with these tips from our expert mechanic Andy.
Different vehicles have different suspension systems, and leaf springs are one type. Leaf springs in good condition should look unworn and not have damage like cracking. If the springs or shackles are defective, problems like the rear sagging can happen.
Coil springs are another suspension part of some vehicles. Both of these suspension parts help absorb the impact of bumps in the road for a smoother drive.
Front of a leaf spring attached to the frameYou’ll mostly find leaf springs in trucks or larger rear-wheel drive vehicles, like some SUVs. The front part attaches to the frame, the center gives the spring space to move up and down under the axle, and the rear part attaches to a shackle.
The leaf spring in the video above at 1:14 shows a leaf spring with the front attached to the frame, a clip or bushing to keep two springs contained as they move, and a third spring contained by u-bolts above an axle housing. Then it connects to a shackle at the other end. The shackle may or may not be above the spring depending on the setup. The leaf spring may also have a helper spring placed above it.
Follow these steps to diagnose your own leaf springs. Bad leaf springs will look cracked and worn, and may have missing or damaged components.
Steps to check how a leaf spring should look
Inspect the rubber bushings of the two springs for wear like cracking that could cause your truck to sag.
Inspect the leaf spring bumpers for wear. The bumper may also be missing, which is not a good sign. This can cause rattling or squeaking as you drive over bumps.
Inspect the physical condition of the leaf springs. Check the springs for cracking, which may be easy to miss. Cracking can cause sagging on the side of the damage. If the back half of the leaf cracks, that section of the spring could fall out without you knowing.
A rusted and rotted shackle can cause the leaf spring to tap against the vehicle, like a truck bed.
You may notice the bed of your truck is sagging, or you hear squeaking or rattling when driving over bumps. Different problems with leaf springs can cause different symptoms, but these three are a sign there may be a defective component of your vehicle’s leaf spring.
Learn how to replace your vehicle’s leaf spring yourself. We have thousands of how-to videos to help you fix and maintain different parts on different vehicles regardless of your skillset.
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How Should Leaf Springs Look - Check Bad Leaf Springs - 1A Auto
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If you want to know how leaf springs should look and how to check for bad leaf springs, use these tips from 1A Auto's expert mechanics
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1A Auto Team
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1A Auto
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