PSA: Check your springs!

[08H3]

Just a friendly reminder to check your leaf springs. Honestly, not something I paid a lot of attention to. Have had all kinds of leaf springs vehicles over the years and never a problem.

This afternoon on the trail I was crawling some small boulders and WHAM! ... Definitely a sound to investigate. Rear axle on DS was shifted all the way rearward. Not one but BOTH springs had broken forward eyes. Basically the weight of the truck was the only thing keeping them in place. I am so thankful this didn't happen on the interstate. That could have been catastrophic.

So now you know. These trucks are old. I know they need some extra love and attention. Just didn't know quite how much.

 

[Kelpie]

Hi ,thank you for the reminder - have heard of similar stories , not as bad as the nissan navara folding unto itself but serious nonetheless- is it a original manufacturing issue ,or a rust one?- same here have had various vehicle with leaf springs and no problems ,glad it happened when it did as loosing one's suspension can have disastrous results

 

[rascole]

Yes, steel springs are wear items and will fail with heavy use. I had this happen on Steel Bender in Moab.

 

[Happy Hummer]

Yes thank God that you were not on interstate.

 

[Kelpie]

Hi well known member ,where did it come apart - was it the spring housing ,retaining bolt or the spring blade itself - had a look at mine and the curve that is there before the spring eye seems like it could be a weak point -effectively only one blade hold the whole thing in -

 

[Kelpie]

Erm ,apologies ,name is Rascole....was reading name tag wrong

 

[rascole]

 

[NMH3]

Hi well known member ,where did it come apart - was it the spring housing ,retaining bolt or the spring blade itself - had a look at mine and the curve that is there before the spring eye seems like it could be a weak point -effectively only one blade hold the whole thing in -

Same happened to me a few years ago. Where the top leaf wraps around the forward bushing it suffers a fatigue failure and eventually the top of the wrap falls off. This leaves the truck sitting on the "cup" that's left behind, held in place by nothing but the weight of the rig. Works fine on the highway, but hit a big bump or unload that rear axle on the trail and the leaf can pop off the forward mount, snaps up and gets snagged on the spring perch housing. Before this happens the spring is tucked up inside the front mount and not easy to visually inspect to see if it has failed. stick a finger up that and feel to make sure there's no crack and no lip from an already failed spring.

 

[Kelpie]

Erm ,apologies ,to Rascole....was reading name tag wrong and it is not "well known member" -thank you for pictures showing failure - inspection of said components is definitely recommended.

 

[08H3]

My failure was exactly the same as NMH3.

 

[H3Hummer]

Holly molly , that's sad, i've checked mine a few times and no issues. I've painted them twice with Rustoleum and Hammerit all around. I'm already searching for replacement cause mine are also OEM leafs.