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Why do I keep braking leaf springs?

4K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Blk04Snake 
#1 ·
Broke the first "real" spring in each pack, just in front of the axle.

This is the second time this has happened to me. I have had up to 2.5 yards of gravel in the bed before on the first set of springs, they squatted the frame 1/2" from axle. We over loaded this truck regularly. In other words no shocker I broke them the first time.

Last time it happened was just over a year ago and the spring shop recommended I get some timbrens, they kinda look like air bags except they are solid rubber. Shop said the air bags are annoying, that's before you get them salty in the winter. The timbrens sit 3/4" from axle, replacing factory bump stops. Each is rated at over 5K lbs! I can put a 2k lbs mini skid steer and over 1k lbs in gear in the bed and it might sit 1 inch lower. My truck never looks loaded now. I had 2k lbs pallet set in the bed, it hardly dropped. The fork lift operator was shocked how it did not squat. Mind you this rides like a work truck now there is only 3/4" factory travel before the timbrens hit. I've been more nervous about the tremendous stress put on my axle stops (little wings sticking out from lift blocks under leaf packs)from the timbrens rather than the leaf springs. Yet the same two leaf springs(now only 1 year old) broke again?
Makes me think they are not braking "only" from over loading. I was wondering if they get so rusty and can not freely slide on each other when getting flexed that they could brake? Maybe some thin wear pads should be installed in between each spring.
 
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#2 ·
Well, most every time that I have had a spring break (pickup, trailer, big truck) its empty. Pot holes, man holes ect....when loaded the springs are able to flex better because of the weight, but empty they seem to just break instead of flex from what I've experienced. Someone will chime in I'm sure and have a better answer for you.
Dave
 
#3 ·
we brake springs all the time when the roads get bad frost heaves in them..even with our tractor trailer's...they always brake when your empty....with no load the spring does a very fast snap up and down compared to a loaded spring that just squats as you go over the bumps... the very fast snap of a bump makes the spring go up then bend back the other way very quickly...that's what makes them brake..the metel used in springs is a very hard metel..with a load.. the spring goes up then back to its normal position without snapping backwards,(that's what springs are ment to do),weak shocks, weak springs or speed is the problem....
 
#4 ·
If you broke the spring close to the axle possibly the U bolts weren't good and tight from the spring replacement. Did you retorque them after driving it a couple hundered miles after replacement?
 
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