I have a 2001 Sport Offroad and i beat the $hit out of my truck when i go offroad to hunt, i noticed that my rear leafs are not lined up, kinda overlapping or fanning out , like your holding a hand of poker cards,lol, both ends of the leafs are not stacked directly on/over top of each other, What should i do ,replace them,? Go to local spring shop and have them redone? look at J/Y for ones, ? which aftermarket ones should i look at? can i fix these myself? thanks

 

i'm not looking at it, but the leaves are supposed to have a retainer clip about 1/2 way down each end to keep them aligned. there is also a center bolt to keep the center of the stack aligned and seated on the perch.

are your retainers missing, or has the center pin broken ?

for temporary alignment, try a c-clamp or carpenters wood clamp to force them back in line and then fix the retainer.

 

the retainers are streched out a little, how many are there on each side? i put a BIS A$$ PAIR OF CHANNEL LOCKS ON THE LEAFS AND CAN SQUEEZE them back togeather but they pop back out, alot of stress it seems, this was with the truck on the ground not jacked up, do i have to buy new retainers or clamp the old ones back into place, i will try the C-clamps in the morning and pinching the retainers back into place as with the leafs, do you think this will hold ?? how will i know if the center pin is broke?

 

Exactly,.. you probably broke off your retainers,...jack up your truck, and bang 'em back straight...or use a clamp or such to re-align them,...then replace the retainer bands. **if they're actually screwed up...try pricing leaf spring packs at the J/Y, or check out your local 4x4 shop or spring shop, (or try JC Whitney or Summit Racing an' such). I only paid $75.00 Canadian funds for one 5-pack ($130.00 for both sides), at my local auto wrecking yard. good luck.

 

i will try it first thing in the morn, now if i go the J/Y route i should stick to an offroad model for springs? right? what the worst that can happen if this doesnt work out? and keep driving it? it also seems ,but, maybe just maybe and i hope im wrong, but the drivers side leaf lift block looks like it may be leaning a cvnt hair, should i just take the friggen wholething off and check it, is it hard to put back togeather/ ive never taken off a rear spring before , but i know my way around and have air tools

 

worst that can happen - springs move more and you cut up a tire, wreck, catch on fire, and then die. oh yeah i forgot, you run over a old lady in the process.

junkyard spring packs are fine, but i doubt you need anything beyond new retainer clips. if you go junkyard, you'll likely not find an exact offroad edition. what matters is the
number of springs. 4 vs 5 vs 6.
width and length
location of center hole (not always in front/rear center)
thickness. the bottom one is generally very thick.

to check the center pin, you'll have to loosen the u-bolts, and then jack up the body to lift the spring off the perch. a broken bolt will allow the pack to separate. a good bolt will keep it pinned together tight.

to replace retainer clips only, just clamp them back in line and install the clip.

 

thanks for the fast response and good details on what to do , i hope this works out, i will post tommorow and follow up, thank you once again, no chukkar hunting till this gets fixed

 

I wouldn't recommend an attempt to remove/replace them if you've never done it before, they can be a royal PITA, and lots of things that can go wrong [and hurt you] if you do something wrong.
Then again, most mechanic jobs have that potential, but it certainly helps, and is nearly mandatory, that you have another set of hands to help you ,,, Hopefully, someone who has done them before.

If not, at least buzz around the internet or get a book that details the procedure and brush up on the process, get all your parts handy.
Many if not most of the bolts will have to be busted out one way or another, and there are special shackles and square head bolts that you need to have on hand before you start, since some will be destroyed taking them out and, in any case, you'd want to use new hardware.
If you do it, just take your time, and think about all the implications as you start taking them off, ie: If I take this off, thats gonna need to be supported, ect.
You would chock off the front wheels front & back and jack up the rear, take off the rear tires and support the truck with 2 jack stands on the rear frame rail.
I always slide the tires under the frame rail too, as an added measure of safety.
Have plenty of lube, breaker bar, hammer & a torch - And you'll probably be reaching for a cutoff wheel at some point.
Safety glasses and a dust mask too.

I'd say if you drive this truck hard, your rear would love you for getting a new set, if you have the spare time, inclination and $$ to mess with it.
New clips may be a quick fix but I doubt a lasting solution - Springs, like anything else, get tired and develop somewhat of a memory, once they start going they are not going to be revived for too long with a simple fix like that.

I happen to live a few miles from the Eaton springs factory, thats where I get mine.
I imagine shipping would be a bitch though.

http://www.eatonsprings.com/manufacturing.htm

Bunch of tech info

http://www.eatonsprings.com/atqMainPage.htm

Info on clip installation [yes, there is a method]

http://www.eatonsprings.com/atqLeafSpringClipsIII.htm

 

i helped my mechanic replace the driver front leaf spring on my work /fuel/lube truck, 2007 international 50,000lbs it took both of us about 4 hrs we had a hard time lining the center pin back up but we had plenty of saftey jacks supporting everything, we had to use a comealong attached to his mechanic truck to pull the axle?? to line up the pin hole,and a-lot of adjusting of the shackle screw bolts, i know its completley different , long story short i broke the bottom half of the bottom leaf coming off the freeway fully loaded with diesel when i came to a stop ( no i dont drive the fuel truck like my own truck ..............well maybe a-little lol)

 

^great info.... everybody should read the articles - springtech 101 and the FAQ's.


new springs are really expensive at over $200 per side.
http://www.huskyspring.com/Product.t...detail&_ID=485

i talked to my local driveline shop about re-arching springs. they shook their head and said, we do it, but they always eventually re-sag and you won't be happy...

i redid my old chevy springs a long time ago by adding several junkyard leaves to my original packs, adding longer u-bolts (junkyard) and retainers (j/y). only spent about $10. it was a good learning experience, took awhile, worked out well. i could haul anything but it was a, lets say, BRUTAL ride.

the lineup was pretty easy, floor jack and maybe a ratchet strap. can't remember.