Was driving over a speed bump at walmart - probably going 2 km/pm
and * clink clank clink clink * was heard - hopped out seen a foot and half of my leaf on the ground!!
got some pics of both sides ...

can I still drive with this piece missing?
there is 5 on each side
and one side is down to four and a half.
it looks like the brackets/clamps that close them together are gone on one side, at least one of them has shifted right up to the roller and seems like its barely on.

funny thing is I was talking to my friend last week asking if I could take a leaf off another vehicle from a yard and put it in with mine to raise it up a bit and for more stiff ness,
a week later this happens

so to my question
I know I have done it with a friend to yhis older chevy like 78 or something went to a yard and cut outleafs to raise up the truck.

is it possible to do on newer vehicles or is there too much stuff in the way to do it easily?

so can I drive and not be worried or should I attend to this matter sooner then later??

Pictures
aswell it looks like one side u can see bolts going through the leafs attaching them , on the other side there is no bolts ..and no brackets on the broken side, aside from one that has shifted all the way next to the roller....
is this job easily manifested?
** quick search on google reveals if one broke that means the rest could be ready to go and I should replaced both packs of leafs.
have any of my fellow Dakota brothers/sisters successfully completed this job? any tips/advice to pass long?
THANK YOU ALL - WILL FOLLOW UP WITH PROGRESS REPORTS and RESULTS UPON COMPLETION

should I add put new shock absorbers at same time as this job if I have been wanting to do this for some time already?( Dakotas have struts in front and shocks in back correct?
and to be honest- I think by looking at the leafs , that may not be the first time a piece of one was cracked off, just the first time I seen it fall off!?!?

 

I'd say you can still drive it, but I would get it fixed asap and avoid putting heavy loads in the back.

 

It can cause your axle to come loose (especially if the other half falls out) and that can get ugly. Personally, I would drive it home (carefully) and fix it before driving it any more.

 

that sucks! I just did an add a leaf on my truck and that wasn't too bad once you know what to do

 

did you add just under the leak pack? or on top? middle?
for extra height? increase load capacity? stiff ness? for badness? lol

im thinking if I ever find the time, which im going to have to - from what Tom a said - I will head to a yard with a generator and a angle grinder and go cut one out

*****think I can grab one from any truck???? or gotta be from a Dakota?
they seem pretty standard hey??*************

 

"* quick search on google reveals if one broke that means the rest could be ready to go and I should replaced both packs of leafs."

That would seem reasonable to me. And do it right. One size doesn't fit all. Get the correct set of springs for your truck.

 

I forget whom, but I think someone was running Ram 2500 leaf packs... anyone remember?!

 

auto parts network, my local supplier, who i have used lots lately, told me 156 but for me hell gimme a pack for 100, off a 2011 Dakota with 30,000.
should i buy both sets ? im going to buy the one and put a down-payment on the other
just going to see if 11 fits the 07 first

 

just picked up the leak spring pack for the side, $116 after tax.
throw that one in first, hopefully it isnt too difficult..i have a shop that owes me 2.5 housr labor...Maybe MAYBE i could have them do it.

 

I think it was Backwoods.