Leaf springs are one of the most critical components, especially for vehicles that carry heavy loads. It is the main component of the suspension system, and it is in place to support the weight of the vehicle, keep the tire on the road, and control axle damping. It aids in cornering and controlling the ride height of your vehicle. They do not, however, last forever and eventually wear out. Your truck or vehicle will not drive well if your leaf springs are worn. It could be dangerous if it is severely worn out. Especially if you’re driving, since transporting products from one place to another is where trucks are mostly used. As the driver, you should make sure that your vehicle’s leaf spring is in top condition.
However, depending on the distance traveled or the amount of cargo carried by your truck or vehicle, leaf springs may continue to wear out over time. Leaf springs are prone to wear and tear, which is why they should be replaced regularly. The issue could be that the leaf spring wears out and begins to sag, or that it is already cracked and broken. Some people prefer to upgrade their leaf springs so that they can handle heavy-duty support, making your truck or vehicle safer.
Because of the importance of leaf springs in trucks and other vehicles, once you obtain the correct replacement leaf springs, you should also learn how to properly install them. Although there will be repair shops in the area. However, learning it is also important in case of an emergency, so that when the time comes, you are prepared and know what to do. Here are some simple step-by-step instructions for installing your leaf spring.
Prepare
Make sure to prepare your old suspension before installing your new leaf spring. The preparation will take about three days before you can detach the old springs. Because old leaf springs are mostly corroded, it is critical to remove them without scratching any nearby parts. While swapping out your old leaf spring for a new one, make sure not to damage the parts that need to be reused. To prepare your old suspension, soak the parts in oil and rub them; these parts include bolts, nuts, and brackets. This will help loosen your springs, making the removal process a little easier.
Raise the Vehicle
When all of your preparations are done and have completed the previous step, you are now ready to install your new leaf spring. The first thing you need to do is raise your vehicle’s back end and remove your rear tires. Use a hydra jack to help you raise your vehicle so that the rear tires are around three inches off the ground. Place a jack stand on the side of your car around one foot in front of each of your rear tires. With your vehicle now suspended at the rear. You can now remove the loose lug nuts, and slide off the rear wheels. With this, you may now have clear access to the two rear leaf springs.
Remove the Base Plate
You can learn how to take out leaf springs in this step. After finding the bottom attachment bolt, detach the fasteners, and remove the shock absorbers, you are done. Remove the base plate by releasing the fasteners on the U-bolts. Lift the axle just a little bit, then remove the leaf spring pack from the center pin using a crowbar bar in your hand.
The spring’s forward mounting bolt should be removed, after which the spring’s front should be placed aside. The outer plate can be removed by removing the fasteners from the spring’s back. Shackles and pins should be taken off. After doing these steps, you can learn how to install leaf springs in the next two steps.
Installing the New Kit
After preparing the installation kit, you can now insert the new shackle in place. Then, find the inner-shackle hinge pin, then place it through the steel sleeves of the shackle.
After following those steps, check to see if the leaf spring that you’ve installed is aligned correctly. Be mindful that the measurement between the center and end will always be different on each side.
Now that the rear leaf spring is aligned, you can now place it on the shackle and secure it by locking the nuts, but make sure to don’t lock it tightly. For this, use new fasteners instead of the old ones because they might be worn out.
Complete the Installation
The final step is to complete the installation after you have installed and secured your new leaf spring to the rear of your vehicle. You will need to raise the front end of your new leaf spring to a level between its forward mount. Slide the bolt into its original place and now secure it with a locking nut. Make sure to secure it not too tight. The spring pack is not yet ready to be tightened.
This time, you must lower the back end until it makes contact with the spring. Then, you must align the center. You will be needing two new U-bolts. If you currently don’t have one, don’t worry, it came with your replacement kit. All you need to do now is put them in place.
With all of those finished, it is not ready to be tightened. You may use a torque wrench, to secure firmly the bolds and nuts. Once done, check after seven days the nuts and bolts to make sure they are tight enough and not loose. Use your torque wrench to reapply your shock absorbers.
After completing the replacement of your leaf spring on one side, it is now time to repeat these processes and steps to the other side of your vehicle. After you’ve finished replacing your vehicle’s leaf springs, reinstall the rear wheels and tighten the lug nuts on each side. Now, remove the jack stand from beneath the truck. And lower the rear to the ground. Check the lug nuts one more time to ensure they’re securely fastened.
You now know how to properly install leaf springs after completing all of these steps and processes. It will be much easier for you to perform leaf spring installation in the future.
Key Takeaway
The use of vehicles or trucks specifically is important in our modern society; it gives us comfort, transportation, and access to produce from different regions. Due to the number of time cars, and trucks spend on the road, some of their parts also wear down from time to time. One of those parts is the leaf spring, able to support the weight of the cargo of the vehicle, making the vehicle more efficient in a lot of ways. As a driver, it is important to have basic knowledge in terms of maintaining or replacing certain parts of your vehicle. Especially in the case of an emergency. That way, you will be prepared at any time, especially being on the road.
