Trashed my Springs oops

[SiredbyFire]

Well i managed to bust both of my main leafs. i installed a zero rate and relocated my rear axle back a 1 1/2. apparently i did it wrong.
i didnt really think about those shims in between the leafs when i did the install. my springs were just the stock 52". the shims seemed to have created a fulcrum and the pressure from the ubolts and spring plates started cracking it right across where the shims stopped.
i noticed them when i was fixing my shock mount.
so just a little heads up hopefully my stupidity will save someone else the cost of a new set of springs or avoidable downtime.
sure was a good excuse to upgrade to 56"s though

 

[sweetk30]

2 major things i see wrong YOU did

#1 = didnt cut off the extra length of the center pins to keep the extra from limiting the clamp force of the ubolts to the plate to the springs.

#2 = stock spring plates on zero rate setup axles/spring packes. you need zero rates AND new top plates setup for zero rates to keep the center pin in the right place and let the ubolts be were thay need to be. http://diy4x.com/cart/index.php?route=product/product&path=24&product_id=124

so both of these most likly lead to your twisted / beat up / mangled rear spring setup you have now.

 

[SiredbyFire]

i appreciate the comments but neither one of those things would have stopped the leaf from cracking.
The spring plate was punched to allow for the center pin to come through, it was not limiting clamping force.
The shims in the pack needed to be relocated with the zero rate/ spring perch to eliminate the void and everything lines up. otherwise its gets smushed.

 

[tRustyK5]

Yup, you created a shear point. I don't really like those spacers anyways, I'd rather run without them and use the plastic slider buttons on the tips of each leaf. Much easier on the individual leafs.

*edit* i fixed your pics...everybody hates having to sidescroll 300 feet to read a thread. When you post pics hit the return/enter key between links and all the pics will line up vertically.

Rene

 

[K85 Octane]

I don't follow what he did wrong. Not arguing, just stupid maybe.

He said the spring plate was drilled for the center pin, you can see it in the picture. That would seem to eliminate the need for the DIY4x plates. Unless there is the need for movement between the plates and center pin, his mod seems like the right thing to do. "[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]You will have to drill a hole in the ubolt plate for the new offset spring pin location[/FONT]" ORD

His U-bolts line up as well, straight over the axle, perch, 0-rate, and spring plates. The only thing that doesn't line up are the spacers between the leafs. That looks like the problem, what the OP said. Either the first one or couple need to be removed, or some new longer spacers need to be used. Something like that.

I can see how this put pressure on the leaf, directly above the spacer.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

This is the big problem, that tiny amount of contact between the spring and spring perch is a catastrophe. 100% the reason that the springs broke.

Those zero rates are backwards, no?

 

[K85 Octane]

ahahha I had a hard time looking at that too Chris. The top picture is without anything bolted on. The bottom looks still bolted, perches and everything lined up. In the bottom picture, left side faces the front. You can see his centering pin is his start point, with the 0-rates everything is moved rearward 1.2" (to the right of picture).

I lost hair scratching my head over that picture.

 

[scrappyk5]

Looks to me that the pad between the springs could have caused that. Especially because of the fact you do not have the ubolts on backend over top of them. Once you torqued down the ubolts, all it would take is a few good bumps and something was bound to give.

 

[SiredbyFire]

ya those pads, shims placement are critical with that spring and zero rate install, gotta get rid of em or move em with the zero rate.
sorry bout the pics, i can see how that would be confusing.
they were taking from both sides of the truck and not really posted chronologically.
and a little disclaimer. this is no way diy4x fault, all mine the end user. without Kurt the only mods id ever be able to do would be with a sawzall.

 

[Blue85]

There's no reason to have spacers between leaves at the center-pin anyway. They don't slide there because they are all clamped together. Better to have them at the ends of the leaves where they slide the most. And if you must leave them in there, line them up between the U-bolts for pete's sake.