Wow that wasnt good

[Stomis]

So I'm waiting on UPS to come with the bushings for my 56 rear springs. While doing so I figured since the beds off anyway I'll flip the shackle flip from side to side and yank the old springs off. Well I get my drivers side spring off and throw it in my driveway and the main leaf CRACKS right in half! Wtf I feel like I was driving around in something really unsafe...

PS: Its alot easier to work on your truck when its got no bed.

 

[TC4x4]

wow, that doesnt sound safe at all.

 

[planedr]

wow, that doesnt sound safe at all.

Sounds like an upgrade is in order now!!

 

[vortec]

look at the bright side; you didn't find out on the highway

my friend cracked one of the spings about halfway through on his s10 (zq8 suspension) and decided to duct tape it and keep driving it for a few months. i was really surprised because he's not usually one to take shortcuts like that. could have been a shortcut to the cemetary.

 

[Stomis]

Yeah they came out ito be replaced by nice flex rebuilt 56's with a zero rate to move my axle back. I cant wait to flex it out tonight if friggin ups would get here with my bushings....

 

[Mike D]

That is why the factory uses a military wrap eyelet on the the two long springs. If it broke on the highway ( after hitting a pothole ) the truck would dip but could still be driven home.
Be glad it happened home. You probably would not be able to control the truck over 20 mph. The damages suspention would probably cause it to weve side to side.

 

[454k30]

maybe, maybe not. We just had a guy at work break his rear shackle completley in half causing the sping to come up and hit the bed. Happened on the highway and except for the truck sitting at an odd angle we couldn't even tell what had happened until we pulled it over and looked. The spring on the other side and the remaining attaching point of the broken spring kept the axle in its location. I really should post some pics of this, its a great reason why those who put boats in and out of salt water need to rinse their trucks everytime they do it.

 

[noJeepshere]

I broke a spring on my 81 hitting washboards unexpectedly, but it was a secondary leaf, so not too big a worry. Infacty, I drove it like that since then. It sags a little in that corner now, and since it don't drive anymore, and the next time I drive it will be to a shop, I don't care.

 

[Stomis]

Yeah breaking a shackle isnt a big deal because the eyelet can catch something on its way up. My spring broke 2 in away from the center pin! Right in half a clean crack. I'd imagine it must have been cracked the ubolt plate was keep it clamped together? What can cause a spring failure like that?

 

[noJeepshere]

My guess is years of hot and cold mixed with road salt in winter and possibly a not-so-good forging process would make a spring brittle.

 

[454k30]

I had read somewhere that if a spring breaks at the pin it is due to the spring plates not being tight enough. I don't know if its true though.

 

[Stomis]

Nothing to do with over flexing a stiff spring or the fact that the spring went from 20 years of not being mounted flat to suddenly being mounted flat with a shackle flip?