broken hotchkis leaf spring

[02SILVERBULLET]

it appears they have been cracked for a little while. the broken surface was rusty a little.

sadly i am not the origonal purchaser of them i doubt they will warranty them. i left them a message. so i will see.

my truck has carried weight but nothing too serious. and when i did have a heavier load on them i was using helper air bags. i think the v6 chevy engine and trans i had in the bed this weekend was the straw that broke the camels back.

funny coincedence also is that i took the truck to get an allignment today. had no issues prior but they called me after doing the allignment and said the rear was off... i was baffled after i picked it up is when i noticed the noise. called them right away and they said the checked the hardware for the rear suspension and nothing looked out of place... i wonder if it fell apart after or their guy is tottaly blind:loser: because when i jacked up the truck i say the two halfs hanging there and the loose u-bolts and about crapped myself since i just drove 28 miles home!

 

[SID297]

That's the first I've heard of that happening.

 

[02SILVERBULLET]

me either, i have broke about 3 front springs on my toyota but they are way soft and are constantly flexed and nevitive arched to about 2-3* so i understand those breaking. after about a year the springs look like ~ but the ones on my l naver gave me issue, no axle wrap couple times had some bounce in the burnout box a long time ago but i always lifted. and i raced after that, driven the poop out of tham and they take it. arch was always constant and ride height matched left to right well:??:

these are also the old style springs now speced for the HD's interesting they are tagged 2411

 

[speedfreek88]

pics? this is interesting...

 

[jec1521]

Maybe one of the U-bolts was torqued down to tight?

 

[02SILVERBULLET]

same springs on the truck for the nearly the last 4 years. never touched the u bolts. i will take pics when i remove it.

ordered up a new set from hotchkis today, last set they had in stock till they do another production run begining may 10th. so unless a vendor has them in stock and you want a set prepart to wait. they cut me a better deal than the price listed on their site too. even a little bit cheaper than lfp. wich is where i would have bought them if they did not as lfp has the best listed price on them.

 

[ecoastkid]

Or maybe the alignment shop gave your truck the beating of its life...

 

[SID297]

My bet is that there was just a flaw in the steel. When you pull it off you should be able to see it.

 

[1sweetSVT]

Or maybe the alignment shop gave your truck the beating of its life...

thats the first thing that came to my mind since he said he noticed it after picking the truck up from the shop.......i let NOBODY work on my truck!!!!

 

[02SILVERBULLET]

Or maybe the alignment shop gave your truck the beating of its life...

thats the first thing that came to my mind since he said he noticed it after picking the truck up from the shop.......i let NOBODY work on my truck!!!!

that is the way it is typicaly for me also. but there are just a few things i cant do, 1 is tuning and i leave that to dmp, 2 is allignments as i dont have a rack at work anymore, 3 is the major engine/trans rebuild stuff have not had to do taht stuff yet so that will go to dmp once the time comes also.

at first i thought the allignment shop but there was no traces of rubber on the truck they only put like 1.5 miles on it (test drive) they called me right away to report the "odd thrust angle" issue i think it was a total coincedence. but the new springs showed today! i should have them in tomorrow. i will take some pics then.

once it is all back together its off to get dropped at dmp for a true track install and all new berrings and seals in the rear end!!

 

[02SILVERBULLET]

here are the pics

 

[1sweetSVT]

damn dude thats pretty crazy, never seen that before

 

[bird_jenkins8]

Wow, had those on my L.......would never though that would happen

 

[chrisheltra]

Hope mine dont do that.

 

[Rook]

that was hard to believe. did they replace them free

 

[lightninmike]

I have seen springs that are 2 inches thick crack so its not like it cant happen however i do think your U-bolts were loose or these have been broken for a long while because they never should have pulled out that far from under the bolted surface

 

[ecoastkid]

Just good that it didnt cause you to have an accident.

 

[1sweetSVT]

however i do think your U-bolts were loose or these have been broken for a long while because they never should have pulled out that far from under the bolted surface

+1 i hope he pulled them apart for the picture

 

[camaross0002]

I have seen springs that are 2 inches thick crack so its not like it cant happen however i do think your U-bolts were loose or these have been broken for a long while because they never should have pulled out that far from under the bolted surface

looks to like there was alot of rubing to by the ubolt plate from the looks of all the grooves in the spring. Looks like improper install with out correct torgure specs or the bolts came lose over time.

 

[02SILVERBULLET]

springs had been on the truck for close to 4 years, u bolts never touched. before it was lowered more (just the hotchkis springs) it carried weight. i drove the truck for probably a week before the pack came apart. 25 miles each way to work and made a trip of just over 200 miles all beating it every day like i do. the spring did dome apart and was hanging down. the clunk i had been hearing, was the rear end bouncing in the loose u bolts.

i was lucky, very lucky it did not come apart more.

hotchkis did not warranty them. i was not the origonal purchaser and they were close to 4 years old.

im not mad, just suprised. these see little to no travel. i have replaced several sets of leafs on my toyota due to cracked or s shaped leafs due to extreme flex. so i understand. just posting so you all can see. i doubt anyone will experiance the same failure.