Hey guys, well today I discovered that the driver's side leaf spring in my 94 S15 broke. I was jacking up the rear end a little so I can rinse off the underside a little better (wanna get rid of the salt) and I noticed that the back of the leaf spring separated from the mount. Here are some pictures:


Here's a picture of it resting without the jack:



Seems fine from the outside:



And here it is jacked up a few inches:



Is it safe to drive? Expensive repair? The mount seems pretty rusty too, is that an area of concern?

 

YIKES! I wouldn't drive it... New springs shouldn't be too awful expensive.

 

oh my... i would not drive that thing to the end of the driveway. that is super dangerous, not only for you and your passengers... but for everyone on the road.

it is really easy to fix. only a few bolts. around here you can get used leaf springs at a junk yard for about $50 - 75 per side depending on mileage.

i would replace both sides, make sure they both come from the same truck, i would want to be sure have the same spring rate and mileage wear on both sides.

 

That is scary, I would be very careful about driving that thing anywhere.

 

Here's the crazy thing, apparently I've been driving with that for God knows how long. My dad was telling me to leave the truck alone since it's supposed to snow a little tomorrow. He said that it'll get covered in salt all over again, but I insisted on rinsing it off. Wow I guess my guardian angel purposely made me stubborn today! This doesn't look like a tough repair according to the Haynes manual, I'll probably be able to replace the leaf springs myself tomorrow or Saturday.

Forgot to add, why do you guys think this happened? Maybe rust? I also off-road occasionally but I never do anything crazy, just the occasional bumpy dirt road for the most part.

Oh and I'll probably go to the junkyard tomorrow. What model year leaf springs fit? Does 4wd/2wd make a difference??

 

you know you just set yourself up for a s**tload of work by quoting Haynes!

and that dirt road is a good bet as to the cause (plus the age/mileage of the truck).

as far as i know, the leafs are the same between the 2, but i'd stick with a 4WD truck, a better match to the spring arch. i'm not sure where you're located, but have you tried pricing a new set, or even having them price the main? i'm getting mine done on my '98-they sag (a little)-and are too soft (for my liking), and it's only gonna cost me $230-installed-and that's Canadian dollars! so.......that's....what?........maybe 30-40 bucks US? hahahahahahaha!

if you are gonna drive it to a shop to get it fixed, make sure the leaf sits down properly-and don't drive fast! idle along in the curb lane (with your 4 ways on, of course) at no more than 20 MPH, and try to avoide as many bums as possible. you've been lucky so far, best not to rip her wings off completely, 'cause you're bound to need her again sometime (talkin' about your angel there, brother).

GL.

 

Haha. well i'd say its more like $180 at least. What? Is it a tough job? And why would I tear my angel's wings off? she's proven herself useful hahaha

 

i was making a joke about pushing your luck too far (that's usually when she starts to lose feathers fast!

as for the job being tough, it can be. you'll need torches, either way, it'll be the fastest/easiest way.

just be sure to inspect the "new" used leafs closely (if that's the route you go). you wouldn't want to buy or install broken leafs.

 

Why would I need torches? I didn't see anything about need torches in the manual. And the springs are bolted in.

 

He's probably making a reference to having to heat up the nuts to get em off. Based on the amount of rust under your truck I'm gonna say your gonna need a torch or air tools :\.

And of course Haynes doesn't mention torches, they assume everything comes off easily lol.