Replace leaf springs or not?

[Toad455]

I couldn't find were to post stock, unmodified suspension so sorry if this is in the wrong place. I am restoring a 78C10 and the rear leafs work fine, they just have some surface rust that I can remove. Has anybody seen leaf failure on older springs? I would like to keep as many original parts as possible but if they are prone to failure I will replace them, I'm changing the bushings anyhow. Thanks.

 

[Bextreme04]

I couldn't find were to post stock, unmodified suspension so sorry if this is in the wrong place. I am restoring a 78C10 and the rear leafs work fine, they just have some surface rust that I can remove. Has anybody seen leaf failure on older springs? I would like to keep as many original parts as possible but if they are prone to failure I will replace them, I'm changing the bushings anyhow. Thanks.

Only if someone has severely overloaded them and/or done some funky stuff with them to create a sharp stress point. If they are broken, replace them. If not, just refresh them and put new bushings in. I took mine apart, put in new leaf slider pieces, painted the underside with EZ-slide graphite paint, and then reassembled the pack before spray painting the whole thing with black semi-gloss rustoleum spray paint. I used the ORD kevlar greasable bushings and I'm going on 3 years or so in the PNW and the spring pack still looks brand new and no squeaks at all.

 

[Toad455]

Hello and thanks much for the reply! Sounds good. Slider pieces was a question also, is that the thin plastic shims? Mine has remnants left hanging out on both sides, I thought about leaving them out. And this truck has never been overloaded, my dad bought it new and the heaviest thing it ever hauled was my go cart when I was a kid, ha. I'll look into the bushings that you used also. Thanks.

 

[Big Ray]

I couldn't find were to post stock, unmodified suspension so sorry if this is in the wrong place. I am restoring a 78C10 and the rear leafs work fine, they just have some surface rust that I can remove. Has anybody seen leaf failure on older springs? I would like to keep as many original parts as possible but if they are prone to failure I will replace them, I'm changing the bushings anyhow. Thanks.

The front springs on my 79 K5 are slam worn out. The frame to spring distance is 2" shorter than what it should be. It rides like a little red wagon full of bricks.i recently took a trip to Nebraska from NC, it beat my old ass to death.
I ordered a set of 3 leaf stock replacements from General Spring. I'll put them on after the holidays.