Hi everyone, my passenger side leaf spring broke and I'm trying to replace spring, I jacked truck up put stands under frame and axel, when I removed back bushing bolt the end of the spring shot up and is now resting on the bed and the front end of the spring has tension, I also removed the 2 u bolts on axel. Am I doing something wrong? Is this normal? I feel like when I remove the front spring bolt something bad is going to happen

 

That must've been neat to experience!

I would have used a large C clamp so it didn't shoot into the bed before undoing the bolt.

At this point you have no choice but to remove the front bushing bolt.

 

I have a 2003 F150 4x4 and the one of the passenger side leaf springs broke. I am in the process of removing the spring. I jacked up truck, took off tire, put jack stands on frame and put floor jack on axel. Now the problem starts, I removed the U bolts on axel ( mounting plate and nuts is on top of axel) and when I removed the rear bolt on spring it shot up and is now resting on the bed, is this normal? I took nut off front end of spring and bolt has tension on it like the rear did and won't slide out. Seems like when I remove the bolt it's going to pop up too, and the spring is going to end up in a C shape. I thought the leaf spring just has a slight upwards curve on the ends. What am I doing wrong? Do I need to take the nut off thats in the center of the spring? Do I lift or lower the axel? I've searched the internet but can't find any info on it.

 

Murphy, I moved your last post to your existing thread on this topic. Manual has told you what you need to do. If you need clarification, just ask in this thread.

Don't scatter your questions over the forum in different threads. Doing so provides incomplete information to responders that can lead to confusing responses that can waste your time or cost you additional money.

- Jack

 

is ir normal for the leaf spring to shoot up like this? I thought leaf springs were only slightly curved. Do I need to raise or lower the axel? and do I take the nut off in the middle of the spring? I tried to take it off but it just spins and i don't see any bolt head to keep it from spinning

 

Yes, when broke/cracked, it's not being held down in it's spring clamps so it will spring up and get you, like you just found out.

Otherwise, no. As long as the leaf spring set isn't broke, it won't do that.

The leaves themselves in the clamp are under tension, but you don't mess with that on a new set of leaf springs, unless you want to get your hands and possibly your face injured from it exploding apart.

As a side note, when working on any spring system (coil or leaf), make sure you are wearing proper PPE. Thick leather gloves, safety glasses with full face shield, and don't be in the line of path of any separating joints. Even after all my years of doing suspension work, I am SUPER careful when working around loaded coil springs and leaf springs! Meaning they still give me the heebie jeebies...

There's an old, but very useful safety video out there called "Three finger Joe"... if you ever want to buff up on your safety learning. It is comical, but it's also meant to instill fear when working on dangerous equipment.

 

I removed the front bushing bolt and it went up too, luckily it's just against the front shackle, and I used a small scissor jack on top of the rear end of the spring to lower the end and compress the leafs together and put a C clamp on it to keep leafs together and did the same to the front, however the ends are still pushing upwards and I can't get the spring out, do I need to remove the center bolt nut that holds the spring together? I did try to remove it but it just spins and there's no bolt head to grip onto to keep it from spinning. I also lowered the axel about an inch but it didn't appear to do anything.

 

Ok, that center bolt will need to be cut off if it's just spinning. Either use a torch or a cut off tool, such as an air die cut off tool.

 

thank you so much for all your help, btw it was heart stopping when the end of the spring hit the bed 😄😄😄 had to change my shorts!! lol

 

Oh, I'm sure! Those springs are under a lot of force.

That safety video I was referring to has a spring incident, when a fellow was working on a brake chamber in a vice on the back of a work pickup truck. As they were unscrewing a bolt, the fellow didn't realize how much force it was under, and the spring popped out and went clear through the back window and the windshield. I'm sure that is how you felt.

 

Hi Manual, My leaf spring ends are still pushing up, do I need to jack up the frame super high?

 

Do you have pictures of what you are working on? It would help out greatly.