So I was driving in a parking lot and had to hit the brakes fast to stop for a person who popped out. Now let me tell you i was only going 5mph and i didnt even hit the brake hard enough to lock the wheels up. But anyways, when i hit the brakes i heard a loud cla-clunk and the truck dropped. I immediately new something horribly had gone wrong. So i got out and walked around the car and was amazzed at what i saw. My leaf springs on both sides in the front snapped in half by the u-bolts !!!! I was so dam furious i took a dam crow bar to the truck !!The front end is sitting so low the wheels are almost touching the wheel wells and the axle is pushed back so far it is scraping the wheel wells in the back. So now my bleeping truck is sitting in the parking lot. now I am just trying to devise a plan to fix it this weekend. I'm thinking about bringing some tools up with me to the school and fixing it there. I'm going to jack the frame up, replace the leafs, then try to move the axle back forward, bolt everything up, then try and get it home. I'm just hoping i can get it working again. This thing has caused me too many headaches the 4 weeks ive owned it, first being the driveshaft bolts falling out and having it rip off in the mtns, and now im worried about my own safety. Cause if those would have broken coming off a highway ramp, the tires would have turned sharply, and i would have probably been going end over end, and in the hospital if not dead. So once i get it home im going to re-inspect everything on the truck. Thanks for letting me rant. Austin
-Also do you think my plan will work, and could anyone give me any pointers while doing this i have never worked on these parts. thanks

 

Im sitting here trying to figure out how that happened, i know a leaf spring can break, but to have both springs break at the same time and by the u-bolts ?, thats seems strange to me.

 

I know i cant figure it out. And the break on both sides is a perfect vertical break through all 3 leafs . My dad asked me something too, did u hit a god dam curb going 30? no, but i wish i had at least some explanation for this. it happened exactly how i described it. I am wondering if not having a torsion bar assisted in this?

 

you dont have torsion bars, you are SA. IFS has TBs

 

my mistake i meant like the torque bar. i could be getting my words mixed up i do apologize. But what ever bar that keeps the axle from twisting or turning during breaking. Because something has definitely been cut off

 

ya thats what i figured after i typed that in. No Problem. that could be a reason for some problems. I am not too familiar with the stock SA setups so I am not of too much help to you.

 

The torque rod does help control the front axle while braking. It keeps the axle from rolling forward under heavy braking, mainly to prevent having the front tires steer to one side. But with old sagging springs, that may have been kinked/bent around the spring perches, that axle roll might have done in the springs.

I don't have a torque rod on my '85 due to the crossover steering and if I hit the brakes hard at slow speed, I can hear the front springs making noise as the spring clamps engage and keep the leaves from separating.

Maybe pick up a set of used springs to slap on there, or you could slap a block of steel over the break and weld it together. I did that once on a Jeep in out group that busted a front spring about 10 miles from the end of a hard trail:
- http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CA-168/Dusy-2003/21.html

 

thanks once again 4crawler for help answering my questions. Now i have another one lol. Is there a way to install a new torque bar?

 

did you remove any springs from your packs

 

nope ive never touched them

 

is it possible to weld a new torque bar on?