Leaf Springs

What is a leaf spring? A leaf spring is a suspension component that is designed to suspend the weight of the vehicle, locate the vehicle’s axle, and help suppress the effects of road imperfections. While most modern cars have abandoned leaf springs in favor of coil springs, leaf springs were quite common in cars and trucks before 1980, particularly in the rear suspension of the vehicle. Nowadays, you’ll still find leaf springs in a lot of heavy-duty applications, like in the rear suspension systems of large trucks, trailers, and heavy equipment.

Generally speaking, vehicle leaf springs consist of a few parts, starting with multiple strips of steel, fiberglass, or composite plastic, arranged in an arc, and clamped together to form a single spring. The leaf spring is typically attached to the frame with a solid mount and bushing on one end and a leaf spring shackle mount and bushing at the other. The shackle affords the leaf spring some movement and makes installing replacement leaf springs a bit easier. Leaf springs are a part of your vehicle’s suspension system and, in addition to supporting vehicle weight, keep your axle centered under your vehicle to ensure your rear suspension and driveline remains stable.

As alluded to above, leaf springs perform well in heavy duty applications. And it’s often easy to upgrade or replace your leaf springs to add more cargo carrying capability. Adding an individual leaf spring or helper spring to an existing leaf spring pack can increase the leaf spring’s capacity too. While applications vary, leaf helper spring kits or add-a-leaf kits typically just clamp on to the leaf spring pack to help stiffen the original leaf spring and suppress sag.

Think you need replacement leaf springs? Some symptoms of a bad leaf spring include excess body bounce, lean, or roll. You may also notice your vehicle sagging more, particularly when heavily loaded or pulling a trailer, which puts more stress on your leaf springs. Worn leaf spring bushings, either in the spring itself or the leaf spring shackle, can introduce unpleasant jolts and vibration into the cabin as well.

If you’re searching for replacement leaf springs for your car, truck, or SUV, start shopping by your specific vehicle application right here at Summit Racing. With hundreds in stock, you’re bound to find the perfect leaf spring kit for your ride.