broken leaf spring

[LeeB]

A friend of mine broke the leaf spring on his truck. He doesn't have the money for a new one. Can we weld up the old one? It broke right at the front in where it bolts on.

[Radar67]

I tried having one welded before, it didn't work. That doesn't mean it can't be done though.

[LeeB]

Can you tell me what didn't work? Did it break again behind the weld?

[Radar67]

The weld itself separated from the metal as the weight was reintroduced to the spring. I know the welder did not preheat the metal before he welded it as I was standing there on New Years Day after I drug him away from the ball game in 20 degree weather. I'm sure he didn't get the penetration he needed.

[Warbird]

I tried to weld an axle once and had the same result (it failed).  I even reinforced it with a round piece of rolled steel.  It still failed.  I know you said your buddy is broke but maybe he can find one around town on a junker that someone would be willing to give him?

ps.  How did he break it?

[LeeB]

He doesn't know how it got broke. He suspects his oldest son is guilty. I'll try and weld it for him. If it brakes again, he'll have to take it from there.

[Radar67]

Lee, considering it is spring steel, (I'm no expert here) wouldn't you need to heat it up first? How do you keep the strength and flexibility after you apply heat to it?

[LeeB]

I'm no expert either. I just said I'd try to weld it for him.  :D :D
I wood think you wood have to retemper it to do it right. All this is why I posted here to try and coax a little info out of the more informed than me type folks.

[Gary_C]

How do you keep the strength and flexibility after you apply heat to it?

That's the problem along with having the exact same carbon content as the rest of the steel in the spring. Even if you do heat the metal near the weld, the hardness and stiffness will not be the same.

Best to find a replacement in the junk yard.

Must be a Ford. They were notorious for having broken leaves in their springs.

[LeeB]

Nope, 4wd chevy. Front left leaf right at the thimble? where it bolts up.

[Warbird]

Must be a Ford. They were notorious for having broken leaves in their springs.

I've been driving Fords for years and not had that problem.  On the topic of Fords and Chevys...  here are a couple of pics showing a Chevy in its proper place...  behind a Ford!





;D

[WH_Conley]

I have welded on a bunch of different stuff. The spring probably won't hold togather for as long as it takes to fix it.

[jokers]

I wouldn`t recommend welding a spring either but here is a general premise that too many "weldors" fail to consider. The localized area surrounding a weld is known as the HAZ, heat affected zone. The granular structure/alignment of the base metal is affected by intense localized heating and a weak stress riser is created right at the edge of the HAZ. This effect can be minimized in several ways but welding such that heat input is minimized is one way, ie; tack welding or small stringer beads, as is post weld mechanical stress relief such as peening. Post heat is also useful to minimize HAZ, use an oven or a torch( but be careful of carbonizing the surface) or other heat source, or pack the item in sand to slow the cooling. Sometimes a guy just has to do what a guy has to do to get out of a bind.

[Gary_C]

Nope, 4wd chevy. Front left leaf right at the thimble? where it bolts up.

I have a 1992 Ford F-250 that has had a number of internal leaves, not the main one, break. Had a terrible time finding one in the junk yards and thru Ford as well. Guy in the junk yard told me that Fords were real bad about breaking springs.

Guess that must mean that Chevys were just as bad.   :D :D

[RSteiner]

You can  probably get the two pieces to stick together again but in the area of the weld, the heat affected zone, the metal will be softer than it was originally.  The spring will flex more at this point as the spring does it thing which will lead to metal fatigue in a short time.

By the sounds of it this is the main leaf so when it does break again the rear end will be free to shift some should this happen at highway speeds the results could be serious.  Try to locate a used one first and if all else fails you can see how long it will last welded together but remember whatever happens from then on you bear some of the responsibility knowing someone could get hurt should it fail on the road.

Randy

[LeeB]

Good point Randy. I think I'll tell him no can do.

[mike_van]

Lee, what Randy said, ditto for me - I'll try to fix just about anything I can to save a buck, but I wouldn't do that spring.  I just wouldn't want the liability for it.

[CLL]

Warbird, your right about the pictures,but it looks like a chevy pushing a ford. 8)

[thecfarm]

I've broken more springs on my 96' ½ ton Ford than I ever have with all of the ¾ ton trucks I've had.I don't even work my ½ truck the way I did the others.
He shouldn't be hard on him for broken it.Mine just broke from doing nothing with it.I do pound it over a dirt road.

[Warbird]

Warbird, your right about the pictures,but it looks like a chevy pushing a ford. 8)

Heh heh.  I was waitin' for it.  ;D  Truth is, a good work truck is a good work truck. 

[LeeB]

Your right about that Warbird. Ford and Chevy are trying to get there. :D :D

[Ironwood]

BAD BAD idea to weld that puppy. Addtionally, these things can break at anytime, not your buddies kids fault. I use ALL my trucks heavily, and only broken the toyota springs before. Usually they break wen UNLOADED.

Ironwood

[Fla._Deadheader]

Lee, check and see if Mullins is still running an auto salvage yard, over in Summit. Their prices were ALWAYS way under others. Good folks to get to know.   ;)

[rebocardo]

If the leaf with the eye broke there is simply no "reasonable" way to weld it. Just a waste of time. You can buy junk leaf packs from almost any scrap yard. At least on Fords, many times the spring width is the same from different weight rated trucks. All you have to do to upgrade is find a truck with a higher GVW rating with a thicker spring. Grab both packs.

The thing that probably breaks springs is bad shocks on gravel roads. Might want to check the shocks - off the truck.

[LeeB]

There was more broke than just the leaf spring. The stabilizer shock was also broken. He scrounged around and found one somewhere.

Thanks for the info Harold. I'll try to remember them.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Need to check on them, Lee. It's been  25 years ago, I last dealt with them.  : :

[LeeB]

Do you remeber where they were located? There are a couple places out between Flippin and Sumit.

[Fla._Deadheader]

Boy Howdy. I cain't recollect, Lee.  : : :

  Seems you had to go through a housing neighbor hood. You jusy have to ask around, next time yer in Yellville. Find an ole fart. Oh wait, we ARE ole farts.

  Try the tax collector. They know where EVERYBUDDY is hidin.  ;D ;D

[isawlogs]

Find an ole fart. Oh wait, we ARE ole farts.

He only needs to find one with some memory left ....  ;)

[LeeB]

what you mean we ??? :D

[olyman]

springs can be welded----vee it almost totally thru--and get 7018 rod--at reverse polarity--weld only 1/4 inch at a time!!! and peen it immediately..let totally cool, and not by forcing it!!!! keep doing this till totally filled in. when you grind it flush--DONT get it too hot-----and keep the rod hot, and DRY. as you can lose up to 50 % of the weld strength if any moisture gets to the rod---thats why welders that weld on bridges have a rod carriage on their belt--and have to return the rods to the oven every so often----to redry them--- ;D ;D

[junkyard]

Bend a new loop around the old one.Weld just the edges with eutectic 720. Do not weld across the spring.
         junkyard