Hitman's Pontiac Trans Am Forum

Trans Am Information => Trans Am Tech => Suspension => Topic started by: 5.4L to Freedom on February 02, 2009, 02:22:59 PM

Title: How to identify a broken leaf spring?
Post by: 5.4L to Freedom on February 02, 2009, 02:22:59 PM

So another one of my threads indicated another T/A with the same symptoms as mine had a broken leaf spring... passenger rear wheel in the wrong location and body sag toward the right side. I crawled under there and poked my head around and all the leafs looked intact. What should I be looking for? Is it possible a bad spring bushing could present itself the same way?

Thanks

Title: Re: How to identify a broken leaf spring?
Post by: Hitman on February 03, 2009, 10:16:28 AM

Well, if the leaf spring was broken, you would sure be able to tell.  It would be quite obvious that one is broken.  Also check out and compare sides to see if one side looks different than the other.

Title: Re: How to identify a broken leaf spring?
Post by: stephendsp on February 03, 2009, 12:56:58 PM

I had 3 springs broke, both front, and pass rear. I couldnt tell they were bad. The pass was broke on the top in the middle, so i didnt know it till i had it off. Sometimes hard to tell, but have someone push on the car, and see how they flex.

Title: Re: How to identify a broken leaf spring?
Post by: 5.4L to Freedom on February 03, 2009, 03:50:21 PM

The rear right has a definite sag to it, the car has some pretty old air shocks on it so perhaps the right one doesn't hold air. The springs flex the same, but the right side make a hell of a lot of noise and feels funny going down the road. Where do these springs typically break at? could I have a leaf broken in between good leafs and just not be able to see it with the wheel on?

Title: Re: How to identify a broken leaf spring?
Post by: 79T/Aman on February 04, 2009, 08:54:20 AM

often the spring will break within the confinds of the spring pads making it impossible to see