Has Overloading Caused Damage to Your Truck's Leaf Springs?
If you own or operate a commercial truck, you know how important it is to achieve maximum yield. You have to ensure that each journey is profitable so that you can justify the cost of the vehicle and attempt to make a profit for your venture. This can be difficult to achieve, however, and some operators choose to push the boat out when it comes to that payload. While this may be attractive from one point of view, it can lead to maintenance problems and potential costs on the other. What could go wrong?
Problems Ahead
If you tend to overload your commercial vehicles on a regular basis, you may feel that all is well, and the truck may appear to handle okay in this situation. However, all of that extra weight could damage your suspension and, in particular, your leaf spring setup.
Leaf Spring Stress
As you know, the rear of your truck is suspended on a set of leaf springs. These are designed for the purpose and rated for the maximum recommended weight. Due to their location, however, they are also vulnerable to adverse weather conditions and can slowly deteriorate with time. As they do, they begin to corrode, and this can certainly affect their integrity. When this happens, they may be less able to suspend the payload and in the worst-case scenario may begin to crack.
Potential Upgrade
In an ideal world, you would upgrade your leaf springs before you think about carrying extra weight on a regular basis. Sometimes, you may be able to add another leaf to the setup, but you should never do this if the existing springs are already exhibiting signs of fatigue.
Inspection
If it's been some time since you did so, have a look at the condition of your current springs. You will need to clear any rust or dirt from the entire area before you can fully inspect them, but be on the lookout for any cracks or splits. In particular, look at the point where each spring touches another and where they connect at each end. You should have a look at the spring eye, which is the point of connection to the chassis itself. The eye should be circular, but it can distort if it is subject to overloading on a regular basis.
Taking Action
Should your vehicle show any signs of stress and if you find any cracks or distortion, take the truck into a qualified mechanic for attention right away. Contact a company that offers truck repair services to learn more.
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