driving with broken springs??

[93fordturbo]

Ok, so i am picking up my new truck tomorrow. Its the 85 cc dually. As some of you may know, KAS83 hit a deer and broke a right rear spring and broke the rear sway bar end or something?? i didnt understand it quite. Anyways he said that the truck pulls substantially off to the right, and idk, im driving it home tomorrow. It will be about 85 miles to drive home. am i safe? what could happen. He just said that it pulls to the right. I have ridden in it, have not driven it while it has been this way. He has driven it about 100 miles since the accident, and hasnt had problems other than the truck pulling one way. I want some advice please! i really want to get the truck home to tinker... so getting it home tomorrow is kinda in the game plan

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Every day, I poke my head under all manner of trucks, big ones and little ones, and find multiple broken spring-leaves on many of them with the owner never having any clue that something was amiss.

Unless I point it out, most just keep driving until the broken pieces either turn sideways and slash a tire or just fall out, shear the pin, and let the axle scoot backwards.


Examine the broken leaves and make sure they are still in line with the spring-pack and you should be fine --- providing you drive with some sense.

 

[dsltech83]

Every day, I poke my head under all manner of trucks, big ones and little ones, and find multiple broken spring-leaves on many of them with the owner never having any clue that something was amiss.

Unless I point it out, most just keep driving until the broken pieces either turn sideways and slash a tire or just fall out, shear the pin, and let the axle scoot backwards.


Examine the broken leaves and make sure they are still in line with the spring-pack and you should be fine --- providing you drive with some sense.

x2

 

[93fordturbo]

So even if the truck pulls to one side... it is still ok to drive? the spring is still in line... why would it sidetrack? The sway bar pin is sheared off or something he said... would that have something to do with it? if so... is it still safe to drive?
TIA

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

So even if the truck pulls to one side... it is still ok to drive? the spring is still in line... why would it sidetrack? The sway bar pin is sheared off or something he said... would that have something to do with it? if so... is it still safe to drive?
TIA

I don't know just what this truck has hit, how hard, nor where on the truck the impact occurred.

That being said, a few things that can cause a truck to pull to one side are the frame itself being skewed out of square, a displaced tracking-arm bracket or bad bushing, and a sheared spring center-pin that has allowed the axle to slide on the spring-pack.

These above are not by far the only reasons to cause a pull.


Does the truck "dog-track" ??



As for saying yea or nay about it being safe to drive, I can't see this truck, so my opinions are only speculations.


I would give it a short test-drive and make my decision to drive it or haul it accordingly.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

On re-reading your first post, you say the truck hit a deer.

Honestly, I can't fathom a little bitty deer breaking something so substantial as a truck-spring.

Which makes me think that, during the deer collision, the truck also possibly hit a culvert or something equally as substantial and that impact is what caused the damages.

Myself, I would be checking the frame for squareness and have that addressed before getting too deep into the project.

 

[opusd2]

What it boils down to is this; if you are comfortable driving it home then you should. If not, then don't. Either way, when you get it home some replacement springs are in order.

 

[Brianedwardss]

Back when I was 16, my first rig was an 82 6.2l idi chevy. The rear passenger leaf pack had a broken spring in it. I was a broke high school kid, so I used some exhaust strapping stuff wrapped loosely around the end of the broken spring to keep it from puncturing my tire. It was broke about two inches away from the pin, so the rest of the pack stayed put in the axle pad.

Long story short, I owned it for 2 years, and drove it to 5 different western states, went up in the hills with it, pulled a few trailers, and it didn't cause me any grief. Looking back, yes it was very unwise, but i even sold the truck with it still in that condition! If all you have to do is drive it home, and the break isn't through the pin or the whole pack, I think you'll be fine, as long as long as it's secured enough and you keep tabs on it. It all depends on where it's broke. Post a couple pics and let us see how substantial the break is.

 

[93fordturbo]

Midnight rider... u are right...i forgot to add the most important piece possibly. The deer hit the truck, and in the process the truck slid in the ditch sideways almost rolling it. I have seen the truck like i said and it looks normal. But the owner says that he can see that the truck is out of square due to sway bar being broken or whatever. So u are right, a deer did not cause the total damage... that would be one hell of a big deer!
Thanks guys, i think i can figure out what i need from here, i think. Any more suggestions are much appreciated

 

[kas83]

Ok guys, I've gotta clarify a few things. The right rear main leaf is broke clean in half, in front of the axle, and subsequently has allowed the axle to move roughly 2 inches from square. It is VERY noticeable, both looking at it n driving it. I hit the deer, then ran over the top of it, then spun into a ditch, nearly rolling the truck. It was a large buck, weighed close to 250. Anyways, I believe the sway bar end link was damaged from running the deer over. After the accident, I noticed the truck driving funny, n inspected the front end, finding everything to be fine. After driving to n from work for a week, I then noticed in my mirrors the misalignment of the rear axle, inspected it n found the snapped main leaf. Truck has been parked since. I don't feel Nate would have a problem if driving careful n sane, but there is always a possibility of something worse happening.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Ok guys, I've gotta clarify a few things. The right rear main leaf is broke clean in half, in front of the axle, and subsequently has allowed the axle to move roughly 2 inches from square. It is VERY noticeable, both looking at it n driving it. I hit the deer, then ran over the top of it, then spun into a ditch, nearly rolling the truck. It was a large buck, weighed close to 250. Anyways, I believe the sway bar end link was damaged from running the deer over. After the accident, I noticed the truck driving funny, n inspected the front end, finding everything to be fine. After driving to n from work for a week, I then noticed in my mirrors the misalignment of the rear axle, inspected it n found the snapped main leaf. Truck has been parked since. I don't feel Nate would have a problem if driving careful n sane, but there is always a possibility of something worse happening.

Were the broken leaf merely one of the pack, then I would say drive it.

Since the broken leaf is a main leaf, then NO WAY = HAUL IT.



Now, if the truck were a long way from home and the owner up against being stranded and a high-dollar tow-bill, then I would set to work on devising a "truss", along with several spring-pack clamps, plus limiting axle fore and aft movement via chains, and CAREFULLY SLOWLY head toward home.


BUT, in this case, no one is stranded and it ain't that far, so I say haul it.

 

[RLDSL]

You are either going to have to tow that thing or grab a spring pack at a boneyard, and replace it. You could try to get a main leaf or main and secondary and cut the ears off it and clamp it in on top of the old pack and drive REAL slow as short a distance as you are going if there's nothing in the bed if your ubolts are long enough ( may have to slip a lower leaf out) , but if going through that much trouble, might as well just replace the dang thing unless having trouble finding the exact right one.

I remember about 20 years ago in Pennsylvania , I saw an ABF truck that had hit a deer and the steer axle had been knocked cleen out from under the thing and shoved all the way back to the drivers with the fuel tanks flung off to the sides. It's amazing how much damage those critters can do

 

[LUCKY_LARUE60]

So the main leaf broke, the one with the eye, and the axle has slid back. I would get a come-a-long and pull the axle back in place and put a ratchet strap or better yet a 1/4" chain and small spnap binder on it to hold the axle in place and you are good to go just take it easy. Or just leave the come-a-long in place.

 

[Diesel_brad]

Broken main spring leaf = TOW IT

 

[oldmisterbill]

So the main leaf broke, the one with the eye, and the axle has slid back. I would get a come-a-long and pull the axle back in place and put a ratchet strap or better yet a 1/4" chain and small spnap binder on it to hold the axle in place and you are good to go just take it easy. Or just leave the come-a-long in place.

Someone has been working with semi trailers & Dump trucks for a long time.

I would assess the situation my self,very carefully, then decide which of the solutions that have been offered I would use. I think all of them have merit.