Truck Leaning, Sagging or Uneven? How to Inspect Leaf Spring Suspensions

Is your truck looking a little lopsided these days? If you hear clunking or creaking noises when you load the bed or drive around, or if your truck has a lean to it, check out this video. In this video, Len shows you how to check out the rear leaf suspension on your truck to find weak springs, or loose or broken shackles, so that you know what to fix or repair.

Check out this playlist for other great diagnostic videos:

⚠ DISCLAIMER:
While 1A Auto strives to make the information provided in this video as accurate as possible, it makes no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or applicability of the content. No information contained in this video shall create any expressed or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. All do-it-yourself projects entail some risk. It is the sole responsibility of the viewer to assume this risk. 1A Auto is not responsible or liable for any loss damage (including, but not limited to, actual, consequential, or punitive), liability, claim, or any other injury or cause related to or resulting from any information posted in this video.

[AAuto]

√ *Watch the Video*
√ *Do it Yourself*
√ *Save Money*

[SonnyThomasShow]

That was a good introduction. It would have been sweet to see you replace some of the parts so you could underscore the purpose of them to the layman. And that way at the end, we could see the huge difference between the before and after pictures. 😁👌🏻

[ronaldmoparornocar]

Always replace springs in pairs shocks, coils, shackles and bushings just a helpful hints...also that is why it's a good idea to wash the vehicle even the underside

[smob]

Saddens me see to a Dakota with this much rust. Yikes. My 23 year old Dakota looks far better than that truck. Always bet you that my truck has less miles. But another great video. Very informative and educational. Thanks.

[dmdeli]

I had a sagging rear end, I didn't hire a mechanic, I hired a divorce lawyer.

[SlamminRDixon]

Also, if you have a slight sag sometimes it's just your full gas tank. Especially if you realize the truck is sagging on the same side the gas tank is on.

[garyrogers]

If that was me inspecting the underbody of THAT vehicle I’m pretty sure it would go like this…(me phoning the customer) Hi this is Bob from 1A auto and we’ve found the problem, it seems you either live way to close to the beach or you actually park your car in the water each night after work? The suspension is the least of your worries because i would be amazed if your chassis could hold a bucket of plastic bananas let alone the tub of that ute, we also added a “y” to the name of the the vehicle written on your tail gate, we couldn’t fix your brake so we made your horn louder.
My opinion is insure it for market value then drive 10klm away from the beach and set fire to it.
👍

[WaveAction]

What if the truck bed is leaning 1/2 inch to one side when comparing to the cab in front?

[rikyjo]

loved the vid. learned a lot. you almost went full-on Luigi at the end. great job!

[glendecuir]

Leaf springs yes. Shock have nothing to do with ride height. Bad grommets and what nots yes.

[jameswhite]

Thank you for the video. Do you have more information than most people do. Love the detail

[noelmunerlyn]

Hey brother I love the content 2005 Silverado crew cab my truck bed is in down help

[timgads]

Springs determine ride height, not shocks.

[noahriding]

Can you tell how much weight you can hold in the back of the truck, or how much more based on how bent or straight the leaf springs look? Meaning, aged trucks and being able to tell based on how the leaf springs look. Thanks.

[Erudition-ei]

Nice job Len, another great video, With sound fx.

[RowdyCStuff]

What was the problem causing the leaning? The last picture of the broken shackle was from another vehicle? This video was useless showing the problem but not showing the area that would need to be fixed.

[edantonio]

I put on new shocks but my truck does not have springs on the rear, so I figured by installing new shocks would fix the problem so that was not the case

[jaeb.]

Great video!!! Thanks for these DIY videos 1A!!!

[mr_mnky]

question: what could it mean if one side hangs lower than the other when the truck frame is on jack stands & the rear axle is free-hanging?

[pablorkld]

Hello very good explanation, what happens if you only change the main leaf at one side but this new leaf is just a little bit shorter or longer, will the vehicle have a problem with that? I mean for heavy duty vehicles