Is this spring doing anything?

[Dr Teeth]

So the truck had a lift when I bought it. Rancho, I'm guessing about 4" (all spring in the front and 2" spring/2" block in the back).

The question is about the extra spring in the rear pack... To me it looks like an Add-a-Leaf installed upside down. Does anyone think this spring is actually doing anything other than acting as another 1/2" block in the back?



The truck has a bit more of a rake to it than I'd like currently and so unless someone can tell me these springs have some benefit, they will go on the list of things to be removed.

Thanks,
Todd

[Gambler68]

I'd guess the PO was one beer short of an empty case at the point where that decision was made

[srobertsfsj]

Its just an overload spring but it looks like its upside down to me.

[hardbody1]

Its an overload spring that has probably been bent from overloading assuming they werent just dumb and installed it upside down.

Kyle

[FSJeep13]

looks like he barely got those nuts back onto the u-bolts too....

[shackwrrr]

seems right to me except the u bolts. I looked at a 2007 tacoma that the school has it is brand spankin new and the overloads look just like that. It doesent seem right to me but thats how it is. Me in my opinion i would turn it over. but I have a j20 and use it like a j20

[Dmntxn77]

They look upside down to me... I personally have never seen any reversed arched overload springs before..

A major benefit when you get it off is that you will be able to get a resonable amount of threads on those U bolts..

[Lindel]

Overload spring that's upside down. To answer your question, no, it's not doing anything.

I'd pull apart the spring pack, turn the leaf right side up and if you don't like the rake, then pull that bottom block out. That should drop it a couple of inches.

[flatbackdragon]

don't know about the overload or add a leaf springs but the ones on the back of my wife's Toyota Taco look like that, factory.
The nuts look as if they the have threads all the way through (the front ones at least) you don't have to have lots of excess hanging through the bolt unless you want to double nut them.

[Billygoat]

Most overloads are flat, but it is possible it is suppose to be that way.

Best guess is the ride was too rough, so he flipped the bottom over to reduce the rate of the pack, but keeped it for a "spacer". Or was trying for more lift with the same rate and installed that one. removing it should only lower that end the thickness of the spring since it has no weight on it.

[Dr Teeth]

There's full thread engagement in the nuts (even though it is tough to see in the picture).

Someone thought that it was bent from overload... I can't see that being it as both sides are the same and I can't imagine the load it would take to do that without breaking alot of other stuff too.

I think they were just added for a bit more lift in the back... so, I'll put them on the list of things to remove.

Always nice to have a few more sets of eyes look at things to make sure I didn't miss something. Thanks to everyone who replied.

Todd

[Chris Barry]

Yeah, it's an overload spring, and it is installed correctly. It is designed for extreme overload. Very little to no give in it. . .mostly just to keep your springs from flexing so much that they blow out your shocks.

[hardbody1]

I said that because thats what my little nissan looked like after it hauled 3200 pounds of gravel in the bed. It needed new leafs after that but didnt hurt anything else. Those old hardbodys arebuilt tough.

Kyle

[james1414d]

I had fun reading all the responses . its actualy called a torsion spring and prevents wheel hop and spring wrap. even with stock springs, you'd have to be WAY overloaded to get any use from them as "overload" springs. they appear pretty worn out regardless. I had a full new set of springs built at a professional shop. at their recommendation I decided to retain the tortion springs.

[Frank in Norway]

Originally Posted by james1414d

I had fun reading all the responses . its actualy called a torsion spring and prevents wheel hop and spring wrap. even with stock springs, you'd have to be WAY overloaded to get any use from them as "overload" springs. they appear pretty worn out regardless. I had a full new set of springs built at a professional shop. at their recommendation I decided to retain the tortion springs.

Sorry, but you'll have to school me on how that setup prevents spring wrap and wheel hop.

[Hammer]

Honestly, I would pull the block and keep that spring in there as is.
I know if I flex the rear springs on my chero out they can get negative arch, which is a bad thing if they are not designed that way!

[fulsizjeep]

negative arch ain't so bad though...
It could snap a leaf someday, but it's not too big a deal to replace one.
All the leaves are long in that photo. I am thinking who ever did that may have wanted more flex and less stiff to flip the overload or torsion spring over. That is 1 cuppa java thinking at 7AM anyways.

[Rainman]

the first thing I'd pull is the small spacer aka extra lift block. Stacked lift blocks are a no-no. And I'm will to bet its just a piece of steel with a hole drilled in it for the spring center pin, but no pin of its own to go into the real lift block.

Overall a less-than-optimal setup

[srobertsfsj]

I dont think that is another lift block. That actually looks like a wedge which rotates the axles to the correct angle.

Originally Posted by Rainman

the first thing I'd pull is the small spacer aka extra lift block. Stacked lift blocks are a no-no. And I'm will to bet its just a piece of steel with a hole drilled in it for the spring center pin, but no pin of its own to go into the real lift block.

Overall a less-than-optimal setup

[Dr Teeth]

That's not a stacked lift block. It's a shim to angle the axle slightly upward to reduce stress on the rear u joint. I'm gonna leave that in there.

Todd