Check out my new leaf springs which seem clearly bad

[Spooder]

So I have been trying to get the dreaded rear end "clunk" resolved. Dealer put the chassis ears on and isolated it to the springs. Springs were replaced, and while driving away, the clunk was not noticeable. Clunks came back but not as bad. So I went to grease the springs to see if it helped and noticed that (1) the springs are not in an arc, and (2) they are widely separated. Photos are of the springs with no load in the bed except for the 200 LB ARE cap. Looked at every F150 in the parking lot at work today, and all had smooth arc springs and none were separated like this or looked anything like this. I'm really starting to wonder about things and am considering considerable expense to go to the Deaver springs (which will remove the block), but that is a big hit (2K installed) for something that should be right for a new and very expensive 2022 truck. I will go to the dealer one more time, and unless they are really affirmative about getting it right, I'm done and will go aftermarket, which is not right. My 2012 was awesome and for many reasons really regret selling it. In 180K miles never really had any problems, and certainly none with clunking springs.

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[Blue]

Thats the max tow package spring, that's how they are supposed to look.

 

[Spooder]

Thanks for the reply, are yours in a continuous arc? In my 3rd photo you can see that the arc reverses at the axle. Did you have any clunk issues going over uneven surfaces? This photo is my co-worker's truck which had a smooth arc through the axle location (pic doesn't show it that clearly), with the top 2 springs tight against each other. Really appreciate the feedback.

 

[powerboatr]

from your picture the axle block looks like its not on correctly or off center for one

but thats a weird reverse curve. did the other set curve like that???

 

[Spooder]

I did not look that closely at the original set, but when I saw these it really jumped out at me so I kind of doubt it. And I had spent a lot of time under the truck trying to find the source of the noise with my bud rocking the truck back and forth which led me to believe it was the springs which the dealer confirmed.

 

[Snakebitten]

Fresh springs. I suspect that they will settle some?

Deavers are so tempting though. A well behaved set of leafs is a delight.

 

[Spooder]

Seems they have indeed settled, to a negative radius at the axle which makes no sense for a progressive spring at nominal/minimal load. Worries me should I put my 3000 lb boat on it's trailer and hook it up, with hurricane season here I need to be ready to load and run. I readily admit I'm no expert beyond knowing the clunk should not be happening, if not for that I wouldn't even be looking at the springs. So I appreciate the feedback. I'll be seeing my local highly recommended 4x4 expert later this week and will see if the dealer responds to my communication in the mean time, but they are really overloaded to the point that I have to go there to get any response.

 

[{tpc}]

To me, the separation isn't as big a deal as the opposite looking bend at the axle point. Its hard to see from a comparison standpoint, but I feel like the axle block underneath the spring looks taller than some of the other examples. In the last picture, in comparison to the first pictures, the "U" bolts look longer in the first pictures, which if you had a taller block in there, they would need to be.

But I have no idea other than noticing differences in the photos.

 

[TexasTruck]

My goodness, the gap/separations between the leafs are fine. The front half of the passenger side looks right to me. But the front half of the drivers side look wonky to me. Every leaf spring pack I've ever seen are nice, smooth, parallel-ish arches from end to end.

This picture looks wrong to me. You see this when you have a load where the spring reverse the arch, but usually the spring pack is also resting on the over load spring too.....

 

[Spooder]

The taller block is my Tremor, all photos from the driver's side (white gravel ground). The comparison photo is a standard F150 at work parking lot (blacktop). The stereo blew up today on the way to work with the often reported super loud static. Can't imagine the speakers were not damaged. Put in earplugs and planned to drive to the dealer, then I smelled hot electrical so turned around and went back home. The truck is on a flatbed on the way to the dealership now. Really bummed.

 

[Atlee]

So I have been trying to get the dreaded rear end "clunk" resolved. Dealer put the chassis ears on and isolated it to the springs. Springs were replaced, and while driving away, the clunk was not noticeable. Clunks came back but not as bad. So I went to grease the springs to see if it helped and noticed that (1) the springs are not in an arc, and (2) they are widely separated. Photos are of the springs with no load in the bed except for the 200 LB ARE cap. Looked at every F150 in the parking lot at work today, and all had smooth arc springs and none were separated like this or looked anything like this. I'm really starting to wonder about things and am considering considerable expense to go to the Deaver springs (which will remove the block), but that is a big hit (2K installed) for something that should be right for a new and very expensive 2022 truck. I will go to the dealer one more time, and unless they are really affirmative about getting it right, I'm done and will go aftermarket, which is not right. My 2012 was awesome and for many reasons really regret selling it. In 180K miles never really had any problems, and certainly none with clunking springs.

I'm no mechanic, or expert on springs and suspension, but that last picture just doesn't look right to my untrained eyes. I can't imagine a spring set deflecting like that. Well, if the truck was grossly overloaded, I could imagine that possibly happening.

 

[{tpc}]

Probably a moot point since it is headed to the dealership, but is it possible the springs are installed upside down? I can't imagine any overload situation that could occur to bend a spring like that without something else being obviously wrong?

 

[Spooder]

Previous visit fixed audio, inspection said springs were ok (despite loaded "W" shape), and could not replicate suspension sounds. So took manager for test ride (after paperwork was closed) over speed bumps slowly at angle and he noted the sound. Asked me to remove the ARE shell and bring it back, which not having a forklift, I really did not want to do but did so to eliminate any cause or distractions. Now back, without the shell, the suspension issue has been 100% verified (we found the perfect way to test) and it is back in the shop, and clearly the new springs did not fix it. Before that, third party inspected and believed it to be at the front connections for the springs but I now believe it is much more than a simple thing like that. Now having the test method down pat, it won't leave there again until fixed. My 2012 FX4 was essentially flawless for 180K miles and needed nothing more than regular fluid and tire changes for the fist 120K.

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