New front springs?

Springs can go at anytime. A truck that's 11 years old with only 300,000 miles on it still has 11 year old springs in it...

You don't need to replace them if they are just sagging... but you may need new pins and bushing to get it aligned.

 

Unless the truck is laying way over on one side, which can still be fixed with spacers, or unless a pin has worn through into the spring, which is almost impossible at your mileage, you shouldn't need springs.

If they are complaining about the caster being out because of the sagging springs, that's what angle shims are for. I think they want to make some extra easy money. There are many trucks with over 1.5 million miles with the original front springs running everyday.

 

I agree with strangers statement all the way. A slightly sagging spring will effect caster measurement but not a good reason to replace the springs. Caster can cause driveability issues but won't cause abnormal tire wear. If you are satisfied with how the truck handles/tracks on the road for you, do not let the caster be a concern. If the truck doesn't track well on the road, correct caster with shims between axle and spring. I've aligned thousands of these and never once replaced leaf springs on a straight axle for this concern. Skip the spring replacement, totally unnecessary.

 

Sounds like a total lack of grease gun use at some time, unless those pins were the ungreasable type.

 

Only time I ever had a spring replaced was when one spring leaf cracked all the way thru.

 

Several years ago I was in KC going to load some power plant replacement parts that folks in Florida needed pretty badly after Hurricane Ike.

As I exited the freeway, I made a right turn and heard a 'clank'... looked in my mirror and saw a half leaf spring laying in the road. Being a good guy, and not wanting another driver to run it over, I got out and picked it up and tossed it on my trailer... I recycle old steel.

I kinda wondered why some one else hadn't seen a 24" chunk of steel laying in the road. The reason was the spring came from MY truck!... the RF spring broke.

It was 3PM on a Friday... I had a Sunday appt. to unload... the city was without power without my parts. I dialed '411' and started calling around. After three "you gotta be kidding... it's Friday!" answers, I found a mom and pop spring shop that would fix me up if I got there by 5PM.... made it at 4:45... they had me repaired with one new leaf and back on the road at 7PM.

Cost? $280.00... I #### near kissed the owner!

 

Great story Krooser... on very rare occasions we run across a great person that will give some extra to help make things better...