Broken rear leaf spring - 2019 Ranger - Need drive back home... can I DIY Repair temporarily

[Joejk3d]

Well! I did it! Tons of grinding to open up and clean the crack, and 10+ beads of ER70S-6 and cleaned it up. Drove for a dozen miles tonight and it’s holding.

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[Joejk3d]

Another pic of the repair with the bushing in

 

[Zappy]

That is impressive welding work! Did you check the leaf spring on the other side of the truck? You should be able to get a finger up around the knuckle and feel for a break.

 

[Friday yet?]

Probably just an example of me and my soon to be “coming closer every day can’t believe I’m this old get off my lawn” life stage… but I really do not like single leaf springs. Just not right in my book.

But I’m no engineer nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so what do I know?

 

[Friday yet?]

Well! I did it! Tons of grinding to open up and clean the crack, and 10+ beads of ER70S-6 and cleaned it up. Drove for a dozen miles tonight and it’s holding.

Skillz!

 

[Joejk3d]

That is impressive welding work! Did you check the leaf spring on the other side of the truck? You should be able to get a finger up around the knuckle and feel for a break.

I checked the drivers side and it’s fine for now. Just drove 3 hours back to Denver with a truck full of family and gear and the weld held up great! Even hitting a pothole unexpectedly!

 

[fjwlobo]

I checked the drivers side and it’s fine for now. Just drove 3 hours back to Denver with a truck full of family and gear and the weld held up great! Even hitting a pothole unexpectedly!

Glad to hear that you and your family got back safe

 

[rang19ca]

I checked the drivers side and it’s fine for now. Just drove 3 hours back to Denver with a truck full of family and gear and the weld held up great! Even hitting a pothole unexpectedly!

Great job on that weld, Joe. I weld like pigeon sh-t so it would have been beyond my capabilities.

 

[dtech]

I checked the drivers side and it’s fine for now. Just drove 3 hours back to Denver with a truck full of family and gear and the weld held up great! Even hitting a pothole unexpectedly!

Nathrop - isn't there a Nathrop sign on 285 ? Have fished the Arkansas nearby and used to go camping at North Fork Reservoir past Mt Shavano, decent fishing there and some good sized cutts in the smaller lakes above the reservoir. bumpy ride to get there though, don't think your weld would hold up on that road.

 

[Joejk3d]

Nathrop - isn't there a Nathrop sign on 285 ? Have fished the Arkansas nearby and used to go camping at North Fork Reservoir past Mt Shavano, decent fishing there and some good sized cutts in the smaller lakes above the reservoir. bumpy ride to get there though, don't think your weld would hold up on that road.

Yup, thats where my cabin/shop is. A bit off 285 but in the area. Funny enough the harshest road getting back to Denver is the road by my shop

 

[Joejk3d]

Great job on that weld, Joe. I weld like pigeon sh-t so it would have been beyond my capabilities.

If you look at one of the pics, you can see my test welds in the background trying to re-learn a lot in a short period of time

 

[SigOris]

Probably just an example of me and my soon to be “coming closer every day can’t believe I’m this old get off my lawn” life stage… but I really do not like single leaf springs. Just not right in my book.

But I’m no engineer nor did I stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night so what do I know?

Is that because Motel 8 left the light on for you?

 

[Joejk3d]

Leaf is still holding up close to 3 weeks later... getting the replacement spring has been... taking for ever.. and is still a week out. Some of this is due to 2 holidays happening around the time I ordered the replacement, some winter storms, but also it seems just general slowness on everyone involved on getting the parts shipped. Now the Tremor springs are sitting at UPS not moving... so still TBD. Hoping to get this all closed out by end of next weekend.

In the end if I had to do it again knowing getting factory parts like this could take close to a month to get delivered... I may have just gone with some Icon multi leaf springs that would have been here in ~ 5 days.

Good thing the weld is holding, or I'd be SOL on a car right now. Close to 500 mi on the spring. I am driving it very gently though.

Also I posted about breaking the antenna off the truck right after I finished with the weld (and posted a thread on that repair...) Here is what happened minutes after getting the spring back on and the truck on the ground... I was exhausted and imagine the shock when I heard a bang and saw something fly past the windshield after all that work.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!AtuhT174YsbYl8MsN7fziSYVNbSuMA?e=f4J67J

 

[Joejk3d]

Well, Its over! The welded spring held up for close to 700 miles and I got my Tremor springs in hand and installed!

The weld looked just as good as it did the day I put the spring back on the truck!

New tremor Springs:

Installing the tremor springs were easy, I didn't realize the driver's side has a small shim between the spring and the Axel ( was there when I took the stock spring off). The Drivers side spring does benefit from removing the shield from the gas tank for some better access to the nut on the forward attachment point.

I then went and raised the front 1.5" on the Eibach coil overs

I have up there and did the alignment with tools I designed. ( Toe after I did Camber. the 1.5" lift seems to have moved the camber to +.2Deg, I moved it back to what it should be to spec.

But thats that - the suspension drama for this truck is hopefully over. I do still want to get the Tremor bumpstops put in, but thats down the road.

I also installed the Fitzstick /MBS Transmission dip stick while the truck was airborne.

 

[Joejk3d]

Also, pics of my test welds - the first real welds I've done since I was in High School almost 30 years ago. A few different techniques used there to see what was working and what was not.

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