Broke a spring why

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Dieseler

Dieseler

10 Year 15 Year
Joined
Nov 22, 2008
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205
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3,186
Location
Richmond B.C.
So one of the springs snapped which caused the axle to shift snapping the spring on the other side and tearing out the drive shaft which then ground itself up on the pavement. This happened driving down the highway the vehicle has not been used for any crawling activities just DD for the lasr year it had pulled a work trailer by the previous owner.

Its a 89 SR5 standard tires the springs are mounted on top of the axles not sure if this is factory location can someone answer this whether they are SUA or SOA stock.

Any idea why the springs would snap while driving normal is this a regular problem with these trucks , the springs snapped at the collars and evn with age they should not have snapped in my thoughts I have LCs that are 10 years older and roaden fairly hard and never had a spring snap.

Another question when this happened the truck was a 1000 kms from home we ended up trailering it home would it have been possible to drive it at highway speeds in front drive with the rear driveshaft out
 
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SOA is the factory configuration.

What brand of springs are they? If they're cheap aftermarket springs (JC Whitney comes to mind...), then that could be why they broke.

Not sure what you mean by "collars" on the springs.

Yes, you can drive it in FWD with just the front driveshaft, no rear driveshaft. Been done may times.
 
I think collars, in this case, are where the bolt goes through that attaches to the spring hanger. I have never heard of OEM springs breaking at that point. I have seen a few break more towards the center of the spring due to over loading.

Was there rust or anything that could weaken the metal to the point it could break. Who knows with cheap springs...they could break anywhere, so I agree with that angle.

Post up some pictures of the carnage...
 
stock springs should have a military wrap leaf after the main leaf. i seen many aftermarket springs without military wraps so i think your springs may have been aftermarket. if your stock main leafs broke then the 2nd leaf should save you til' a proper repair can be done.

2wd mini trucks were spring under
4wd mini trucks were spring over
 
Finally got a closer look at the carnage not bad definatly need new springs the gas tank took a hit from the driveshaft it will be a liter less on fill ups now.
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Pretty sure those are factory springs. Those are definitely factory OEM shackles.

Breaking at the U-bolts like that is not uncommon. Judging from the rust at the breaks, it's been working on that for awhile. Tacomas had a huge problem with that for awhile, I think in the late 90's, Toyota was replacing a lot of them under warranty.

They're 23 years old, they don't owe you anything. Get some replacements, move on. Stuff is gonna start breaking like that, it's an old truck.
 
KLF said:
They're 23 years old, they don't owe you anything. Get some replacements, move on. Stuff is gonna start breaking like that, it's an old truck.
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A little offended by your comments considering my son was driving through a mountain pass in the Rockies at highway speeds in snow and this could have resulted in him going off a cliff or worse crossing into head on traffic, as stated earlier I have 30 year Landcruisers that have been riden hard and still have their original springs with not any issues I guess this is why LC is a superior vehicle compared to these trucks that seem to have nothing but issues.
 
And how was I supposed to know that?

Did you buy this truck new? Do you know every mile it was driven, and how it was treated? Every load (or overload) that was put in the bed? Was it every jumped? This is the Internet, you need to get a thicker skin.

I hate Cruiser snobs. Pathetic, uninformed, and sad.
 
I am glad no one got hurt with the break. I agree those are most likely stock springs. Looks like one too many overloads based on where they broke. I would suggest some OME or Ironman springs if you can stand a little lift, otherwise check around for a set of used springs.

That said,
Dieseler said:
I guess this is why LC is a superior vehicle compared to these trucks that seem to have nothing but issues.
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I will have to respectfully disagree with this statement. I have had my 1990 pickup for 14 years, have put almost 200k miles on it, it is now over 300k on, as far as I know, the original engine, trans and t-case, springs etc. I had to rebuild the trans 70k -80k miles ago. Toyota reliability across the board is un-matched as far as I can tell.

That break looks like a direct result of several overloads on those aging springs. Unless you have had it from new there is no way to know what kind of abuse it had taken.
 
I still say LC's are superior I have one with 400k all original parts not including rust and still no issues, yes I would assume at some point the truck was overloaded but not recently and with my LCs I have loaded them to the tilt , I once I had over a thousand pounds of lumber strapped to the roof...yehaa.
I do agree Toyota as a whole is a good vehicle but it seems the more research on these trucks over their generations they seem to have an array of issues head gasket seems to be the big one also the recalls show other issues.
I also like the looks of them whether a SR5 or the Taco over any other truck out on the market.
 
Bud, a thousand pounds of lumber isn't an overload for an LC or mini truck. It may be an overload for the roof of the LC, but not inside. The bed of an '89 mini truck will take 1,500 to 1,700 lbs depending on version.

You said the previous owner used it for towing a trailer. Well, that puts more twist from torque reaction into the axle during acceleration, which is resisted by the springs. The spring bend as a result of that, and the point of maximum stress is right at the axle. They'd break just where yours did. Looks like they have been in the process of breaking for awhile.
 
Swap in some chevy 63s and call it a day. As said above thats a common place for a spring to break. I'd take the time and do some rust prevention while replacing the springs. Toyota was so concerned about the environment that they produced a frame that left no trace of existing if left alone.:D
 
My 1990 Hilux has 340000 k of very hard British Columbia offroads on it. Springs still intact, but a bit flatter. Mine has never towed anything, other than a stuck F250. A new diesel cruiser will be nice one day.
 
Those springs are definitely worn out your overload spring looks to be doing all the work. Doesn't matter how well the vehicle is built if there is a worn out part it needs replacing. The truck can't replace it itself.

Glad everyone was ok, land cruisers and this mini share many similar designs on parts I wouldn't consider one more superior than the other. Don't be a cruiser snob that dress is most unbecoming.
 
Dieseler said:
I still say LC's are superior I have one with 400k all original parts not including rust and still no issues...
I do agree Toyota as a whole is a good vehicle but it seems the more research on these trucks over their generations they seem to have an array of issues head gasket seems to be the big one ..
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400K with original parts? That's very impressive. With the P/U, do you have the V-6 or 4? Actually, both are known for blown head gaskets. :whoops: Otherwise the Hilux are damn good trucks. There's really not much to go wrong with the old 4 cylinder pickups or 4Runner. My experience from owning both a 60 series and '85 4Runner for 10 years, now a 92 pickup for 5, is that they're all great. The Cruiser has cost me more in replacement parts than either of the other two and gets half the MPG.
Now about those springs. I'd consider these guys, with their 3/4" over stock heavy duty units. http://www.northwestoffroad.com/parts/suspension_intro.php
 
zags said:
Also, the bump stops are gone. Couple missing bump stops and overloading/flexing and you end up with broken springs.
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Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner. Lack of maintenance broke these springs. I've never seen a 79-95 rear leaf spring break. These broke because they were allowed to go into a negative arch many times (due to the missing bump stop).

New springs + new bump stops will fix this problem quickly.
 
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