Truck Leaf Springs: Your heavy-duty truck shouldn’t be built halfway, and the same goes for your truck leaf springs. Whether you load up the back of your truck or your work vehicle and trailer, a leaf spring suspension is important for handling and load carrying capacity, all while making sure that the operation of your vehicle remains reliable and safe. However, the time has come to replace it, which leaves you with the never-ending argument: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) leaf springs or aftermarket truck leaf springs.
Keep reading to discover lower leaf springs in-depth, what separates OEM from aftermarket parts and how you can locate the perfect set for your truck to maximise its improvement.
What Is The Truck Leaf Spring?
One type of suspension system, the leaf spring, is a fairly simple yet robust resilient member having a plurality of layers or leaves of steel strips stacked end to end. Truck Leaf Spring Guide First off, what exactly is a truck leaf spring?
- Absorb shocks from uneven roads.
- Distribute the vehicle’s weight evenly.
- Maintain proper axle alignment.
- Improve towing and hauling performance.
Rigids, trailers and trucks’ standard or optional suspensions are still leaf spring due to their heavy load capability on uneven surfaces.
OEM Leaf Springs Vs Aftermarket Truck Leaf Springs
As you’ll be looking around at potential providers of truck or trailer leaf spring replacements, you may come across two primary categories: OEM and aftermarket. They each have their virtues and weaknesses.
OEM Truck Leaf Springs
OEM Leaf Springs: the springs produced by an original leaf spring manufacturer of your vehicle, or any other manufacturer that was authorized to make leaf springs for your specific model.
- Pros:
- Fits great and works as good as it looks in Your Truck
- Manufactured to factory specifications
- Reliable quality and durability
- Often covered under warranty.
- Cons:
- More expensive than aftermarket options
- Limited customization for performance upgrades
Aftermarket Truck Leaf Springs
3rd Party Manufacturers – Aftermarket Leaf Springs. Aftermarket leaf springs are a term used to describe the multiple companies that build replacement leaf springs.
- Pros:
- More affordable compared to OEM
- Wide variety of performance options
- Great truck to mod out (play off-road, drag some loads/hookies, etc).
- Convenient for old trucks and trailers
- Cons:
- Quality varies by brand.
- May require adjustments during installation
- Warranty or not, you’re not always going to have what you need.
Performance Factors to Consider
Performance Considerations: Here are some things to consider about performance before choosing between OEM or aftermarket leaf springs:
- Weight Support – These replacement truck springs can support most 1-ton heavy-duty trucks.
- Ride Comfort – no matter if you’re on stock/OEM springs, you can’t adjust ride and lift height in the thick of time. And, the more you lower shock absorbers (which we develop to fit a low vehicle), the more lowering or uprated coils you need, even adjustable springs that (with our kit) keep muscles strong enough for everyday use!
- Long Life – “Premium aftermarket” is one of the best quality and value you can put on your car for its cost compared to other brands at this same price point!
- Application – If you are towing trailers, then a trailer leaf spring with an additional load rating may be the better option.
Signs You Need to Replace Your Leaf Spring
Not sure whether you should invest in a newer one? Here are some warning signs to watch for:
Your truck sags on one side. Tires don’t last forever, but it isn’t always a sure sign that the vehicle’s undercarriage is out of alignment, though. The suspension will knock, or make creaking and clunky noises. Blunt or Bad: If canned poorly or too weak to support a load. There are breaks or rust on the leaf spring suspension. If you have any of these, then repairing your truck’s leaf spring is a must for safety and swiftness.
OEM vs Aftermarket: What’s Best for You?
OEM Vs Aftermarket Truck Leaf Springs. To buy aftermarket truck leaf springs or OEM -We all have unique driving habits, budget and the performance we want in our vehicles, so when it comes to purchasing new truck leaf springs, the decision may be confusing.
Had an OEM option been available, I would have gone that route for compatibility and peace of mind.
Choose Aftermarket if you’d prefer less costly options, a wider range of load types or niche upgrades like those for towing, off-roading or heavy-duty use.
For example, a long-haul trailer truck would need aftermarket heavy-duty leaf springs for trailers, and the vehicle in pickup and other standard types can select OEM to achieve that balance between ride comfort vs load handling capacity.
Things to Consider when Purchasing a Truck Leaf Spring
Confirm the make, model, and year of your vehicle before ordering.
Choose between our OEM or aftermarket leaf spring suspension. In Performance Option 1, select either OEM or Aftermarket Leaf Spring Suspension aystar
Consider different brands and what customers are saying about them, as well as warranty coverage.
Buy only from 100% trusted sellers to avoid receiving poor-quality parts.
If you’re changing all four springs, install them as a matched set to ensure consistency.
Installation & Maintenance
Installing a truck leaf spring requires an understanding of the vehicle and the right tools. Professional installation is recommended, unless you’re a handy do-it-yourselfer. Proper torque and alignment specifications are a must for your Leaf Spring suspension.
Maintenance Tips:
Inspect springs for rust and cracks on a regular basis.
Lubricate spring shackles and bushings
And don’t overload your truck over its rated capacity.
Replace your damaged or fatigued trailer leaf springs before you have dead bodies on your hands.
Final Thoughts about OEM vs Aftermarket for Maximum Performance
OEM vs Aftermarket Regardless of whether you’re thinking about replacing your truck’s leaf springs with OEM or aftermarket, the bottom line is safety and performance. OEM Springs: You get it from the factory, so you are probably getting a reliable stock configuration kind of limp Spring. Aftermarket springs: Now we are talking aftermarket. If you want a single-action only or an adjustable trigger, then here is your chance to spend less coin. It might be wiser for drivers who are going to tow heavy trailers or want to go off-roading and camping on their own. “Aftermarket leaf springs, which carry more load, can be a good decision.
A good quality truck leaf spring will save you from the hardship of a hard and bumpy ride, an overworked suspension system and a long time spent on repair. Budget, Use, and Future Needs: always consider the three before deciding.