Upgrading trucks can be something that you actually look forward to, or a tiring and long process that falls well short of the expected results. Suspension upgrades deliver on multiple fronts, but it’s the higher carrying capacity and improved maneuverability that matter for most truck owners. Here leaf springs installed at the rear axle have a huge say in how your truck performs and what it’s capable of. Aftermarket variants help with heavier loads, provide more stability across varied driving scenarios, and will outlast any factory leaf and leaf spring assembly with much better builds.
Why Upgrade the Leaf Springs on Your Truck
Leaf springs are a common suspension setup in heavy-duty pickup trucks, most versions of best-selling light trucks, vehicles intended for off-road use and many commercial vans. The parts are mostly found at the rear axle, where they deal with the weight of heavier items in tubs, trays and loading beds. The simple design consists of stacked layers of springs (the leaves), each in varying length, along with U-bolts, shackles and hangers to attach the springs to the vehicle.
A center bolt passes through the center of the leaves, ensuring they stay together. Other parts, such as spring eyes, allow the springs to lengthen and flex and absorb road imperfections, while bushings reduce noise, friction and wear for a comfier and smoother ride. This is a simple setup that’s also robust and cheap to maintain.
But, if you’re modifying vehicles for higher load ratings, even better stability (with reduced squat, sagging and dive) or lifting the rear for improved ground clearance, for instance on technical, off-road trails, also consider changing the rear leaf spring assembly. To ensure you get products engineered to the highest standards, with superior builds and the performance and handling characteristics worthy of your truck, then look to the offerings from suspension specialist Deaver Spring.
Choosing the Best in the Business
Deaver Spring Suspension has been a staple automotive parts supplier for nearly 140 years. Established in 1892 by Frank Deaver in Santa Ana, California, the company began as a tool fabrication and service shop for horse and buggy carriage springs. As technology changed, Deaver adapted the business to motorized vehicles, ranging from family sedans, 4x4s, classic cars and more. Today the company offers an extensive range of leaf and coil springs for a variety of applications, as well as individual use, staying loyal to its wide customer base. Deaver springs are American-made, with close to 100 distributors selling products under the Deaver name worldwide.
How Deaver Differs From the Rest
Deaver recognized the limitations of OEM springs, with the reduced comfort, lack of adjustability for different loads and roads, and the handling issues that arise in reduced wheel articulation. Axle wrap or stressed suspension parts under acceleration, the higher weight and poor builds are other concerns.
Countering the rough ride, Deaver goes with multiple leaves in thinner designs to allow for more flex and increased arching. This provides some lift, and a progressive spring rate that’s more in tune with changing terrain, while keeping vehicles stable and improving grip. Much of this is down to the unique designs, but also the use of quality steel.
High-carbon, American-made 5160 spring steel provides the strength and fatigue resistance, whether for increased weight at the rear axle, or stacking multiple leaves to improved ground clearance. The leaf-design also includes 45-degree angle diamond-cut ends that reduce friction in adjacent leaves. This helps with comfort as well as axle articulation. It also avoids common problems in OEM springs, such as binding and harshness from leaves that are slow to react to bumps. To reduce friction, noise and wear further, Deaver throws durable, polyurethane anti-friction pads in the mix.
Lastly, consider the inclusion of “military wrap” on the front spring eye in all Deaver spring setups. This safety feature keeps the axle in place, even when the main leaf snaps, with a secondary leaf wrapping the spring eye, just in case. The level of detail, and the premium materials and build (Deaver products have an ongoing ISO certification for quality) brings multiple real-world benefits.
Vehicles running Deaver suspension provide a smoother, more compliant and comfortable ride both on and off-road, with the progressive spring rate fast to react to changing surfaces. The springs also exhibit more flex and a greater degree of travel to absorb imperfections of any size – something you’ll definitely notice off-road. Lastly, the springs deliver more consistency at the rear axle, even with the vehicle fully loaded. If you’re carrying heavy loads on a regular basis, then besides Deaver’s stock replacement/Standard springs, also have a look at the upgraded, Heavy-Duty (HD) line.
Spring Upgrades for All Major Truck Makes and Models
Deaver caters to a wide selection of current and discontinued truck models, ranging from early 1980s Ford Broncos, Rangers and F-150s, more recent Raptors and all F-250 models. The company catalogue also includes leaf springs for Wranglers and Cherokees, GMC 1500 trucks and Toyota Tundras and Tacomas. Setups are available as standard fit with varying levels of lift, and as under-axle types for reduced axle wrap, a lower center of gravity and improved handling. The latter are also the ones to go with for towing duties.