Broken Hotchkis Leaf spring

[SILVER2000SVT]

I had a nice suprise today, I was looking under my truck and noticed that the overload spring on my passenger side hotchkis leaf spring is completely snapped in two and the front part is just hanging there by the thin metal retainer. I bought the set used, that means I don't have a receipt. I don't know if I'm going to have to buy all new leaf springs or if I can just buy the overload part of the spring. Maybe I'll get lucky and they will warranty it, but that doesn't seem very likely.

Any guesses as to what could have caused this? There's only 1 1/2" of travel in the rear before the bump stops so that don't get flexed a lot under use.

The ride height doesn't seem to be sagging, but I'm still a little nervous to drive it, especially if the front half of it is barely hanging on.

[dboat]

I would call Terry and get his advice on this one, asap.

[blueoval01]

Hummm, think Terry is at L-Fest.
Might be monday or Tuesday before he's back.

[SILVER2000SVT]

I don't think there's much that I can get done until monday anyway with either Terry or Hotchkis directly. I don't even have my stock springs, I loaned (gave) them to Terry when he traded in his truck a few months ago.

[L8 APEX]

I would call Hotchkis and if you need them I have stock springs at the shop I owe you:tu: .

[SILVER2000SVT]

OK, Called Hotchkis Monday. They were suprisingly helpful. I sent an email first thing Monday and then called later in the day. When I called they said they have been talking about my email all morning. They told me that they have never heard of one of these breaking. The good news is that they said that they would warranty the springs but the only problem is that the new style that sit 1/2" lower than my old ones made 3+ years ago are on back order and they don't know when they are getting them in. When I explained how this is kind of awkard because I can't drive my truck until I get it fixed, they found a matching set like my old style and made it sound like they had to dig them out of the old corner of the warehouse.

They were really cool about it, and I never once had to get forceful with them.

They said they are sending them out Wednesday and I should have them by Monday or so.

I probably shouldn't have said anything, but I told them that I had a set of traction bars on the truck. He told me that they normally wouldn't warranty them if they were used in conjuction with something else but because this was such a bizarre thing to happen they will this time.

So any thoughts on whether or not the traction bars had any affect on this spring breaking? I'm really skeptical but would like to hear some thought.

Jason