Flat leaf springs

Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Crash486 on Tue Sep 08, 2015 6:22 pm

Hey kiwimark. I have a 2010 triton and at 80k the front discs were machined. Now at almost 100k, I have what sounds like a similar vibration. To me it feels like the pads grab better on one part of the disc than another. I'm having it checked out at 100k service.
I also have flat springs , have a tiny trailer which I've used maybe four times this year and only with light loads. The tub carries less than 200kg. From the reading done of this forum I expected flat or even inverted springs but I've not read anything about the brakes (I'll have to do some searching)
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Homer on Tue Sep 08, 2015 7:51 pm

Kiwimark, disk brakes are possibly the easiest things to service yourself apart from oil filter and air filter.

A little over $200 will get you new disk rotors and 4wd pads. Fitting is seriously easy and would take an hour or 1.5hr's for a first timer maximum.

Standard rotors get hot spots from long hard braking or downhills like ranges quite easily. Easy enough to kick the rotors off for $150 (they aren't even bolted on) when it happens. 2 bolts and the calipers are off, and a tap and the rotors fall off....
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Kiwimark on Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:38 pm

Thanks for the replies. Today MMNZ told me because I carry 550kg constant (steel tray, towbar, tool boxes n gardening tools) above supplied weight
(Cab n chassis) I should expect the brakes and suspension problems I am having. Apparently the 1100kg payload
Is for loading and unloading and not designed for a constant load.
To be that's a complete cop out. I spoke with an engineer mate at Nissan in UK and he said they test there Utes at maximum weight over 10's of thousands of miles for any failure. Flat springs n worn rotors after 27k is a failure to them......
Seriously considering just selling and going else where.... My L300 van towed same trailer and carried same tools for 5 years and not one issue.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Kiwimark on Wed Sep 09, 2015 3:41 pm

On the brakes. Service manager told me today that 4 months ago they put new pads and rotors in. I checked the recipets and I have done 4800k since then with between 550kg n 800kg above the can chassis weight and they had to skim the rotors again Monday. Surely even if I was towing 3 tons they should last longer than that?
Not a mechanics by any means so maybe I am being naive!?
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby GLRkenny on Wed Sep 09, 2015 7:35 pm

The biggest thing you can do to help your front brakes is to make sure the rears are adjusted properly otherwise the fronts have to do more work than they should.
If the front discs have been overheated too much the metal can go soft so to speak and they will warp giving vibration in no time again especially with the use of heavy duty pads, my advice is to replace the discs, for 4wd pads and make sure the rears are adjusted and keep the brake fluid fresh, all this assuming that calipers etc are not sticking
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Redneck198033 on Mon Jan 16, 2017 12:48 pm

Had extra leaf added to mine from the group who installed the original tough dog, Much better for towing now.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Maxiy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 4:55 pm

Hi All, bringing out an old thread

Was under my ute this afternoon putting the spar back in place and noticed my leafs are very flat.
Click to view larger picture

Click to view larger picture



The above photo is of the truck unloaded (apart from a roof cage over the tub, but that would be 40KG MAX)
Are these too flat? should i be calling the dealer?

The truck has almost 70k on it, i on occasion carry heavy loads, perhaps 350kg in the tub. But this would only be maybe 4-5 times a year.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby 4wd26 on Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:02 pm

keep an eye on the bumpstop and metal plate this stops against (conical think in the last photo on top of the spring)

it looks like it has topped out (round patch on the metal plate) this is a good indication that the springs are shot especially if hitting at little to no loads.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Maxiy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 5:09 pm

4wd26 wrote:keep an eye on the bumpstop and metal plate this stops against (conical think in the last photo on top of the spring)

it looks like it has topped out (round patch on the metal plate) this is a good indication that the springs are shot especially if hitting at little to no loads.



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Warranty claim or just ditch the crap sus and get ultimate?

Suspension has been on my list for a while now
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby ag9111 on Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:30 pm

Ditch it.
The OEM springs have very little camber on them from new anyway.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby NowForThe5th on Wed Jun 21, 2017 6:36 pm

Maxiy wrote:Warranty claim or just ditch the crap sus and get ultimate?


My ML leaves were just like that after only 8000km. I took it into the dealer and they told me they'd replace them, no problem. When I asked what with they told me more of the genuine leaf packs. When I questioned what they'd do when those ones failed after another 8000km they told me they'd replace them again.

I didn't fancy a trip to the dealer every 8000km for the life of the vehicle, so I just replaced them with Ultimate. Didn't fix the squeak, but never sagged again.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby RHKTriton on Wed Jun 21, 2017 7:07 pm

My son recently put Ultimate under his mn and it now makes my ml look like a lowered sports truck. :lol:
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Maxiy on Wed Jun 21, 2017 9:09 pm

Thanks for all the comments guys

I will keep an eye on them this weekend, will be going on a camping trip so will have the ute loaded, but i think my hand has been forced, looks like i will be giving ultimate a call soon.

fingers crossed i get a good tax return.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby colin b on Tue Jun 27, 2017 9:27 pm

I was told by my service mechanic a few months ago that my MN's rear springs were sagging and he recommended I have a suspension specialist look at them. My car is old by the calendar but had only done 25k, with about half of that towing an 1800kg caravan so I was a bit miffed. I was also puzzled because the Triton handles the 'van really well with no deviation when passing heavy trucks and no swaying or other nastiness.

His recommended guy wanted $6,500 to completely replace all the springs and shockers with heavier units and said this was the best option. I did not want to spend that much so went elsewhere and was quoted around $2,500 for a weight distribution hitch and to have the rear springs reset with a couple of extra leaves added.

I believed I had a legitimate warranty claim given the car's low mileage so took it to the dealership I bought it from and told them the tale. Their mechanic wriggled underneath with a tape, measured the clearance from the spring to the rubber stopper and found it to be 100mm which is right on spec for a new car.

My credit card and I breathed a sigh of relief and I left well alone.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby als1200 on Wed Jun 28, 2017 5:53 am

$6500 for a suspension upgrade.....sounds like a friggen theif taking advantage of people who have no idea!
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Maxiy on Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:27 pm

even the $2500 for the extra leaves and a hitch sounds like robbery.

I have been quoted under 2.5k for a full overhaul of my suspension.

i will likely get new suspension, as i have never really liked the stock stuff. Bounces sideways over corrugations at speeds anything greater than a snails pace, and is like a boat on the high seas when i have her fully loaded for a trip.

will be happy to see the stock crap out the window
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby bodia on Wed Jun 28, 2017 1:35 pm

Pretty sure the springs are flat standard from the factory. The flatter and longer a spring is is generally
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Mayhem2015 on Wed Jun 28, 2017 2:41 pm

bodia wrote:Pretty sure the springs are flat standard from the factory. The flatter and longer a spring is is generally
Nicer ride


I don't think this is correct. Especially for a '1 tonne ute' not that it is a one tonner actually.

The guys I spoke to at ultimate 4wd equipment in Bibra lake said they should have quite a smile on them. Got quoted 2.5k to replace with EFS all round.

My leaf springs are now flat thanks to a week of being loaded on the tracks in Walpole. I can't afford to replace suspension all round at the moment so will just look into getting leaf springs done. Any advise from you guys on replacing these would be much appreciated. I am not excited about going with standard Mitsi stuff. Not sure whether to get these ones fixed or replace with ?????
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby bodia on Wed Jun 28, 2017 7:56 pm

Anyone know what standard height is for the rear as I cant find it?
Mine leafs are flat with a ride height of 565
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby NowForThe5th on Wed Jun 28, 2017 9:26 pm

Chris

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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby explorer.dave on Thu Jun 29, 2017 10:03 am

Mayhem2015 wrote:
bodia wrote:Pretty sure the springs are flat standard from the factory. The flatter and longer a spring is is generally
Nicer ride


I don't think this is correct. Especially for a '1 tonne ute' not that it is a one tonner actually.

The guys I spoke to at ultimate 4wd equipment in Bibra lake said they should have quite a smile on them. Got quoted 2.5k to replace with EFS all round.

My leaf springs are now flat thanks to a week of being loaded on the tracks in Walpole. I can't afford to replace suspension all round at the moment so will just look into getting leaf springs done. Any advise from you guys on replacing these would be much appreciated. I am not excited about going with standard Mitsi stuff. Not sure whether to get these ones fixed or replace with ?????


I got them to replace all my suspension with Dobinson kit, costs a little more but l'm very happy with the results.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby Mayhem2015 on Thu Jun 29, 2017 12:20 pm

Explorer Dave,

Did you get MMA to replace your suspension and put dobinsons in or just replace all round yourself? What does a set of dobs set you back (roughly).

I am not sure if this issue is one I can pursue with a dealer or not. I am out of warrantee and I carry extra weight daily. (canopy, bar work, dual battery etc) so I think they will point out that as the issue anyway.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby explorer.dave on Thu Jun 29, 2017 1:11 pm

When l bought the MN I always knew that the stock suspension was crap, l factored that into the purchase price, definitely didn't want MMA replacing crap with crap. It cost approx. $2600 at the time, bit over 4 years from now. They where great to work with and customer service was top notch.
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby bodia on Thu Jun 29, 2017 7:54 pm

I think the problem is more that they are set up for comfort so are very soft. Similarly a 70 series cruiser wagon is bloody horrible but is set up more for work. From reading the ride height forums its a bit hard to know for sure what standard is as people are stating heights but not km or whether they have a lift etc but I take standard on the rear as ~585. Mine are flat at about 565. I would've thought 20mm settle after 50k km is reasonable but means from new there was only 20 odd mm of curve across the leaf which is very flat. Good for comfort but not great for load handling
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Re: Flat leaf springs

Postby bodia on Thu Jun 29, 2017 7:58 pm

I know a lot are against them but I used to have a Colorado with the red airbags and would put 30psi in them when loaded up. Worked a treat. Am thinking of doing the same in the triton. Would be interested to know what psi people were using when chassis failed as the black airbags are apparently good for 100 psi. That would be ridiculous imo!! and would suggest that not just new leafs are required but a heavier vehicle
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