Parabolics.....issues....

[fruitpunch]

Well so I have that old 88 with the perkins prima I drive every day. I decided a long time ago to put in some TiConsole Parabolics with 2 leaf fronts and 3 leaf rears...... all was fine, a bit bumpy for a softtop. But very nice pulling a 1ton trailer around, or loaded up with firewood.

So then the other day moving around the 14hp snowblower in the back of the 88 I noticed a sag while driving.... the left rear of the truck was completely flat. Using a yard stick it was 4 inches lower then the right side. I crawled underneath.... fearing the worst (broken hanger and so on) but nothing. Bloody flat saggy spring, I start calling around to our host (Les) and some other friends asking for advice.....

Mean while I continue to drive it, about 4 days later.... the spring is back up to normal. I cannot even tell which side it was on if I didn't take a picture when it happened. The snow blowers weight was like 400lbs, so nothing too heavy. And the blower was in the back only for like 10 minutes, it happened the same day not sure if it was the blower, the cold, bad steel.....

I have pondered about the shock freezing in place and holding the spring down, I can't think that could actually happen.

Anyway still don't know what happened, I am thinking of replacing the rear springs regardless as it drove a bit like a LWB without airbags on bumpstops.

Meanwhile waiting to put in another tranny..... and other work.....

Any thoughts ?

[SafeAirOne]

Perhaps the wear portion of the spring where one leaf contacts the other just got hung up in the compressed position?

[bkreutz]

I'm thinking either a shock malfunction (like you mentioned) or a spring shakle that got stuck for some reason. Can't imagine a piece of spring steel having an intermittent problem. (hadn't considered the leaves binding either, so that's a maybe as well).

[smukai]

I would look closely at the bushings in your spring shackles...I'd put my $$$ on that (maybe not $$$ but at least $.xx)