Canadian Nissan Truck Club

Driving around last week, I heard a loud clanging sound as something hit the pavement and bounced. I wasn't sure if it came off my truck or not. Truck did not seem to behave any differently. Then I noticed that on take off from a standing start it would torque over slightly to one side. It didn't do this before the clanging sound. Then this morning I heard another clanging sound on my way to work. The strange torque-over on take off has now gone away.

Anyone know what's going on here? Does the 2nd gen X have spring stiffeners that maybe fell out one at a time? I looked at the leaf springs and they seem fine.

no spring stiffeners from the factory. Where did the sound come from (i am assuming the back because you were looked at the leaves). I would check sway bar end links, or even a cracked leaf. Any other things in the rear end would have been a big fail and you'd notice them immediately.

Check your shock bolts for fun.

Breaks feel okay? Someone here lost a caliper bolt while driving.


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Thanks for the feedback guys. Brakes are good. Sound came from the back...it was the sounds of something bouncing down the road after it (presumably) fell off my truck.

The back end is definitely too soft. It bottoms out way to easily if I go over a bump to quickly.

Ok from the back i'd check your springs for a crack. i'd also check the sway bar mount points and end links. and to be thorough i would check your ubolts that go around the axle from the springs i have heard of them snapping.

Ok upon closer inspection I broken leaf springs. Same thing both sides. The section of the the leaf that's second from the bottom snapped off forward of the axle. The section rearward of the axle is still there which explains why I didn't see it the first time I looked. So I need two new leaf springs. Is this a DIY job?

Since I'm replacing them should I be looking at something in the aftermarket that's a bit better/stronger?

You can buy a whole spring pack and install yourself, but you could also just go to a local spring shop and have them replace the broken leaf.
You should also check the shocks. The reason the leaf springs sometimes break is that the shocks are blown and cause the springs to over-work themselves.

I didn't know there were still spring shops. I thought they were all gone. I'm in Georgetown. Are there any near me that you know of?

mstevey wrote:I didn't know there were still spring shops. I thought they were all gone. I'm in Georgetown. Are there any near me that you know of?

Should be lots, the Comercial truck industry uses lots of leaf springs.

Update: Job done.

1 new leaf per side installed.

Serpact Spring Service in Milton
$540

Hope thats taxes in.


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Nice - did you go with stock ride height?

Yes, I went stock. Didn't even occur to me to take the opportunity to jack her up a bit. I'd like another couple of inches of lift over and above stock.

Oh well, can always do an add a leaf now that the ubolts are fresh. Or a set of shackles. And a set of 33's. Oh wait, that's how it starts

That's what I'm afraid of!!

Come to the Dark Side!

What would be the best most cost effective way to achieve a 2" lift?

Do you mean a body lift? Or are you only meaning a suspension lift?

on a Gen 2 a suspension lift. spacer and shackle lift.