Many applications require you to increase the current load capacity of your suspension and there are a number of ways to achieve this. One of the most common ways is by replacing the current leaf spring with a heavy-duty spring that can deal with a heavier load capacity.

However, rather than replacing the current leaf spring you can add a spring to strengthen your current system. Many vehicles are capable of supporting an extra load bearing spring that improve your suspension system.

There are many vehicles that need additional leaf springs to improve the load capacity. When a vehicle is slumping at the back while loaded, it’s an obvious sign the vehicle is not living up to its carrying its load. With the addition of an extra leaf into each rear leaf spring, inches of lift can be added to the back that will keep the vehicle horizontal, even when the back is full.

For the purpose of adding leafs to the leaf springs under a vehicle, there are two types of products on the market — add a leaf kits and helper springs. With add a leaf kits, the leaf or leafs are added between the pre-existing leaf springs and rebound springs at the rear axle under a truck. With helper springs, the additional springs are mounted onto the pre-existing leaf springs.

There are a number of ways and indicators to look out for which can help you to tell if the leaf spring will need replacing all together. When rust starts to form on the main sections of the spring, it’s important that it is replaced. Corrosion of the spring might not be evident straight away and as soon as it’s noticed the problem should be rectified.

If a rusty part is left unreplaced then it could lead to a number of other problems with your vehicle. The rust can spread across the base of your vehicle which could damage parts and lead to cracks and hole appearing in the base.

The springs are designed to work as comprehensive unit of the leafs. The leafs will provide lift and flexibility to the rear of your vehicle. If a new leaf spring was placed into the framework of a faulty system then it would buckle under the weight.

Whilst using additional springs will strengthen the system, if the base spring isn’t in good shape then it won’t be able to handle the function it was originally designed for. It’s always best to ensure that your current leaf spring is in good condition before adding load bearing additions to your vehicle.

The purpose of the installing a new leaf isn’t to increase the capacity of the load that a vehicle can handle. Vehicles are designed to only carry a certain amount of weight before things such as tyres, axles and the overall suspension system is compromised. Springs are designed to support the current system meaning less pressure is put on the vehicle. Even with additional springs, if the payload is more than what the vehicle can handle, the suspension system could still fail.