The leaf spring forms part of a vehicle’s rear suspension and attaches to the lower suspension arm with bushes and secured to the underside of the vehicle’s body using clamps. It ensures that the vehicle moves without swaying or raising from the road.

Because of the build of a leaf spring consisting of several moving parts it’s recommended that they’re inspected as a minimum on each 12,000 miles to check for signs of wear. The leaf spring can be prone to sagging if the vehicle is used often with only the driver on board. In cases where the sagging is significant it’s recommended to replace the springs.

Signs that the leaf spring needs replacing could be noticed when examining the height of the vehicle from the rear. The vehicle should appear level, so if one side appears lower than the other this could be caused by a damaged spring. A leaf spring should also be replaced if heavily rusted. On examining the spring if it moves from side-to-side, this could indicate that the bush that connects the spring to the suspension arm is damaged and should be replaced.