Rough Country Leaf Spring Failures

I installed the RC 6.5 inch LA kit 3 months ago.

I have not jumped, crawled, or barely even wheeled my rig. 1 mud pool and some dirt forest routes. (Im not a mall crawler, Ive been in school and just graduated in June). Just some minor screwing around.

I did tow a 2900lb boat a few miles (20).


Pic:


So after 1 month I start to hear a weird rubbing. I check everything out and find that the front bushings have slid off the leaf and the eyes have opened up. The main leaf was rubbing on my unibody.



Rough Country sends me a new set. Awesome. Cause the first set look like some Chinese steel tar-coated knockoff with a rough country STICKER as an only branding.

Now I have to re-install them. So I did. Luckily new ones looked the part. They had proper RC stamping and looked to be a better quality.




Guess what happened again?




The eye has opened on the passenger side only, the bushing has slid out.

I contacted RC and they want to send me another bushing. Hasta

Like thats going to fix the stretched eye on the main leaf.




So my question is, "DO I really have to contact a specialty leaf company and have new HD main leafs made?"

Gonna cost me 320$.:flamemad:

Did you send RC all these pictures, or better yet, a link to this thread? It's obvious that their outsourcing of the leafsprings has resulted in several quality control issues.

I'd opt for a refund on the springs and order from another manufacturer.

dont know if you did this.....

When you first install leafs, you Do Not tighten the leaf eye bolts down. you just thread them in enough to not fall out.

then lower it, and do what you have to, to drive it about a mile with a few speed bumps or whoops if possible, WITHOUT letting the bolts fall out. they typically will go a long time just hand tight.

then without jacking it up, tighten them down.

That might help, might not...

I always tighten suspension parts down the way Rob posted above, they settle over time and loosen up if you don't - this method usually seats things well the first time. Did you recheck to make sure everything was tight after a week or so, regardless of how you installed them initially? Most maufacturers reccomend rechecking all bolts after a short time to ensure they are still tight. It looks like your bolts came loose and let the bushings move around which would wreak havoc on the springs themselves as well, allowing them to twist on the ends. If the bolts are fully tightened it should be impossible for the bushings to walk out like that, they will be held tight against the frame rail and the outer mount.

I know this post is about 6 weeks or so ols but my RC leafs are doing the same thing. I've contacted them and sent pics. Waiting to see what there gonna do.

I did mine just like rob said, this was 3 years ago..I beat mine hard and had to replace my bushing last month..I have the 6.5 RC..

OK so i just got word RC is sending me two new leaf packs.

This same thing is happening to me right now. I purchased my lift kit in 2012.

I think I'm switching to BDS.

This makes me really happy i went with OME

cartbart said:

This makes me really happy i went with OME

Click to expand...

My OME leafs are doing the same thing on the passenger side. Been through 2 sets of bushings in the last 3 years. The next time I have it apart, I am going to put a small spot weld on the bushing outer sleeve to help prevent this problem in the future.

I say this with 2 considerations.
1- the first set of bushings were actually rotting out within 6 months. Not OME problem.
2- the passenger side front leaf bolt was seized in place so it had to be cut out. I did my best to make sure the new bolt and nut were centered in the hole where the old weld nut was, but I am sure it has moved by now.