Broken front leaf spring Allsport lift kit

[Muddog]

This is common problem with boat trailers as well.
Working on boat trailers over the years, I have seen the decline in quality. Springs used to be good for 5 or 6 years in saltwater use. Now I don't hardly see 2 years of life.
My neighbor was going to get his boat out of the water, going down a smooth paved road with an empty trailer, both springs disintegrated causing the axle to separate from the trailer, when it can loose it destroyed a car and sent 2 people to the hospital.
The spring were 6 months old.
It used to be we mined the ore ,we processed it into steel and the product was made.
The origins and quality of steel was known. That is no more.
With all of the scrap metal being sent to china for recycle and use, quality control has gone out the window. You don't know weather you are getting spring steel or pot metal .
It is not the sellers of the lift themselves that is the problem, it's the cheap crap the manufacturers are buying from suppliers. There are still quality springs made, but they chose to buy the cheapest they can find, that's how you increase profit margin at the expense of your customers.

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Originally Posted by Muddog

It is not the sellers of the lift themselves that is the problem, it's the cheap crap the manufacturers are buying from suppliers. There are still quality springs made, but they chose to buy the cheapest they can find, that's how you increase profit margin at the expense of your customers.

Reminds me of a day back when I worked at the dealer. We had a sales rep come see us who was selling synthetic grease. He lubed up a spindle with our Wal-Mart grease and lubed up another one with his special stuff. Heated them both with a torch. The wal mart grease turned to liquid and melted out of the bottom of the spindle. The fancy synthetic stuff stayed in the spindle and it continued to work smoothly. I was all for it, but the majority of the shop was against using it because "We want people's stuff to tear up. If we put this stuff in their carts we'll never work on them again and we won't make any money". I had to laugh.

[Kashmir]

That is what is called Planned obsolescence.
I turned wrenches at GM dealership waaaay back in the mid to late 80's.
Once every quarter all of the tech's were required to got to "GM" school.
The classes were awesome and we learned how to's on new innovations that GM was bringing out. (yeah, I know, it was the boring 80's for GM where Corvette's had 150 horsepower from a 350 small block....whoopee!)
Anyway we were at the tech school one week and we were shown a prototype ceramic engine that was completely sealed and nothing was serviceable. GM claimed it was a 150,000 mile engine with zero maintenance for the engine or drivetrain. At the end of 150,000 miles, the whole kit and kaboodle could be replaced for under $1,000.

We never got to see it run and I have never read about it anywhere since.
I do believe it is possible, but think of the mechanics that would be out of work.
GM makes more money selling parts than they do selling cars....


I also dated a girl in High School who's family owned and operated a funeral home. I would give her dad hell because I said I could see him up at night praying for folks to die because he wanted to take the family to Disney that year.
(And yes boys and girls, I DID lay in a casket....that was the weirdest feeling I have EVER had.)

[Raystar57]

LOL!

[Muddog]

It funny you mention that engine. As I was writing my reply , I was thinking about the newest in latest and greatest lawn mowers.
They do have sealed engines, no oil changes required. The oil will last the life of the engine. However long that may be.
15 or 20 years life for a mower is what it used to be. I wonder what it will be now.

[Kashmir]

Anyway, back on topic, I ordered a new spring from Allsport ($45 +$20 shipping)
Hopefully it will be here by the end of the week (not holding my breath)
I will then take the spring that is not broken on the Precedent and maybe get a trailer spring at Tractor Supply and add a leaf to it. That way, if this ever happens again, I have a good leaf to put in there until the next new one arrives.

[Cruise Master]

Originally Posted by Kashmir

That is what is called Planned obsolescence.
I turned wrenches at GM dealership waaaay back in the mid to late 80's.
Once every quarter all of the tech's were required to got to "GM" school.

....We never got to see it run and I have never read about it anywhere since.
I do believe it is possible, but think of the mechanics that would be out of work....

...GM makes more money selling parts than they do selling cars....

So funny you should write that stuff. Worked at GM corporate, then the Tech center, in Detroit in the 70's. Learned all about planned obsolescence. That's the real reason why car styles change, to make you feel like you're driving an old car, while your neighbor has that new body style in his driveway. The engineers where told not to make a car that would last over 100,000 miles for those that cared less about body styles.

What we all want to know is did you have sex in that casket (and not by yourself either.)

[Kashmir]

Unfortunately I did not.
I seriously don't think I would have been able to. I was 17 years old and that really totally spooked me.


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[passthru]

I'm glad Toyota doesn't have that philosophy. At 10+ years and 225,000+ miles my Tacoma is still going strong.

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[Kashmir]

^^^Just keep an eye on the frame of that Toy....