Repairing vs. replacing has been, and will remain, a judgement call on the part of the operator. However, over the years some general "common sense" guidelines have developed which can help guide the decision making process. These include:

How many leaves are broken?

Multi-leaf springs in which 3 or more leaves are broken are generally replaced.

Where are the leaves broken?

If breakage occurs between the u-bolts, breakage was probably a by-product of loose u-bolts and the spring is a candidate for rebuild. However, if breakage occurs between a u-bolt and an end of the spring, breakage was probably caused by fatigue. Depending on the mileage experienced, replacement should be considered in this instance.

How many miles have the springs been in operation?

All steel leaf springs have a finite life and will eventually suffer fatigue. When fatigue failure will happen depends upon the type of operational service they experience. Springs in overthe- road applications will generally outlive springs which see off-road, or other severe service applications by a wide margin.
If, based on the operating history, "normal" spring life was experienced for the application, then replacement would be the best option. Note: Due to the unavoidable frequency of breakage in severe service applications, the rebuild-to-replace ratio is generally higher in these applications.

Is it a front spring, rear spring or trailer spring? Long taper, multi-leaf or single leaf?

Medium duty multi-leaf and heavy duty long taper front springs are generally replaced. Rear springs are often rebuilt. Three-leaf trailer springs are commonly replaced. Single leaf trailer and tractor "z" springs are replaced.

Has the spring ever been rebuilt before?

If the spring has been rebuilt once, common practice is to replace it the second time around.

How important is "downtime" to the operation?

Avoiding downtime is usually important to most operations. If normal spring service life has been experienced, then replacement of the broken spring is usually the best choice. Further, a through examination of the remaining spring on the opposite side of the axle should be made as it too has experienced fatigue. To keep downtime to a minimum, replacement should be a serious consideration.

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