I went to have my tires rotated today and they jacked up the back with a floor jack, but the front they lifted with the lift right at the back of the leaf springs! Is this OK to do?

 

That is an old school shop, inground lifts here are have to be pulled and replaced with above ground units. No that is not the proper way to lift that truck, especially with a diesel in it, the back of the lift also hits the driveshaft and can kink it. there is nothing else to say to ya my friend no way, the springs are not meant to handle that weight back there.

 

O That's why we are not aloud in the service bays at the tire store…I wondered what it was…take the shot…..well the picture, I mean. Not an actual shot…That is why we do most of our own work!!

 

Sorry, that is not right for your truck, nor is it safe for them.

 

I took the picture through the plexiglass window in the customer lounge. Do you think there is any spring/bushing damage?

 

I seriously doubt that caused any damage. It's a static load on a spring, not some flimsy piece of sheet metal.

 

It really pisses me off after I am so careful when I jack it up only to have these monkeys do this.

 

No damage done, It'll be fine.

 

I understand how you feel. It would upset me also. It is almost as if one has to pre-examine the methods, means, and machinery a shop uses ahead of time... which ranges from very difficult to downright impossible to do without either access being denied or the very service itself being denied. A no confidence vote from the outset doesn't sit too well with most shops.

Also like you, I would wonder about the stress riser (even if statically loaded) from the majority of your truck's weight being concentrated on such a pin pointedly thin hard cornered lift bracket transversely across the spring at the spring's thinnest, most ductile area. I would wonder if that stress riser would create a crack initiation site, or lead to a subsequent sudden spring break.

You were smart to take photos, because if the longevity of the spring was reduced by this method of lifting, there is no way to "see" the stress concentration with the naked eye. Whatever damage, if any, that has been done, cannot be determined visually. You would have to wait until it fails, if it fails. And if it does fail in that area, THEN you have proof of a potential cause as to why it failed more prematurely than otherwise might be expected.

To perfect that proof now, contemporaneously when your concern might count for something, I might send a copy of those photos you took, along with photocopies of Ford's instructions on "Raising and Supporting" the vehicle, as printed in the Owner's Manual, to the owner of the business who changed your tires, expressing your concerns. They might ignore your letter, they might write back and say they have lifted hundreds of diesel trucks this way, they might assure you that no damage was done, they might send you a coupon for a discount on future business... it doesn't really matter what they say, if they say anything at all. The point is, you memorialized your concern in writing, and demonstrated photographically where their procedure deviated from the vehicle manufacturer's printed recommendations available in the glove box.

In the event your lower leaves ever do break in that area, you (or the executor of your estate) (just joking) might have some recourse if the root cause of the spring break is determined to stem from a latent manifestation from this incident.

Pikachu and takotruckin may very well be right in their assessment that "no damage was done." So the purpose of the letter is simply to preserve a path for reimbursement after the fact, since there is nothing you can do about the milk that has already spilt.

I concocted a special bracket, located on the frame directly behind the front leaf spring shackle, which is the area where Ford instructs technicians to lift/support the front of our trucks when not supported by the axles. With an "empty" weight of 11K lbs, I take the task of raising and supporting this truck very seriously.





Custom front frame mounted jack support point distributes load over broader area of frame flange, and more significantly, to the WEB of the frame instead of only the flange. A cold rolled hardened steel 2.5" dowel bushing is supported by a 12.9 metric class 19mm diameter bolt. The bushing is protected by a high temp rubber sleeve.

 

Y2K, very nice work. I bet even a Ford mechanic would look at that and ask "what is Ford's part number for that lift point?", if he even could figure out what it was for. Did you use a spring mount for that piece? I assume that there are spacers inside the frame for the mounting bolts? You'll likely get some copy cats.
Larry