Is sagging front suspension springs a thing ? I have an old 1999 ford ranger truck, and the front tires are being destroyed with scalloping etc. I thought an alignment would fix it, but the shop I use told me I needed new springs, tie rod ends, and something else of another, to fix the problem. They said the most likely culprit were sagging springs. This truck is springs over shocks (not struts), and apparently if one or more springs wear out, I guess, they "sag" and create problems with the wear of the tires.

About six mos ago I replaced the master brake cylinder, rotors, new tapered inner and outer roller bearings, calipers, and pads myself, but that doesn't seem to have anything to do with this, although the mechanic said I needed new bearings as well.

Normally I do this sort of work myself, but I don't have enough suspension experience to try it, because if I screw it up it could be dangerous to drive.

Have you guys heard of sagging springs ? It's a first for me. They want $1400 to rebuild everything. I don't live in a rust belt. Seems like a lot of $$ but I don't really know since I've never heard of this problem before.

Any knowledge about this would be apprecaited.

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Have you guys heard of sagging springs ? It's a first for me. They want $1400 to rebuild everything. I don't live in a rust belt. Seems like a lot of $$ but I don't really know since I've never heard of this problem before.

I'm not familiar with Rangers, but sagging springs isn't unheard of in the Jeep world, so I'd guess same thing could happen to Rangers.

I replaced the rear springs on my Wrangler this year, it had ~70K on it, noticeable difference in ride height, and ride itself. The rear springs were sagging quite a bit.

Since you have some mechanical ability, I'd do the tie rods yourself, see if that solves the problem, the pay someone to do the springs if necessary. Shocks too if they are old. I doubt tie rods would cause the tires to scallop though.

I'm guessing the Ranger is 2WD since it has springs? Springs themselves really aren't that hard to change.

$1400 for a front end rebuild sounds about right. That thing is 22 years old...you didn't say how many miles, but I imagine it's a few. Suspension stuff takes a beating over the life of a vehicle, and springs and tie rod ends wear out. The good thing is, it ought to make a noticeable difference in you ride after you replace them, so at least you'll feel like you got something for your money.

Honestly, most of that stuff you can probably do yourself on that truck, and save a bunch of money over paying a shop...just take it in and get it aligned when you're done so you don't tear up the tires.

Yes, springs can sag. I don't know, but I would think that the alignment shop should be able to point to some parameter they were unable to bring into spec, camber perhaps, because the springs are weak. I don't believe camber issues would cause cupping though.

You should be able to check the tie rods ends for play yourself. Replacing them yourself isn't terrible.

Worn shocks can cause cupping of the outer edge of the tires. Shocks are cheap.

Can't hurt to take it to another shop for a second opinion.

We replace springs on a regular basis for well used trucks. Probably not the source of your tire problems, but also not a big expense. They are easy to change FWIW>

FWIW here is a good resource Link to General Springs

In the search box just type in Ford Ranger
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Coil springs or torsion bars? Coil springs can certainly sag, but the front of the truck would be noticeably lower, and the rubber strikeout bumpers on the lower control arm may be smashed. In parts of the country prone to rusting, they could even fracture at the bottom coil. Torsion bars can also sag, but they can be adjusted. Without seeing the truck I can't say for sure, but needing springs and the other parts is certainly not impossible.

Rangers with Twin-I-Beam suspensions have torsion bars. And the wheels change camber throughout the suspension travel. The design is about the most primitive independent front end you can imagine, and it causes uneven tire wear on the outside edges of the tires.

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Rangers with Twin-I-Beam suspensions have torsion bars

Twin-I-Beam has coil springs. (The rest of your post is correct. And the Twin Traction Beam on 4wds was even worse. This is hands down the worst front end to get and keep aligned.) They did away with TTB circa 1997. A '99 model should have SLA (short & long control arm) suspension.

Sagging springs (again, if that is really the case) mess up alignment as follows; sag > camber change > toe change > tire wear. Also, don't be surprised if upper control arm cam bolts are still needed to fine tune the camber and caster. The frame is slotted for the adjustment to move in or out, but the factory puts in square plates so it can't be moved.

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Originally posted by hrcjon:
They are easy to change FWIW>

Leaf springs? Yes.
Coil springs? Not so much, and it's a good way get dead if you're not careful.

Bad suspension will cup tires quickly. The car bounces as it rolls because the bad springs/shocks/struts/whatevers don't settle it down.

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Any knowledge about this would be apprecaited.

Easy-peasy



ETA: Get your parts here

Anything that old with likely that many miles is probably suffering not only from spring failure but also every bushing and joint being worn out. If you want to keep the truck you'll likely need to do a front end overhaul on it if you don't want to continually have to replace tires. If you can spin a wrench and don't mind doing the work yourself, you could likely do the entire front end for a few hundred bucks. Short of that, having someone else do it is going to cost you a whole lot more.

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Leaf springs? Yes.
Coil springs? Not so much, and it's a good way get dead if you're not careful.

You're thinking of struts, specifically Macphersen style where people don't have the correct tool and try to compress the spring with bullshit tools like threaded rod.

Stuffing a coil spring into a pocket on a control arm is much less dangerous.

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Originally posted by Rev. A. J. Forsyth:

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Leaf springs? Yes.
Coil springs? Not so much, and it's a good way get dead if you're not careful.

You're thinking of struts,

No, I'm thinking coil springs. I changed the ones out on my Mustang last summer (shock through the spring type). Even with the right high quality compressor I was shaking like a dog shitting peach stones. If somehow or another the tool fails (or it's not put on properly), that spring will go through you and likely the wall of the shop.

If I had to do it again, it's well worth the couple hundred dollars to have somebody else do it.

While it's not a complicated job, it is dangerous.

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No, I'm thinking coil springs. I changed the ones out on my Mustang last summer (shock through the spring type). Even with the right high quality compressor I was shaking like a dog shitting peach stones. If somehow or another the tool fails (or it's not put on properly), that spring will go through you and likely the wall of the shop.

What year mustang are you talking about? Roughly 1980 to 2004 used the same front spring setup. You can do the job with not much more a prybar and a floor jack.
The springs on a Ranger can be done by hand with not much more than a prybar. Did you try to do your mustang springs without splitting ball joints or something?

68.

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68.

That explains it. On 64-73 Mustangs the spring is on top of the upper control arm. After you remove the shock tower and shock, the spring has to be compressed from the inside to get it out. This can indeed be hazardous if the spring compressor fails or slips off.

Speaking of which, in 2016 the above cause nearly ended my career when a strut spring cut loose. I was lucky it only glanced off my knuckles and didn't break anything. The bruising still put that hand out of commission for a few days.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: egregore,

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shop I use told me I needed new springs, tie rod ends, and something else of another, to fix the problem.

Dunno, maybe it's different on newer cars, but in the 80's the springs would last the life of the car unless you drive like the Duke Boys.

Are you sure you're not being ripped off here??

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68.

Definitely explains it. Totally different setup than the OP's Ranger.

I once saw a shadetree guy with two pieces of threaded rod and some booger welded hooks to compress Macphersen struts. We were drinking beer while he was working on the car. I excused myself from the scene for awhile.