Leaf spring/bushing gap

[rtadams89]

I was looking at my driver side front wheel today and noticed there is a rather large gap between the leaf spring and the leaf spring bushing. The first two pictures here are the side I am concerned with, the final one is the passenger side which looks fine. Any idea what the issue is here? Is the leaf spring bad, or did the bushing disintegrate, or is it fine?

 

[TsgtB]

Looks bad to me... like it's missing a bushing, but i'm no pro.

 

[texas30cal]

I believe the top leaf is the one that actually wraps around the pin/bushing and that the loop you are looking at is the second leaf from the top of the stack

 

[rtadams89]

Are you saying it is OK as is?

 

[texas30cal]

I'll check mine in the am but I think it's normal, there has to be room for the leaves to move, no suspension expert but I think only one can be attached solid, the rest have to be able to move as they bend.

 

[rustystud]

It's used as a safety measure if the top main leaf where to ever break off.

 

[rosco]

Rusty nailed it. But also the reason that the two sides might look different is that there are times when U-bolts get loose, big pot holes are hit with such intensity that the rearward force on the axle shears the spring center bolt. That allows the stack of spring leaves to slip between themselves.

 

[texas30cal]

I checked, both sides of my trucks are uniform, u might want to make sure that the center bolt didn't shear.