A NY leaf spring is considered out of service when missing or broken leaves equal what fraction of the total?

• A. 1/4 of the total leaves
• B. 1/2 of the total leaves
• C. 1/8 of the total leaves
• D. 1/3 of the total leaves

Answer: (A)

Leaf springs share the load across multiple leaves, so missing or broken leaves weaken the spring and can throw off ride height and axle alignment. The standard rule is that a spring is out of service when missing or broken leaves total one-quarter of the leaves in the spring. For example, with 12 leaves, 3 or more damaged or missing leaves mean it’s out of service. The other fractions don’t match this regulatory threshold, which is why one-quarter is the correct guideline.