Leaf Spring Pads/Liners

Thinking about removing my leaf springs "pads" and replacing with this "liner" material:

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Leaf-Spring-Liner-with-Lip-2-1-4-Inch,39823.html

Has anyone tried it or have success with something else? My alcans have squeaked/groaned like hell since day 1. It's been over 10 years now and they still do it.

 

A few guys tried the liners with their Dakars with mixed results- mostly good though. Some guys had them fall out of place and "squeeze out" from the leaf pack though.

As an aside:
I mention it briefly in my Dakar thread, but if you haven't completely isolated the source of the squeak, take a look at the bushings. Sometimes if the bushing are dry and the hardware is overtorqued, it causes binding which results in squeaks. I found that the bushings with siping cut into the outer shoulder are better at grease retention and reduce squeaks. You can cut grooves into your existing bushing or replace them with "better" bushings. Example from OME:



This small grooves on the face of the bushings (as well as around the circumference) hold grease where the bushing makes contact with the hangers. You can grease them liberally and lower the torque on the hardware (recommended to replace nuts with Nylocks as well) to reduce binding and allow free movement.

 

Yeah I've tried that, my bushings have a tiny bit of squeak but I can tell the difference between the bushing squeak and a creaky noise that my leafs make. The leafs are much worse and louder. Lube is always a short term fix.

I'm planning to remove a leaf from my leaf pack so I'll have them disassembled, might as well try to hit two birds with one stone with something to keep them from developing a squeak again. I'll replace all the bushings too and use that clear PTFE grease.. probably will add grooves to the bushings too.

 

I'd imagine as long as you don't have leaf separation often (from drooping out) then the liners should stay in place. Some guys did use bigger pads too (a doorman replacement) that permanently separated the leafs along the arch and the only contact between them was pads to leafs (leaves?).

 

The pads that are on mine now are pretty large, so I'm wondering if maybe the pads themselves just suck. I am torn on whether I should just replace those or if I should go with the liners instead. That being said, there is definitely metal/metal contact closer to the center of the leaves, which has caused them to rust in between the leaves. These liners would do away with that contact. I do worry about them separating though, because at droop at least one of the leaves separates a little from its neighbor towards the back.