What Direction Should The Band on a Leaf Springs Be Faceing

Updated 02/23/2026 | Published 02/18/2026

Question:

When installing trailer leaf springs that have a band around one end, does it matter which end of the trailer the banded end faces?

asked by: Lance C

Expert Reply:

Hey, Lance.

The direction the springs are in doesn't matter. They can be to the front or to the rear of the axle and will perform the same either way.

What kind of trailer are you working on?

expert reply by: Gwendolyn Y

Double-Eye Spring
(click to enlarge)

Lance C.

2/20/2026

16ft tandem axle. Had 2 sets of springs break so I replaced all 4. Now my front driver tire wears funny and sits at a slight angle to the inside of the wheel well. I thought maybe the bearings were bad so I replace wheel bearings, races, and oil seal. Plenty of grease in the hub. Not sure if I did something wrong when replacing the springs.

Gwendolyn Y.

2/20/2026

@LanceC Just to make sure I'm understanding the angle properly, the top of the tire would be going away from the trailer and the bottom of the tire inward closer to the trailer?

Lance

2/20/2026

@GwendolynY front of tire sticks out further from wheel well than the rear of the tire does. If you're sitting and looking at the tire, the left side (front) has more room between tire and wheel well than the right side (rear) does.

Gwendolyn Y.

2/23/2026

@Lance That sounds like a bent axle or a bent spindle. If you were out on the road when the springs broke, that most likely caused the bend. In situations like that, you will need to replace the axle.