If you've owned a pickup truck for a while, you know even the toughest ones require TLC at times. From scheduled maintenance to roadside repairs, you need a budget to keep your vehicles on the road. One way to help your budget — and your truck — go further is to save on labor costs by doing repairs yourself.

Armed with the right parts, tools and information, you can do many common repairs for a fraction of what a mechanic would charge. Here are eight truck repairs you can do yourself.

1. Leaf Springs

Leaf springs are an essential component of your truck's suspension. You need them in good condition to keep your truck's handling smooth and stable. If you notice spring issues while driving or during an inspection, you can order new leaf springs online and replace them yourself in five steps:

1. Prepare your suspension: Loosen the suspension system and lubricate the bolt, nuts and brackets.
2. Raise your truck: Elevate your truck with a hydraulic jack and lower it onto a jack stand. Then, remove the rear wheels to access the springs.
3. Remove your base plate: Take off the base plate and remove the spring pack.
4. Replace your kit: Put the shackle in place, then align and secure the rear of the new leaf spring.
5. Finish your installation: Secure and tighten the front of the new leaf spring.

Read our guide to replacing leaf springs or follow our YouTube tutorial for more details about how to complete each step.

2. U-Bolts

U-bolts keep your leaf springs in place, so replacing worn bolts is crucial for maintaining a functional suspension system. Change them every time you replace your leaf springs to prevent them from wearing out. You have to undo your U-bolts when you change your leaf springs anyway, so it's convenient to do both together. However, if you notice any wear or corrosion on your U-bolts before your leaf springs are due for a change, you can replace them separately.

This is easy to do yourself:

• Elevate your truck.
• Remove the nuts from the old U-bolt and take the bolt off.
• Install your new U-bolt around the leaf spring.
• Connect the two ends of the “U” with two nuts.
• Tighten the nuts in a cross pattern with a torque wrench.

3. Shocks and Struts

Along with springs and U-bolts, shocks and struts are critical for a smooth suspension response on the road. Both shocks and struts require regular inspection for signs of wear. You may also experience signs of shock or strut damage like vehicle sagging, unusual noise, uneven tire wear or bumpy driving. You can replace old shocks or struts with just a jack, wrench and spring compressor. To replace your shocks or struts:

• Lift your truck.
• Remove the wheel to gain access.
• Unbolt the old shock or remove the strut assembly.
• Install your replacement parts.
• Replace your wheel and lower your truck.

4. Brake Pads

Replacing worn brake pads in your truck is vital to your safety. Brake pads are among the most frequently replaced parts on your truck, so the savings from changing them yourself can add up fast. The good news is that changing brake pads is one of the easiest truck repairs you can do at home:

• Lift the truck.
• Remove the wheel.
• Unbolt the caliper.
• Take out the old pads.
• Insert your new pads.
• Reposition the caliper.
• Replace the wheel.

5. Oil Changes

Regular oil changes help keep your truck's engine running efficiently at a safe temperature and protect engine components from damage. This is a potentially messy but very simple do-it-yourself (DIY) task you can handle in five steps:

• Warm up your truck.
• Remove the oil pan plug and drain the oil.
• Replace the filter.
• Reattach and tighten the plug.
• Fill up with fresh oil.

6. Spark Plugs

Changing your spark plugs is another routine truck maintenance task you can DIY. Some newer spark plugs last 60,000-100,000 miles between replacements, but you should inspect them every 30,000 miles to be safe. Misfires, rough idling and excessive fuel consumption are all signs of worn-out spark plugs. You can change your spark plugs with basic tools and elbow grease:

• Unscrew the old plugs with the right size spark plug wrench.
• Adjust the gap on the new plugs to fit your vehicle.
• Install your new plugs by hand and tighten them with the wrench.

Check your owner's manual for the right torque settings to avoid overtightening your new spark plugs, which can damage them and cause performance issues.

7. Air Filter

Your truck needs a clean air filter to maintain an efficient, long-lasting engine. Replacing an air filter is a quick and affordable DIY job:

• Open the air filter compartment.
• Remove the old air filter.
• Insert the new one.
• Check for a snug fit with no gaps.

8. Lightbulbs

Your truck's lights, including headlights, tail lights and signal lights, are necessary for your safety and that of everyone else on the road. If you have a dim or dead bulb on your truck, you can change it yourself at home:

• Open the bulb housing.
• Pop the bulb out from behind.
• Unplug the wiring.
• Attach the new bulb to the wiring.
• Secure the new bulb.

If you are upgrading your traditional incandescent light bulbs to LED, it may be necessary to install a resistor as LED lights have significantly less electrical draw than incandescent lights.

Why Trust Us for Truck Repairs?

As America's leading leaf spring and suspension authority since 1965, General Spring KC has gained a reputation for expertise in truck replacement parts. We only partner with manufacturers who are full Spring Research Institute (SRI) members and fulfill exceptional quality standards. Thousands of five-star ShopperApproved customer reviews testify that truck owners trust General Spring to give them the high-quality replacement parts they need.

Our expert team is passionate about helping DIY enthusiasts repair or upgrade their trucks for peak performance. We give quick, personal attention to every customer inquiry, grounding our industry knowledge in the real-world needs of truck owners like you. After decades of experience selecting and providing optimal parts for DIY truck repairs, we have demonstrated that we know what it takes to keep your truck running at its best.

Get Truck Repair Parts From General Spring

While you can do many common truck repairs at home, you need quality parts suited to your truck to get the best results. This is especially true when replacing suspension components like leaf springs, U-bolts, shocks and struts. For top-quality truck suspension parts to use in your next DIY repair job, choose General Spring.

General Spring supplies leaf springs, U-bolts, shocks, struts, shackles and more. Our parts pass rigorous SRI quality standards, meet or exceed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) standards and include options to fit your make and model. With fast shipping, affordable prices and a one-year warranty on all our leaf springs, you can trust General Spring as your DIY truck repair partner.

Browse all our parts or get help finding the right part by contacting our friendly truck suspension experts.