Abstract: A leaf spring assembly for the suspension of an axle of a vehicle, particularly a trailer, has a plurality of superposed steel plates, the ends of the longest of the plates being adapted or formed into means, preferably hooks, for mounting the leaf spring assembly into hangers affixed to the vehicle and the midpoint of the shortest of the plates having its lower surface adapted for being affixed to the axle. The leaf spring assembly is characterized by having a ratio of the horizontal distance between the centerlines of the hooks and the vertical distance between the tops of the hooks and the lower surface of the leaf spring assembly, such ratio being greater than about 6.0:1 and, most preferably, greater than 8.0:1. The leaf spring is further characterized by having a ratio of the length of the longest of the plates to the width of the plate of at least 20.0:1, with the width of all plates being essentially identical. The preferred leaf spring assembly comprises at least four such plates.