I have had a few people tell me that I should get an AAL and crank the t-bars on my truck to help clear my 295's a little better.

I really dont know much about the AAL's. I need to know what my options are as far as getting and AAL in the rear and keeping the front of my truck level. I know I can crank the t-bars some but will that destroy my front end (ball joints, CVA's, etc...)

Can someone school me on what I will need and what the final outcome will be as far as height.

Thanks.

 

I think i got about 1.25" out of my Pro Comp short universal 2.5" wide AAL. Ran me about $35 from 4wheelparts.

I used two 6 c-clamps to keep the leaf pack together on each side of the center pin/bolt. Then loosened 'em up as soon as i cut that old center bolt off. Put in the AAL in the leaf pack above the overload spring(big fat thick one that's pretty much flat), then clamped again with a c-clamp on each side of the newly installed center bolt. Tightened those as much as i could then tightened up the bolt. Repositioned the c-clamps a little bit closer to the center pin, then continued to clamp more and more and more on the clamps. Then also tightening the bolt after a couple rounds of the c-clamps. bolted the axle back up...done.

What an AAL does, is it forces the leaf pack to make a bigger arc. 'bends' the leafpack if you will. The tickness of the AAL and the added arc it gives the leaf, nets you lift.

Honestly...IMO....3" BL, cranked bars, and AAL is a perfect setup...has just the right about of rake w/o looking too raked.

 

Shane, I can still do this with the axle attached to the truck right?

 

NO you have to drop the rearend to put the AAL in the leaf pack

 

How do I do that?

 

unbolt your u bolts. lol.


i did mine on a lift with a jack under the pumpkin. i unbolted both leafs from the axle that way i had plenty of room to move the axle. no needs to undo brake lines or cables or even the driveshaft....have the frame on stands and make sure you're able to have the axle at full droop and beyond, unbolt the axle, have a jack under the axle...install AAL bam! you can get it done like this too in your driveway or garage.....

 

I did mine with a jack in a gravel driveway, its fairly simple. I had the 2" long leaf from procomp, little harder to put in with some busted knuckles.

 

i was thinking of doing this to because when i get a truck load of wood and my trailer full my truck sags pretty good

 

Thanks for the pics Shane.

Is one length AAL better over the other?

 

I think one length gets more lift than the other.

 

I guess im running the perfect setup in shanes book then. lol Do the AAL. It looks real clean.

 

Longer AAL gives you a little more height.

 

How does that work? Like how does the longer one give you more lift then the shorter one?

 

It doesn't have as much give as the shorter one, thus lifting it.

 

Another rear spring option is to add a leaf or two from a salvage yard. In my experience (F250) each added salvage leaf will give you 3/4" -1" height increase. Longer leaves = more lift and flex?

 

Hard to explain in words. But the shorter one will be pushing in the "middle" of the leafs. Longer leafs will be pushing on the outside of the leafs, where the leaves are more angled upwards, thus giving it less lift. Basically what trent said too.

 

what i did was did the long AAL then took out the stock block and it sits level witht the front with maxed out tbars

 

i could help you if you decide to do this jake. its not that hard and would only take a few hours

 

You got 2.5" of lift out of a Long AAL???

 

why not do belltech 6400 shackles. I just threw a set on mine. 1.5" lift, cost me $40cdn for the shackles, 45 mins to install while on the phone and drinking beer.

 

both are cheap ways to lift the rear indeed. BUT...I think jake has some nice exhaust pipes sticking out the stock location area....SO....with a 3" bodylift AND the 6400 shackles, he'll need to modify his tailpipe exit location because of how low the shackles hang under the bedside. That's where i'm at right now..figureing out what i can do to ditch the shackles so i can run dual pipes at a 45* angle in the stock location on each side.

see..how much they stick down on a 3" bl'd truck?....

 

interesting. i was totally unaware of this problem. AAL it is then i guess, lol

 

Paul that would be awsome. I am going to do this just not sure when. I will definatley take you up on this.

Good call on the exhaust location Shane. Thats something I probably wouldnt have even took into consideration if you hadnt mentioned anything.

BTW: your truck = sex.

 

it's sexier now....black rack and black bumper....

you're truck = hotness too dude.

 

i guess i didnt install the AAL the previous owner did so i didnt get accurate measurements but it was so raked out and i tow so i wanted to keep the AAL but also wanted to level out the truck so i took out the block and cranked the tbars the rest of the way now it sits almost level

heres a pic of 1in tbar crank AAl and stock block

and heres with the stock block out and tbars maxed out