AAL question

I thought I had my lift figured out. TW has just thrown me a curve ball. I was set on a toytec 1.5" AAL for the rear. Now I found out about Wheelers Off-road. They have a 1.5" progresive AAL. I know there are more leaves with a progressive, but what are the benefits of getting the progressive AAL over the one leaf AAL? I dont have the TSB.

 

I dont have an exact answer but........ I just put the wheelers 3 leaf progressive on my 03. I also was going to use a standard 1 leaf AAL but after talking with wheelers i went with the 3 leaf for 2 reasons. 1. They said the ride is better with the 3 pack as opposed to the single aal and 2, i was replacing the u bolts anyway and the 3 leaf progressive come with new u bolts so all in all it was only $40 more for the 3 leaf. Like i said, i dont have an exact answer but you cant ask wheelers, they have an online chat option on their website, great service.
However i haven't drove it yet to report any improvements ( waiting on a diff drop spacer). and i left my overload in because i figured there was no reason not to.

 

You got it. One thing to note (and this could be for just the TSB leaf packs) the install is a little more involved with the 3-leaf. I had to cut off the stock leaf pack wraps prior to installing otherwise they would have rubbed where the AAL meets the existing leaf pack.

Otherwise, the 1.5" progressive AAL is awesome! It rides nice and smooth on the road and handles loads well. I left the factory overload in for heavier hauling also.

 

Anyone else?

 

My understanding in a nutshell: 3 thinner leaf springs will be more flexible than 1 thicker leaf that provides the same amount of lift. The additional flex of the progressive 3-leaf will result in a smoother ride than a single as well as more flex in the form of articulation if you are wheeling the truck. I went with the Wheelers 3-leaf as a temp rear lift for these reasons. So far I am pleased with the ride, at least it'll tie me over till funds are right for a new leaf pack.

 

Go with the Toytec

 

I thought the 1.5 inch aal from toytec was for the tsb leaf's? The OP says he doesn't have the tsb. Would this make a difference??? Just an observation.

 

I believe Toytec offers 2 AAL's, one for TSB leaf packs, one for non-TSB leafpacks.

 

Actually they sell the 1.5" for TSB, but they can also be installed on non-TSB leafs too. When I was shopping for AALs, I noticed that they state "Will also fit non TSB springs" in their product description. Not believing it, I even called toytec to confirm

FWIW, i have a non-TSB leaf and I went with the 3-leaf from wheelers. Got a true 1.5" with the overloads still in place. I have no regrets about spending the extra cash. Rides great. Can't speak personally to how it handles bed weight, but i have heard others say it works well.