1" Block or AAL ... affect alignment?

ThHis has probably been beat to death but I get all kinds of different answers when I search...

I have 5100s set at 1.75 and the rear TSB... I would like about 1" more lift in the rear so it has a slight rake to the front. I carry a lot of gear very often so the rear sets a little low most of the time.

Which would be a better option... simply add a 1" block and U bolts to the rear or get the AAL for TSB which says it lifts the rear 1.5"?

Would the AAL make the ride harse?

If the 1" block is installed properly it should be safe for normal diving right? I have had 1" blocks in my Bronco for 8 years with no problems and I have wheeled it a lot.

Also... would raising the rear change the wheel alignment? I would think it would have to have some sort of impact. Maybe small but some...

Thoughts?

Greg

 

If you're adding 1" lift to the rear - it shouldn't affect the allignment.

Although, on the contrary - when Toyota puts the TSB springs in, they perform an allignment as part of the TSB. ???
It's debatable. If I was adding 1" to the rear, I wouldn't bother getting an allignment either.

An AAL will make the ride more harsh than the stock spring alone.

I'm not a fan of blocks, but 1" block won't hurt anything if you're doing all street driving. When you offroad with blocks, you take the chance of putting too much 'torque' on the blocks which can cause them to break. I've seen it happen several times on the trails.

 

If you lift the back, you are changing the angles up front, especially caster. You may not be changing it much but you are changing it nevertheless. Get an alignment.

I'd be willing to bet lifting the back an inch decreases your caster by about 1*. That's a lot considering the optimum caster setting is only a little over 2*.

 

The 1" blocks I put under my Bronco I made myself out of 1" thick solid steel. They are not going to break under any load.... A D9 catapillar could drive over them and not break them. I would not put aluminum or cast iron under one.

However... I guess the locator pin could shear...

Greg

 

Bingo....

Obviously, you're handy making things. You could weld the 1" steal block to the perch making it an extension of the factory perch. Although, you could still shear off the centering pin but less likely if they were welded.

 

FWIW....When I had my lift installed 2 weeks ago, I reaised the rear about 1.5'' but the front stayed about the same.

My alignment was terrible....

You may get it back and not need it... It will be pretty obvious

 

Even if you weld the blocks to the perch you're still changing the effect of torque put on the leaf springs, due to the height difference of the axle centerline in relation to the leaf pack? More to the point would be the distance from the perch to the leaf pack. Welded or not the block still applies the same torque on the leafs, due to the extra height.

It's kinda late and I'm half asleep but you guys are kinda making it sound like breaking blocks is the problem. It's the springs that snap, as well as possbile driveline and U joint issues from the extra torque and leverage form the block being put on the leaf springs.

 

It's not the torque on the leaf springs that's the problem....in fact, the leaf springs can handle the torque. The blocks can't.

I've spent many years offroading. I've seen 3 sets of blocks break while on the trails. This happens primiarily when a lot of gas is being applied for getting over an obstacle. The torque load splits the blocks, the u-bolts come loose, the leaf springs separate from the perch, and the pinion points upwards which can result in breaking u-joints and breaking leaf springs. It's not pretty. A buddy of mine got hit in the leg with a piece of broken block that flew through the air.....