3 Leaf Progressive pack from Wheeler's Installed Today.

From my point of view that sounds like a good thing, if you gained a little height, and have the same basic ride quality.

 

They're cheap because they're basic.

I highly suggest the 3 leaf AAL over a single especially if you're normally unloaded. I may have mine for sale if the airbags I plan to add don't work with them.

I love the 3 leaf. Perfect for what it is intended to do, which is provide lift and add a little extra capability without sacrificing ride quality like you do with a single AAL.

 

Cool, I appreciate the feedback.

 

If I didn't have the shell is not run anything else. Personally. The ride difference is minimal from stock, 2" of lift, handles 800 lbs a lot better than it did without them and all it cost was $156 and a half day of wrenching.

 

In fact. Here's a pic with 750-800 lbs of cargo in the bed.

 

Which set do you have?

 

2+1 OEM and 3 leaf from Wheeler's. 5100 rear shocks.

 

I put on the hd 3 leaf aal worked great for hauling and towing the boat but when I loaded up the bed and hooked up the travel trailer it sagged. not bad but just didn't like the bro look. I installed the firestone ride rites and kept the 3 leaf aal in. only have 10psi in them around town or towing the boat but put them up to 15-20psi when towing the camper.

 

also wanted to say yes the air bags will work with the wheelers 3 leaf aal.

 

I had a much different experience with the 3-leaf progressive AAL's that I installed yesterday. First off, I had many issues with the install. I wanted to keep my factory overloads, but I didn't want to go cutting the brackets off of the AAL's without checking here first that this is how people were doing it. Without the factory overloads, the bottom brake bracket just hangs loose because the point it bolted to the factory overloads is much lower than on the AAL. Plus mounting it to the AAL at the same point would be on a much more movable spot and damage the lines themselves.

Outside of that I had a BEAR of a time putting in new bushings on the rear drop brackets. The main bushing pressed out, but the metal cup that sat inside had to be hammered out in order to fit the new bushings inside. I would think that the new bushings would take this PITA process into account when determining that most people installing them will not necessarily have access to an air hammer.

Also the AAL's were significantly "crapped up" with overflow drips in the paint big enough to affect how they seated to the factory springs. I had to pull them apart and wire wheel them down and service the new leafs like was shown in the Deaver's re-arching process. I mean... it put the "Ug" in Ugly. I should post some pics...

But for your issues of low lift gains, I have to agree with PeeRunner's assessment that your cap has a lot to do with it. If you didn't specifically measure right before and after, you will not see it really. I got mine off of the lift and I really didn't see much of a difference, until I pulled out the tape measure. WOW...

Before:


After:


Truck off of the lift:


As for the ride difference... WOAH! As I said, I do not have the factory overloads in and it really feels more squishy than before. I didn't realize how much my rear end was bottoming out before, and that is the biggest gain in my new setup. I haven't bottomed out yet even after flying down a road with huge speed bumps every 30 yards and cutting across a fairly steep median. No marks yet on my new Wheeler's bumpstops, yet my factory bumps came off looking abused after only 8K miles on my truck. You shouldn't be bottoming out at all anymore, especially with the factory overloads still in. See if you can tell the difference next time you go for a bumpy ride.

 

How is the ride with the bags and AALs?

Did you have any issues installing the bags with the AALs?

 

Those bags do look interesting... I'll have to stick with the Wheeler's bumpstops for now until I start hauling a camper-trailer.

 

I had a single AAL with the TSB pack. No shell and it's stiff. Still a bit stiff with a shell but rides a lot better.

 

I don't do any off road just a few fishing trails and dirt roads in Vermont to my dads house. its not a bad ride at all. the only thing I notice is going over speed bumps feels like its hitting hard. thinking about the daystar cradles. when I first put them on I only ran 5psi. but now I keep them around 10-12psi just for a little more lift and rake. install wasn't to bad just getting some of the small bolts on was a pain. I tow a good size travel trailer and load up the bed with coolers and wood. me the wife and two kids in the back and have no sag at all. I don't think I have a pic of it hooked up but I will be taking it out in a few weeks and will post a pic of it.

 

Im ditching some weight and expo pack temporarily before i do something better for a tsb + 3 leaf aal setup. No overload. Think ill be okay with shell until I figure out a place to store it?

 

I retrofitted my '13 O/R 2+1 with factory 3+1 leaves and the 3 leaf aal. They came to me used without the overload. Use of the overload is not advised but many people do it. I think it interferes with the progressive deflection of the progressive pack when it is left at full length. The nature of the progressive pack is to firm up gradually and then really stiffen as the shorter, therefore stiffer leaves take up heavier loads. It should settle with a cap otherwise unloaded it would ride like a dump truck. I got a full 1.5 inches from my springs. I'm empty most of the time with the exception of a roll up bed cover. The 2+1 springs were useless for carrying anything more than a few hundred pounds and I got flashed constantly at night. The current setup is far better ,carrying the rated payload easily without bottoming. I still have not seen any measurable sagging unloaded. The 3 leaf aal is an effective solution for the average user. Off road applications have their own special requirements. I prefer rake and this set up provides that. I'm not a fan of the level look.

 

Yeah it’ll be fine, just a little ass dragging look.

I ran that same setup before I got Dakars. No issues with it besides the obvious (not strong enough, too much sag, etc).

 

Is that with or without overload? Ive had this setup with overload before going to deaver u402s and it worked well. Found these used without the overload kimd of temporary gig until i can afford to go spring under. Only weight would be snugtop and its on a access cab. Previous setup worked well just wondering if without overload it will sag badly with snugtop. I guess depends on how much previous owner used them as well.

 

I currently do not have any overload leaf installed, just the three Toyota leaves and the 3 add a leaf pack, six spring leaves per side. I still have my 2+1 original springs so I could install that overload leaf in the future. I doubt it will be required. I was really shocked at how poorly this truck carried anything when I bought it new. I am much happier with it now as a "half ton" (1300 lb. approximate payload) pickup. I believe that Toyota engineering patterned this truck on a Ford F-100, Chevy C-10 lighter duty half ton platform. I had an '73 F-250 High Boy way back and that had a factory lift block, big spring pack, separate overload leaf set up and still somebody added Monroe load leveler shocks to it. I sold it to a tree guy who had destroyed two Chevy trucks, a 3/4 ton 4wd and a 2wd one ton dually from work use. He towed a chipper with it and all his gear. He had plywood sides on it and chipped into it daily and then put the logs on top of the chips. Somehow he used to tie a rope around the bottom of the load, tie the end to a tree and drive off pulling out the whole load onto the ground. Last I knew that Ford was on an upstate NY farm, still running, after he was done with it a few years later. He bought a Chevy 4wd small mason body dump truck to replace it.

Springs are intended to deflect and return with loading/unloading within the design specs normally. If they didn't behave that way they would be beams and not springs. They should not take a permanent set after a year or two of normal use or ride hard on the stops within the limits of factory payload rating. I wouldn't consider an unloaded cap a heavy load by the way.

 

My SnugTop weighed about 250 lbs. not a heavy load for my book either, or anywhere near it.

But the stock leafs are shit, 3 leaf AALs aren’t the ideal setup for that use especially without the factory overload leaf.

Toyota states a 10% loss of payload without the overload spring installed.