How much squat is too much squat?

Hello forum dwellers. I have a bed rack system and RTT delivering soon which will put roughly 230lbs of load on my axle-wrapped 2002 OEM leaf springs.... I know.. I know.. you might be wondering why I went for a tent before a lift. We'll save that discussion for another day

Anyways, I have two pictures of my truck, one in its current stance, and one with roughly 230lbs in the back (bro squat activated). It's definitely not ideal, but I wanted to hear yall's opinion- should I get an AAL right away? Should I drive around and see how it feels off road first? I've been eyeing an OME lift for months now, and I may just pull the trigger on that.

BEFORE WEIGHT:

AFTER WEIGHT:

 

As for the squat amount - it looks fine. But the weight will be higher and make driveability something you'll want to consider. But for driving out to it, and enjoying things? It'll look/be fine.

 

looks good to me.

 

Looks fine but this will shorten the life of the leaf springs. If you’re going to have this plus a lot of gear in there frequently you may want to upgrade eventually to something rated for higher constant load.

 

Are you saying the RTT and bed rack alone weight 230lb? If so that's a lot of weight for just an RTT and bed rack.

 

Yeah, definitely. That's the next purchase

 

Not OP but that’s about right. If it’s a cab height bed rack it will be close to 100lb and same for the RTT

 

Yuuup... The RTT is a hard shell wedge running at 176lbs, and the rack (which wraps around the Softopper) is 52lbs. So yeah, 228lbs.

Then you account for camping gear, water, etc... this thing is gonna get heavy. Might be a good time to invest in some springs.

I'm literally just about to call Cruiser Outfitters to ask 'em some questions

 

My suggestion?

You're shelling it for a quality RTT and other accessories, why not get a custom pack from Deaver or Alcan?

They can be made to handle the weight you will run, and will give you all the flex you could ask for.

 

You make a good point- I suppose the thing that's been keeping me interested in OME products is that I am a fan of Cruiser Outfitters and I like the ease of buying everything in one kit. I know the Dakars are not great for heavy loads and have heard Deaver does that better, so I'll take your suggestion and do some research. Thanks!

 

Dakar's are the cheapest aftermarket leaf pack you can buy.

Not saying they're bad by any means, but they don't really excel at anything. They give you a little more lift, handle a bit more payload (with their AAL combined), and flex a tiny bit more.

With that said, there's no "one leaf pack" that fits all and that's where custom leaf packs come into play.

I only ran them because someone else had bought them for me.

 

Valid point... Will be looking into alternative options. Love your rig, by the way.

 

x2 for going with Alcans.

Here's them unloaded (except for my plywood box):


And here's them loaded down with ~500# of camping gear:




They ride quite well unladen, and incredibly well loaded down.

 

Definitely upgrade your suspension. Think long term though, is this all the weight? Or will you eventually carry more? IE camping gear, refrigerator, upgraded bumper, skid plates etc. Also consider will the tent always be on the vehicle? There is a difference with constant load and occasional load. Constant load will have more of an effect on your springs, some companies sell specialty springs for constant load. I wouldnt bother with AAL. I feel like they are a waste of time. Bit the bullet and get some good beefy springs you wont regret it.

 

Yeahhh that's what I think I'll probably end up doing. Thanks.

 

I wouldn't go with Dakar leafs. My HD Dakar leaf packs started sagging at a couple years old. It didn't handle the offroading abuse. Definitely try Deaver or Alcan.

 

Seems to be the popular opinion here. Thanks for the tip.

 

I am super happy I went with Alcans.



When I reached out to them, they had me get a weight reading - I was maybe 90% typical camping load. From there they recommended the springs I am currently using. Could not be happier.

 

Sheeesh that's a sick build. Love it.

Question for ya - are you running any bed stiffeners?