Rear too stiff, what to do what to do.

Hey guys as some may know I bought my 08 access cab 4x4 used. In speaking to the Previous Owner (PO), The way he did his lift is got new adjustable icon coilovers for the front (stock UCA etc) and they are supposedly set at about 2.5"

He carried a lot of tools for his job plus did expedition, so when lifting the rear suspension, he did an AAL type thing so the rear is now 5 regular springs plus the overload, so a 6 spring pack. He also put in firestone airbags for when hauling cords of wood to his place etc. After adding the leafs he had a suspension shop 'custom arch' them to make sure they are level with the front, however that works.

Anyways, the airbags are a great idea because they add very little stiffness when at 5psi but can add thousands of pounds of load carrying for the rear suspension.

The fat spring pack is another issue. Going over any kind of bumps in town, or god forbid speed bumps, jerks the rear hard. Feels like a hard-tail back there. This is at 5psi in the air bags so pretty sure they are not the issue.

Here are some pics of the rear suspension.



I'm so damn happy with the front. I've gone over washboard at 70mph and the front felt planted and in-control. Big potholes got soaked up almost like they weren't there.

Prob thanks to the great icon coilovers.



The rear though just feels like I said, hard as a rock.

Anyways, any ideas of what I should do ? I'd like to get some nice controllable rear end that will soak up some bumps/potholes, and when I need load carrying, I'll pump the airbags.

Should I sell this leaf pack and coil (good luck for the coil, it has a lot of surface rust on it..used to be white I believe haha) then use the proceeds to get a TSB leaf pack (our stock pack here in canada) and some Icon RR shocks ?

Or is there a less drastic way of keeping the proper height but losing stiffness?

Thanks for your help everyone, this site kicks ass.

 

Get some TSB leafs and some ICON rear shocks. Adjust the front coilovers to level the truck.

 

Ya just seems like a super pricey avenue to LOSE beefyness in the rear suspension. Then I will also lose a bunch of lift in the rear. Then when I match w/ the front my 33's will rub.

No other way ?

 

I have the RR ICON shocks and they are stiff as well but thats the way they come. They are awesome at high speeds though!

 

Ya I just think it is the 6 fat spring pack that is making it so stiff. I need to lose stiffness but keep the same height.

The icons are just an idea for gaining a bit of performance. I'm ok with stiff in the icons because they are digressive. They soften up a lot when it is needed (hitting speed bumps or potholes on the street, washboard on dirt roads, and obstacles at high speed off-road)

You can adjust nitrogen charge a bit afaik to change stiffness as well.

Anyways, lose stiffness without losing lift ideas? Maybe just remove 2-3 of the springs and add a block ?

 

Would the block idea work? Should I try another section?

 

just take out one of the rear leafs, the one that sits on top of the overload leaf. if it sags a little then just air the bags up a little bit and you sould be good to go.

 

or take out 3 of those thick leafs and get a 3 leaf pack from wheelers offroad or swap the whole thing out for the Allpro 3" leaf pack.

 

If you're looking to replace what you have, get some Ride Rite airbags. Best thing I did for the truck. I get my slight rear lift and more if I need it, and weight in the back doesn't sink the truck in the year when the bags are pumped up.

 

I'd go this route. From the top, your 1st, 2nd, 4th and overload look to be a complete TSB set. The 3rd and 5th seem to have been added. I'd get rid of the 3rd and 5th leafs, getting you back to a stock TSB pack, and either air up the bags to get the height, or get an Icon 3-leaf progressive AAL. It's a 1.5" lift but it uses 3 thin leafs so they actually flex.

 

What ever you do you are in need of rear shocks. That dark coloring around the top of the shock is oil leaking from the shock past its seal.

 

Actually that is me haha. I was getting some rusting on the chrome so I wire brushed it off and sprayed fluid film on there. There was no oil leakage prior to that.

Does the Icon AAL get added to the existing pack or does it replace it ?

If I take out all the extra leafs and add PSI to the airbags I will be even stiffer than before. Those airbags add stiffness like you wouldn't believe.

Priddle, I have airbags

Ya maybe someone needing the load would be interested in my whole leaf pack and I could sell it then buy a replacement leaf pack from all-pro or the icon ones if they replace my current leafs.

Then ya some icon RR struts would be nice to have as well.

 

You could also get some Dakar leafs and pair them with ICON RR shocks. About 2.75-3 of lift and not too stiff with good ride quality.

 

the Icon pack does not replace the entire set. you would just take out the 2 leafs mentioned above (3rd and 5th) and add the icon pack in at the bottom, above the overload leaf and below the rest of the leafs.

 

I would love that leaf pack! If you were closer I would trade you in a heartbeat.

But if its to stiff like other have said, take out the bottom one.

 

The Icon AAL would get added to a stock leaf pack. They don't ride as rough as single AAL's but they're also more expensive. If you removed the 3rd and 5th leafs, you'd be back to a stock TSB pack. Below is a stock leaf pack and the Icon 3 leaf progressive AAL and the factory overload assembly. You gain between 1.5" - 2" with this set-up if you leave the factory overload in place and I don't think it's too stiff at all.
Should be noted though, the 3 leaf AAL is not as easy to install as the singles. You have to cut off the leaf pack wrap. See below, the AAL would sit on the rivit holding the stock pack together. I used an angle grinder to cut these off.

 

what are you saying you had to cut off? My wheelers 3 AAL pack was super easy to install. the only thing I had to cut was the old center pin that held everything together.

Edit: I did not put the factory OL leaf back in either

 

Would that 3 leaf pack really be less stiff than the 2 leafs I'd remove?

Thanks for the great info everyone it has been a big help.

For now I think I will start by removing that bottom leaf. Wont take much lift away and should help soften things. Anyone know how much diff it will actually make ?

 

The stock leaf pack wraps. If I left them on, the rivit would have been sitting on the graphite pad for the AAL. In my picture, I cut off the wrap that holds the main leaf pack together, ground it smooth where the rivit went through the bottom spring and put a coat of paint on them. Maybe the Wheeler's version is a little different?
I kept the factory OL for hauling/towing. Definitely not required, just personal preference and the directions actually say to remove it. I did call and make sure there weren't going to be any adverse affects by leaving it in though.

Yes, the 3-leaf AAL would be softer. They're thin leafs so they'll flex easier. It'll still be stiffer than stock but I think it's a nice ride.

 

Sorry, one too many rum and cokes when I read this thread earlier lol