Are my leaf springs shot?!?!

Take look at these. I am looking to add an aal to help level my truck since I recently added a spacer to the top of the shock mount in the front. After looking at the leaf pack they look pretty flat! Would an aal fix this and would I need to add new 5100's to the rear. Looking for 2" in the back.

 

rear springs are pretty much like that i have a 2015 and they are like that too. its how the rear suspension is set on tacomas.

 

Ok. Mine is an 09 with 70k. Do you think I cold add blocks to the back or should I go aal and 5100? I don't offroad hardly at all.

 

i'd go with the aal, thats what im gonna do when i get a chance. i already bought the aal and 5100's for front and rear just havent got around to installing it all yet. still researching before i install everything about what all else i need lol. i have front differential drop kit also, n shims for the rear end but dont know yet if i need anything else like center bearing drop longer brake lines etc lol

 

Aal for sure

 

I am overwhelmed with research. I stay online looking at what the best options are. Do you know if I can get away with the aal and now new shocks?

 

yes i know what u mean i found one guy on here who answered my questions lol
but than u read on another thread n they say u have to put this this n this on lol
n another says not to. so basically it seems like trial n error on each truck to get setup that works for u and that ur comfortable with lol

 

EatSleepTacos was very helpful with me and answering my questions about lifting mine.

 

An AAL won't make it not flat.

Toyota designs the leaf to be flat, not arched.

 

Gotcha, I was worried they had already but the dust. Good to know. Thanks!

 

So much research and info, not enough money. SOML

 

As some before me said, they're pretty much all made like that. Your leaves look exactly like the ones on my 2008.

Have you gotten the letters for the leaf spring recall for 05 to 11 Prerunner/4x4 Tacomas? Local dealership inspected my springs last Friday and the parts are ordered and being shipped for install hopefully this week.

An AAL will make them less flat and will obviously give you lift. I have a Wheelers single AAL waiting to go on once I get the recall springs in. It has been the experience of a few people that the new recall springs are actually a little bit shorter in ride height than the original ones, granted that they haven't been completely beaten up. My plan is to measure the heights of the old and new ones, get the dealership to give me my old springs back, and use whichever leaf spring pack would give me more lift out back with the AAL. I'm also trying to get 2" of lift in the back to go with my OME 884 springs up front. I definitely thought the recall springs would be more lift, but I am going to measure them both just to be sure.

 

Oh, and you'll definitely need 5100s if you lift the back. Nothing wrong with using blocks in my opinion, but if it were me I'd go with an AAL and use a half inch block if you come up a little short on desired lift out back.

 

I have asked about the TSB for the recall but they said it has notch me to my area yet. It sounds like I'll drop the $220 for aal and 5100.

 

I was reading about AAL for a long time, I finally said eff it and replaced them with general spring leaf packs. they make 3 or 4 leaf packs.
I got the 4 leaf hd pack. it is a bit rough without load. but with a full load in the back they are perfect.

the factory Toyota 3 leaf packs are garbage. mine were inverted on my 05 and Toyota wouldn't replace them.

 

I really don't offroad or haul that much. I just want 2" of lift without a harsh ride. Is an AAL really the best bet?

 

@bshell from what I have gathered so far. I think this would be the best option for you: Ideally it would be good to also do a little longer shock like the 5100s also.

 

thanks yottadan. That seems like the better option.

 

these are what I have in my truck now. to me they ride better than a single aal.

 

I'm resurrecting this thread because I just got back from mechanic for some routine maintenance and the fellow out there in the garage pointed out that my rear bilstein shocks were shot, as evidenced from leaking. When I told the head guy, he surmised that the leafs were actually shot which were fatiguing the shocks and that I'd have to replace both.

Thing is - although my mechanic is a straight shooter - he's not a master of truck suspension and I question whether I have to drop major dough on new leafs rather than just change the shocks. This is an '01 with 140k miles, toytec shocks up front set at 2.5 inch lift with an add-a-leaf in the rear. I've routinely loaded the rear with up to about 800 lbs on a monthly or biweekly basis, but it normally sits empty.

When I loaded it up with about 300 lbs the other day, I noticed it said kinda low in the rear. Not bottoming-out low, but low nonetheless.

So the question is... How do I know whether it's the bilsteins or the leafs (or both) that are the culprit? (I believe they're the OEM bilsteins but I m the third owner so I'm not positive)

Any thoughts would be appreciated