Where to Start in the Rear

I have my front end mostly where I want it (for now) so I’m going to start putting my focus on the rear. Right now I’m stock leafs and fox 2.0 IFPs. My plan is JD Fab relocation, 14” King free bleed bypasses, Deaver U402 leafs, and hammer hangers. My question is, where can I start since there will mostly likely be quite some time inbetween ‘the next thing’? This is my daily and I can’t have it go down for a long time at the moment. My current leafs are tired and need replaced. Would it be smart to start with a new leaf pack? Or can I start with hammer hangers? Or should I just gather everything over time and install all at once?

On the hangers, I like Archive Garages with the 3.6” fabbed shackle (I’m staying SOA), but DRT is releasing very nice looking ones, and BAMF are much more affordable. Any reason to choose one over the other?

 

I'd probably do the leaf springs 1 weekend since yours are clapped out. Then the hangers the next weekend so you don't have to rush it.

I installed my rear spring under in 2 days My Tacoma was/is also my daily.
Plus a 3rd day for
-Driveshaft work
-Bump and straps
-Make some emergency brake brackets
-Put 3 of the 8 slider bolts back in
-Paint chassis(just has primer on everything)
Rear SUA kit

If you look though my build almost everything was done in a day because I had to drive home to sleep and usually go to work the next day.

 

Yeah I was thinking leaf springs first since I won’t have to change anything else to do that lol but I’ll have to check your build out!

 

lol yeah exactly. Maybe too if you have time you can start popping out some of the rivets and get grade 8 bolts(or use the bolts in hanger kit) on the 1st weekend too. So when you decide to do the hangers it will be quicker. Those rivets can be a pain depending on what tools you have available.

 

Yeah kinda dreading that because of all the grinding and maybe having to rent an air hammer lol

 

When you say the JD Fab relocation what are you referring too. I am very familiar with JD Fab's products. Are you just talking about the shock tower? And what U402 are you planning on 1,2 or 3's? I will say just go all JD Fab. Shock towers, hangers, shackles, free bleeds from them, and go spring under with the H70HD's. If the H70HD are not enough for your load call Deaver and have them make you some. The benefit of SOA is only a perceived benefit.

 

Yes I’m referring to the shock towers. Was planning on stage 1 with the U402. I wasn’t aware JD had hangers. I was trying to stay SOA because of the occasional heavy load and the fact that I don’t drive this thing as hard as I’d like. I’m not jumping it by any means, just wanted to build a decently aggressive “mid travel” or easy going long travel daily driver.

 

As they will tell you and it is true. Unless you are willing to go with a lot of lift with SOA the leaves will be very flat and you just can't get a decent ride that way. As soon as I have the funds that is the way I will be going with the H70HD's. It is my daily easy to moderate trails and plan to keep the load to a max of 500lbs.

 

Fair enough. I’ll just have to weigh the pros and cons a bit more between each route.

 

When you're doing the hangers changing the leafs at the same time seems like minimal additional work

 

Agreed. But from a $$$ standpoint, leaf pack is roughly $1k and a leaf pack + hangers are $1.5-2k haha. But I see what you mean.