Single or Progressive AAL for camper shell?

First off, no I’m not buying a new leaf pack yet. Not until I wear out the leaf springs on my still pretty much still new Tacoma SR 4x4 v6.

That said, I’ve had an ARE topper on it for the past year and experiencing some sagging, especially when loaded for kayaking and mountain biking trips and planning to lift a couple inches via Bilstein 5100s and an AAL. I’m torn between something such as the Deaver single AAL or an Icon Progressive AAL and keeping the overload in. I know this topic is a popular one, but I am hearing differing opinions as what’s better for this need from both individuals and retailers and haven’t found a definitive answer yet; maybe there isn’t one? I would prioritize carrying the steady weight of the topper and a bike rack over ride quality, while at least maintaining current ride quality. Would love to hear others thoughts.

Many thanks to anyone that can share their meaningful experience and insight.

 

A single add a leaf is going to be stiffer, than the progressive 3 leaf. Single is relying on stiffness/arch/k- value of it. 3 leaf progressive is thickness ( 3 leafs stacked), arch and a bit more stiffness/ k- value. So, a single will be a rougher, more ridged feel. But cap/topper might negate that feel. New pack is ideal. Anything else is a bandaid.

 

FWIW, I had a single AAL with my topper and it sagged. Ended up replacing the leaf pack with one rated for that kind of load.

 

Leaf pack IMO

 

I would try the Headstrong progressive AAL and leave your overload in there. I put one in mine , but took out the overload and it rides very good, but firms up when adding weight. Eventually you may need to go with a new pack, but for only a couple hundred dollars it would be good to start with IMO.

 

I’ve done the AAL route three different times. Next time I am just going to quit being cheap and get RXT or Alcan from the start.

My AAL’s all held up well, but the ride was stiff and had to add air bags when I put on a GFC, so in the future I’ll just get the new leaf pack from the start. With that said, I do think the progressive AAL’s are the best option on a budget for just a topper and some gear.

 

Take a look at roadmaster active suspension. I have posted about it in a few threads on here, and I've been running it for nearly a year. It takes all sag out, smooths out the ride considerably, is cheap, and doesnt harsh out the ride. I would do it 10x over again.

 

If your current leaf springs are already sagging from the extra load, an add-a-leaf may end up just fighting to lift your sagged suspension back up to where it's supposed to be. If showing signs of wear, and wanting to stay as cheap as possible, look for a new takeoff set of leaf springs from a truck that wasn't sagging, add the add-a-leaf, and it should be good.

I'd say just deal with the crappy ride until you can bite the bullet and buy a full new leaf pack. It's worth it.

 

That’s kind of my thinking. Do you have a topper on yours without the OL? My leafs barely have 20k miles on them, so I’d rather wear them out before replacing with an aftermarket leaf pack.

 

Thanks, I’ll have a look!

 

If you are sagging already, your leafs may already be shot. Mine were toast at 10k miles because I did a cross country trip with several hundred pounds in the bed and had a few nasty bottom outs on bump stops. I also subsequently blew two rear shocks because my leaf springs were no longer effective.

I agree with what others have said about a new leaf pack. Skip the AAL, it's not worth trying to put lipstick on the pig that is the OEM leafs. Weakest part of the truck, and you'll save money in the long run by skipping the band-aid solution by just saving up for a leaf pack now.

 

I run add-a-leaf and firestone ride rite bags, although it is a “bandaid” fix…..new leafs are the proper fix. I run campershell w/ racks and full armor, stock leafs are not rated for much more than a small load of gear.

 

No, no weight which is why I wanted the progressive AAL's. Even when putting a couple hundred pounds in the back it only drops a little.

 

Deaver leaf pack FTW! Buy once, cry once, no squeaking, and have a superior ride.

 

Over 2 years on a Headstrong AAL under my camper shell and no problems. It rides very smooth and supports the additional 350-400 lb. worth of work gear I carry half the time in the bed. Only complaint is the AAL gets noisy and creaks like an old door, especially in cold weather. And I put grease in-between the leaves as the directions recommended. Still overall happy with my setup tho.

 

Not the answer you want to hear, but for ANY application where you’re adding weight, you’ll want to upgrade the leaf pack. The stock ones are relatively weak. I flattened my leafs on a camping/road trip less than 6 months after getting my Tacoma brand new, and I read afterward that’s not uncommon. Tacomas aren’t designed to carry a ton of weight, and the stock leafs have a lot to do with that.
Found a great deal on almost-new Icon RXT leaf packs and never looked back!

 

Forget AAL, and replace your springs with the medium duty OME Dakar leaf pack

 

I don’t get it. You put all this money into a shell, why wouldn’t you get the proper leaf package to go with it? And if you’re waiting for the stock ones to wear out, it sounds like they already have since you’re experiencing significant sag. I understand everyone has a different financial situation, but the OME mediums only run about $400. Yes, an AAL is about half of that, but you're not going to get the longevity out of it. It's a patch job for something that needs replacement.

Go for some deavers or even cheaper OME and be done. As long as they aren’t frequently overloaded, leafs last a LONG time. I have heavy duty OME dakars and they now have about 60k miles on them and still ride great.

 

I did the same research a year ago to find my solution, everything pointed me to a full leaf pack from deaver. I didn’t want to cut corners, which in my opinion, is what the AAL solutions are, really just a band aid, as others have said.

 

I've seen Deavers, dakars RXT's all sag over time too. Sometimes just a simple topper and 4 years and they are flat or near inverted.

It's why I suggest AAL on new oem (never after 2 or more years), then upgrade to a pack later on. It's all a matter of time, so why not spend 150$ on some bonus time for oem rear leaf springs that you paid for.

That said if I ran over 400# often I'd do air for sure. The pack needed for excessive weight rides way too rough for me when unloaded.

Everything is a compromise.