2" and 1" Lift: Now squatting

First post on TW for me! I have had this truck (2012 DCLB) for a little over a year, and I am looking for some "what would you do" advice.

I installed a 2" front strut, and a 1" rear block this past summer in order to achieve a level look. I know, rake has a purpose, but I have a bigger truck for any towing and hauling I do, and I do no major OR.

Now, I am left with a squatting truck (rear is 1" lower then the front). I went with this lift configuration after reading 100's of satisfied posts in the 2" and 1" thread. To my knowledge, the most likely reason for this is sagging leaf springs. It is a 13 year old truck with 330,000 miles on it. I think this squat was more pronounced after carrying a tugboat anchor a few miles down the road as well (500lbs). Assuming that it is the leaf packs, how would you rectify this, in a college-budget conscious way?

AAL feels like a band aid.
A 2" block just feels like a cosmetic cop-out.
I could go with a set of aftermarket leaf packs, but they are pricey, and I have to pay for a shop install. (Home with the lift and full tool setup is 1500 miles from my school).

My current thought is OEM replacements and keep the 1" block. Or try to find a 1.5 inch leaf pack at a reasonable price.

I extensively searched threads, and while there are many sagging leaf pack threads, most are due to extensive added weight and a need for less sagging under load. I only have a toolbox that is <100lbs.

What would you do?

 

Drive it Carolina style til summer break? Then replace leafs with shop and tools.. Still feel like it steers okay?

and welcome!

 

Deep in your heart, you know the answer. AAL is a 6 month bandaid, put the bigger blocks in and you'll be on the bumpstops constantly. Your leafs are FJ (f____g junk). Stock leafs may get you another year, maybe.

 

Unfortunately I will be at sea this summer so the truck is staying in TX until I graduate May 26'. Steering feels fine. It is really a minor lean that just bugs me as a lifelong hater of squatted trucks. Thank you!

That is right... and I know it. What do you mean by the stock leafs will get me another year? As in, a new set of OEM leafs will be sagging again within a year? I have been looking for a set of well reviewed, mild riding aftermarket leafs with that in mind. Thank you.

 

Yup, replacement stockers is what I meant, I was thinking junkyard, low-mileage replacements. Brand new will last a bit longer but will eventually get you back to where you are.

 

Get General Springs HD for $400 a pair before you buy a set of takeoffs. 1.5" lift on empty bed/cover, stronger than stock, no squeaks.

 

OEM leafs, especially on the second gens were junk. They pretty much all sag. Don't even bother putting another set on. General Springs, as mentioned above would be the best OEM like replacement. But they will still ride like OEM which is a bit on the stiff side IMO.

I you want mild riding, you need a progressive pack with lots of leafs. Deaver J66 if you never (and I mean never, you will like be hitting bumps if you do) put weight in the box. They will ride the best but that comes at the cost of payload. U402 stage 1 if you occasionally do haul. Just toss a couple bags of rock in the box for when you aren't hauling anything and they ride very smooth. I personally have these on my 2013 DCLB and love them.

Dakars are crap, don't even bother. Been there, biggest regret out of any purchase. Dobinsons are a very similar design to dakars, just with better reviews. I personally don't believe they are much better. Basically, don't cheap out. You get what you pay for with suspension. Icon RXT would be the only kinda middle of the ground option that I've heard good things about. But for the extra couple hundred bucks it's worth it to go with Deaver IMO.

Pretty much anything else is designed for extra weight or much more lift.

 

Good take on GS, a hair on stiff side unless you add weight, which will depress lift. However they are stronger than stock and quiet, and cheap. It will take a full 1/2 ton in bed to drop them an inch- I hauled multiple loads of landscape rock.

 

Leave it alone, looks great...

 

Ironman leafs are pretty cheap and they look really good. No personal experience but I may end up with those unless I can find something else before I get the extra cash.