All Pro Expos vs Standards (Or Dakars)

Hey guys, I have spent hours going through every thread I could find trying to decide between these two leaf packs. People who have experience with any please chime in. I want at least 3" or so of lift and I want the springs to be able to handle some weight on occasion, I don't tow or haul heavy loads often but I'd like to be able to if the need ever came up. MOST of the time the truck will be unloaded

Concerns with Standards;
I have read of people not getting a full 3" of lift, Also dont want the truck to sag terribly if I have 4-500lbs in the bed(as rarely as that happens)

Concerns with the Expos;
I don't want to get my spine rattled every time I hit a bump or pothole since the truck will most likely be unloaded and I don't plan on adding any expedition gear in the foreseeable future.


OR
Would the Dakars with the

$44 d29xl old man emu dakar extra leaf spring

d29xl AAL be a compromise between the two?
(Also concerned the Dakars will sag in a year as few people on here have stated)
Edit: Dakars are looking hella pricey compared to an AP package
($420 leaf packs +$80 brake lines + $70 u-bolts + bushings etc)

I'm riding on a Stock 3 leaf pack with 95k miles at the moment and running Fox 2.5RR & Camburg UCAs up front.

 

Buddy had the Dakar's.... Truck rode so stiff that it was only halfway nice with 500 lbs in the bed. He swapped them out for the allpro standards and is much happier. He tows a 21 foot toy hauler and has no problem with a weight distribution hitch.

 

I keep hearing mixed reviews about Dakars, people either love or hate them. I'm kinda leaning towards All Pro's though

 

I have the Dakars. They are stiff. I don't mind because I haul/tow often.
Don't knkw much about the other packs though.

 

I have the Dakars with the

$44 D29XL Old Man Emu Dakar Extra Leaf Spring

D29XL because I tow/haul often in the summer and winter. It might be a little stiff for some, but maybe I have gotten used to it. I will eventually do a rear suspension overhaul with softer, flexier springs that can still hold a lot of weight.

 

My truck is a daily driver and a weekend warrior in Florida.

I have the Dakars and I have zero complaints; I enjoy them immensely, in fact.

Caveat: I have a double cab along with a full set of trail armor and a front skid ... so that might be enough weight to make them behave better than what nd4spdbh's brofriend experienced.

Since I installed my lift and armor in the same weekend, I cannot attest to the Dakar's performance under factory trim levels.

 

I recently installed Dakars along with ICON 2.5's all around. I took 1 leaf out of the Dakars. It rides much better than stock with far more control and I have yet to bottom out, which happened regularly with the stock springs.

 

Originally, i had the all pro standards which were good springs with good flex and decent lift... unless you had any kind of weight in the bed. When i bought my cap they sagged and couldn't handle it. Now i have the Dakars with the

$44 d29xl old man emu dakar extra leaf spring

d29xl aal and they are way better with the weight. They flex great, and i still have a very smooth ride. I have pics of my truck with both on my build.

 

I recently installed Dakars as well and got a full 3"s of lift. A little more than I wanted and they ride stiff. But nothing unbearable.

RobertB - just curious. Is your truck a DCSB, what is you hub to fender measurement, and do you have "+" or "-" leafs?

 

Lets put it this way, even when my buddy took out one of the overloads out of his dakars it still rode stiffer than my old 1ton chevy that would jar your bones. I will say the dakars were PHENOMENAL with ~ 500 lbs of weight


sounds like the allpro expo's are the halfway between alpro standards and dakars.

 

Well removing an overload from the Dakars would do nothing to change the spring rate of the pack so it makes sense that the stiffness would be the same

 

I thought the expos were for 400-500 lbs CONSTANTLY in the bed I heard they sit around 3" loaded and 4" unloaded.

"All-Pro's Expedition Leaf Springs feature a 20% higher spring rate than their standard leaf springs. They are otherwise identical in dimension and quality, providing the same eye-to-eye measurements and wheel travel. On unloaded Tacomas, they will result in a 1" taller stance than the stated lift height of 3". The stated lift height is maintained with loads of 400-500 lbs of cargo."

 

Yep

 

If the Expos are in between Dakars and Standards they will be my choice.. can anyone second this?

 

The Expos have more lift than the Dakars and the same or more capacity

 

Any thoughts on the ride quality when compared to Dakars?

 

the allpros are a much more progressive spring so the ride will likely be much smoother even with the expos.

 

I have a DCSB. I don't know that measurement. I have "+" leaves.

 

I haven't ridden in a truck with them but you're gonna get 3 1/2"-4" of lift unloaded

 

I've been deciding for awhile too and just pulled the trigger on a set of Expo's today. I have a longbed however though and I plan on getting a cap eventually which should smooth out the ride. I had a set of Dakar's on my first gen and didn't have any complaints at all aside from excessive squeaking. But then again, all leafs squeak after being exposed to the elements.