Are rear spacer blocks bad ?

I want to do a 2/1 lift Bilstein 5150 all the way around 2 inches in the front and 1 inch block in the rear. Should I ?

 

One inch block is fine, albeit not ideal. I wouldn't go larger though. For a similar cost, I'd do a single 1.5" AAL instead. Can be had for like $80 on wheelers offroad.

 

Literally the devil.

Literally.

 

The devil rides on 4" blocks

 

Aal will be good. You can use your factory ubolts as well

 

You'll be fine. Make sure you grab a 1" block with a 1* taper already built into it to minimize driveline vibrations post lift.

 

A 1" spacer block gains lift exactly the same way an AAl does. It pushes the bed up. You end up with no more travel. The only thing an AAL does give you over a block is a little more load carrying capacity/less settling or sagging with a heavy load. If it is just for aesthetic reasons or no 'serious' crawling type situations, the block will be fine. I also ran the 1/2" front spacer that Headstrong sells on mine for years. It gives 1" front lift. Headstrong wouldn't sell it if it was a bad thing. For the rear 1" block, you will need longer u-bolts, though. A kit can be found on ebay or Amazon relatively cheap.

 

An AAL isn't exactly the same as a block but you make a good point that the effect of a very short and stiff leaf at the bottom of the pack is not comparable to full length springs with more arch.



Personally I would go with a small block like this, that'd be fine. Some trucks have blocks from the factory. I think Dodge/Ram truck do sometimes, for example.



It would better compared to a short leaf because to achieve the lift the AAL in this case is being asked to do a lot of work, pushing the whole pack up. I did a single AAL on my first truck and it ended up breaking in about a year, snapped at the middle.

Doing a set of 3 leafs in a progressive pack would be I think a better ride and last longer. More expensive, though. Something like $200 vs. $80, so not a huge difference.

 

Thanks everyone for your inputs so far...

 

Blocks will move the leverage point down and away from the leaf which will mean more likely to get axle wrap. It may be a non-issue for a 1" block, but if it were me, I would do anything I could to not run a block. AAL is a cheap simple alternative.

 

I ran a 1” block in the rear for almost three years and had zero issues and would off-road it often. Did absolutely fine on trails.

 

Not really, the aal gives more arch. Plus as with all blocks, there’s an increased chance of axle wrap. The axle has more leverage on the leafs to twist them.

Now, a 1” is going to be fairly negligible but from a physics stand point, there’s still that increased leverage. Enough to be noticeable? Not sure, I’ve never ran blocks.


Also wanted to point out that just because someone sells something doesn’t automatically make it not bad. Though I’m not saying your 1/2” spacer or a 1” block is bad.

 

The arch is what allows the extra weight carrying. But it still 'pushes' the frame of the truck up, just like a block, and doesn't give any more shock travel. The one thing I might add is that if you can get a tapered block and stay with just an inch or inch and a half, you will be ok. I have ran that setup without issue. And Headstrong has a stellar reputation in the Tacomaworld community. The ONLY spacer they sell is the 1/2". If they sell it for the Tacomas, you can take it to the bank that it is an OK item.

 

I bought my 1” rear block through them. Just FYI, OP.

 

I missed the part where you specified that if they sell it it’s fine, which I largely agree with. I thought you meant anyone. I disagree on the rest of that statement because they are different, as I mentioned with the leverage a block gives.

Again, I’m not saying a 1” block is necessarily bad. But to say an aal and a block are essentially the same just isn’t accurate.

 

I have a wheelers aal no complaints

 

Headstrong sells blocks up to 4" tall.

https://www.headstrongoffroad.com/s...cks_(1"_-_4"_Blocks)_-_05__Tacoma_(PAIR).html

 

Ask anyone WHY blocks are bad. While not ideal what is the specific issue????

 

Was mentioned in this thread a couple times, but it provides the axle with a lot of leverage on the leafs. This leads to axle wrap when accelerating.

 

Axle wrap is made worse with lift blocks. I think the impact from a 1" block would be negligible, it's not a ton worse than using an axle shim to fix pinion angle. But more than that I think is asking for issues.