Help - Deaver vs Dakars

Well. Yes. This is one way to fix the issue.

But not the way I’d like it to be fixed lol

 

Seriously. I have the Dakar HDs and maybe 350 lbs of extra weight in the rear and they are sagging. They are supposed to be rated to 660 lbs and only have 1 yr of use. Ordered add a leafs and crossing my fingers they help the sag. May just say F it and go with Deavers. @JoeCOVA warned me

 

I had superbumps and returned to stock bumps. No more bottoming out.

 

I have noticed that the front coil over/ shock combos makes a big difference, running empty bed. Rear shock/spring combo doesn't seem to make as big as difference, compared to the front, when running empty off road. Are the Deaver's going be a a 3 out of 5 difference, running empty bed, off road. Same shocks etc. I am on 6112/5160's 650lb front springs and 3 leaf add a leaf rear.

 

Love how this thread shows up/I find it a week after installing the OME Nitrocharger kit with Dakars.

Im stuck with them for now, they hold up well overseas, guess I'll see how long my taco shackles last in the meantime...

 

Everyone says they sag but no one posting numbers of the height decreasing. Just visuals of the leafs in “w”. Which looked like mine after day 1 but still got promised 2 in. of lift.

 

Sorry for 2nd gen input on a 3G thread, but same as above. Also, there was/is a design flaw with the EL096HD where the top leaf bites into the stock shackles. Definitely not getting these resprung, I ride the dakar train once and get off at the next stop. All aboard the Chevy 63 swap express!!!

 

Mine were near flat and I got 2.5 inches of lift.

 

Switching mine soon. My Dakar’s are good but not right for what I’ve got going on. Deavers should cure the problem. I have dual swing outs with a 35, Decked System and Canopy. I also tow an Opus trailer ~3500 lbs. My Dakar’s are too light.

 

Adding another data point for you.

I got dakars first, then upgraded to deavers. So, I should have got deavers from the jump.

 

Dakar and deavers both lift the rear 2”?

 

I just used OEM rubber bushings instead of the poly ones. You will still get the squeak but prob not as much. I just got used to it but similar to most off-road race parts they all start to make noise but honestly the OEM bushing for most stuff has been fine if you are looking for something to use.

 

It all depends on what you need. They have a bunch of different setups with varying lifts. You can always have them custom make a setup as well. I believe the Dever 402s are at least 2" Some others are 1" etc.

In terms of ride quality, everyone I know has loved them but also comes down to if it's matched with your truck suspension and weight. If you get the stg III 402's but your truck has more than 1000lbs overstock you are going to need a heavier pack and ride prob will not be great after a bit. Most if not all of the overland/adventure rigs you see that are fully kitted are well over 1000lbs over.

If you have a lighter setup go for stg I or stg II which have much lower weight ratings and will ride much better. Or if its super light you can consider the spring under setup or the J66 instead. 402 are expedition leafs made for extra weight and the j66 are the light go fast spring over axle leafs.

 

I got HD Dakars with my BP51 set and were fine until I got some weight in the back(not even close to they're rated at like @max_o mentioned), then they sagged. And yes, they are noisy as hell(luckily my truck isn't a daily driver).

I too will be going to Deavers come tax return as this piggy has gotten heavy at 6100lbs.

 

Don't feel bad, many of us did not expect the performance to be lacking by so much and in the sane boat.
Though I didn't think there was a fit issue with stock shackles. I thought that was just for the aftermarket ones like BAMF or Archive

 

We flexed it pretty good when we were putting them on and while I could see where they rub, that second shackle has been shaved by ARB/whoever makes them. So it's definitely not just a flat leaf impacting the back of the shackle if it hits it all.

 

Glad I saw this thread! I was just about to order Dakars this week, I'll be forking out a little more for the deavers now.

 

Deaver ($$) or custom Alcan ($$$). Dakars are known to mustache, squeak and interfere with hangers. A friend with a 3rd gen installed Dakars and he's very displeased with them for these reasons. I opted for the Deaver 402 Stg 1 and they are a fine spring.

Alcans are on another level. They are custom handcrafted to your specifications. I could be wrong but, Tactical Application Vehicles here in ABQ uses them for pretty much all of their builds.

 

Since this thread doesn't appear dead yet, i'll go ahead and add another suggestion in regard to Deavers.

If you think stage I is what you need, get stage II. If you think you need stage II, get stage III. If you think you need stage III, your truck needs a diet!

After adding up my needs, including trailer tongue weight, I figured stage II would probably be enough. I was really worried about rough ride. Luckily my buddy convinced me to go all out and get Stage III. The rear end was sky high after install, and i was a bit freaked out. They settled within a couple months though, and the ride was NEVER rough. And over time I ended up adding more weight than I originally planned (which I feel is what happens to most people), so starting a stage higher has been perfect.