Sagging Alcan 8-Leaf pack? Opinions wanted

Well Wheelers and Alcan sent me some relacement springs to replace the bottom 5 leaf springs. They are made of thicker steel than the original ones. I installed this weekend, and it has solved the sagging problem and added about 2 - 2 1/2 inches of lift. I'll post pictures this evening of everything.

I'm quite pleased with Wheelers and Alcan. Excellent customer service!

 

Got the new leafs on Saturday

 

Comparison of new bottom 5 to the old pack

 

Close up of thickness comparison. New leafs are thicker.

 

Removed Rust from old top 3 leafs with flap wheel, and painted with rustoleum.

 

Reassembled leaf pack with new bottom 5 and old top 3

 

closer view comparing the two different thicknesses. I kept the old bottom leaf as a sort of high-quality 1/4" lift block.

 

Gained about 2 1/2" of rear lift immediately after install. I'm sure they will settle out, but the ride seems better. I expected a harsher/firmer ride, but actually got the opposite. I'm quite pleased.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Its nice to know those guys took care of your problem.

As you no doubt realize, whatever happened to your original spring packs is worrysome for those of us running the alcan 8 leaf pack. Please revive this thread if you continue to experience problems.

 

Good info about the service you received. Interesting this isn't the first time or brand of spring I've read about that goes flat quick. It's making me second guess spending a shit ton on a lift.

 

Man, I heard of couple other thread where their leafs were negative arch or sagging not to long after purchase. I think it might be on ttora not sure but I know i read something about alcans.

 

Thanks for the followup. Good to know Alcan and Wheelers took care of you, and that you in turn took care of them by acknowledging their service on the forum. Too many people bitch about a vendor and then never come back to post the resolution. So I commend you.

 

I've also heard of other multi-leaf replacement packs losing arch relatively quickly (year or 2). I'm curious how long before this new pack will start to sag a bit. My guess is that it will last longer b/c of the thicker bottom leaf springs.

Overall I'm pleased with my set-up, but if I had it to do over again, I might go with a less expensive solution. I'd have gotten the TSB leaf spring from Toyota when my vehicle was in warranty. Then, I'd have added a 3 leaf add-a-leaf pack from Wheelers. That would probably be just as good and MUCH cheaper.

As far as shocks, I'm happy with the Icons I've got, but may have been just as happy with some Camburgs or OME's for less $$. Hard to say.

Either way, I have to give Wheeler's and Alcan props for customer service.

 

Before I go on I want to be clear that this is in no way meant to be a negative Alcan review, just letting you know my experience. When I first bought my truck it had a cracked leaf on one side and 2(!!) cracked leaves on the other, so I really had no choice but to order a full replacement set. I went with alcan mainly due to the good things I'd heard about them and how they will custom-make the springs according to what you specify. Got them and after a year they were slightly negative-arched. I got the frame replacement and brand new springs from Toyota and put in an AAL and they are still positive-arched after a little less than 2 years. Point is, my cheap AAL has held up longer than my custom-made full leaf kit did.

 

Yup . . . I'd have to agree. I think most (maybe all) of the aftermarket replacement leaf spring packs are built with a greater number of thinner individual leafs compared with anything from Toyota. Toyota also has fewer leafs in the pack but each leaf is thicker, and will hold its arch longer. Certainly you can get a more supple/softer ride with a greater number of thinner leafs in the leaf spring pack, but they seem to lose their arch more quickly.

 

Not true of the OME Dakars

 

^^ Yeah from what I've seen of the OME stuff, it's built to last for sure. I think OME is owned by ARB. In any case, I haven't seen the OME Dakar leaf springs in person, but if the individual leafs in the pack are thicker than the ones from Alcan, they may indeed last longer.

Just looked up some specs on the Emu Dakar springs:

- Fully Scragged & Load Tested: Scragging ensures the spring takes a permanent 'set' which reduces the risk of sagging. Load testing ensures the spring meets the required specification.

- Shot Peening: The tension side of all leaves is shot peened to reduce spring stress. This process can double the life of a spring.

I don't believe the Alcan springs are shot peened, and I don't believe they are scragged either. Honestly, I couldn't tell you how much this contributes to the life of the springs holding their arch.

 

I just installed the Dakars about 2 months ago , they are Beast

 

Dont get too excited about shot peening. I can't remember if it was ARB, ALCAN or another company, but they discussed the procedure and the difference or lack there of that it meant on the life of springs.

The Dakars are the first brand, prior to this post, I read about sagging. The guys at toytec confirmed the Dakar springs are not meant to handle more than a stock load. So if you're running a shell you're screwed or, in my opinion, if you've put any amount of miles on them they are going to go flat just like stock.

 

What