Topic: rears up front with AAL?

[kyle_22r]

i was wondering, since rear springs up front tend to be really flexy, how would using stock rear packs up front with some cheap stiff add-a-leaf(like procomp) work?  this truck is still gonna be pretty much a DD and i want something that'll flex but not be too soft.  i don't wanna mess with my hangers from now, and steering won't be a problem as long as i can get enough arch to run the marlin hysteer that's in the mail

i'm shooting for around 3" of lift -- anybody have some experience?

[toybuilt]

I've seen my freinds use crap lift spring under the rears for lift. Or if you could find some stock front waganer spring, just take the top 2 leafs off and put your toys on.

[mr4x42u]

I run a 7 leaf pack,,all 4 rears,,mixed with downer 2 in lift springs..I got about 2 1/2-3 in lift out of them..real flexy but With the adjustable shocks up from just stiffen it up for the road..

[toybuilt]

thats a god idea just put some rancho 9000's in the front or all around that would help.

[mr4x42u]

I run the 9000x up from,,9 way adjustable and 5000's in the back..but adjustable rears would be nice to have

[All_Set]

I got an '83.  Ran with all the rear pack, plus 2 *archest* leafs from the front.   Total of 6 leafs.  Got about 3 inchs of lift, with the Sky bannananaaaa shackle.

Ride..  I got propoop shocks.. and rides fine on the street.  Don't really notice the soft ride until i tap on the brakes.   Wheeling.. Love the soft ride.. Kidneys thank me everytime i go out.

[kyle_22r [OP]]

hmm, might have to try that setup.  a good stiff cheap AAL could have the same effect as some archy front springs -- mine are negatively arched so i don't think they'd do me much good

could be worth a try -- but what would i do for rear spring packs? 

[gotrocks]

well you are asking this question just as I finished my pack rebuild.  I was running into negative arched rears taht were in the front of mine because of a few years of abuse.  I just rebuilt my front pack with some newer rears and I couldn't be happier.  What I ended up doing is taking the 3 and leaf from my worn out pack and placed it in the third location of the new pack (it was the leaf with the ears that keep the pack from twisting apart).  I cut off the ears and put it into the pack.  I ended up with a 6 leaf pack.  Make sure and take out yoru over load bottom springs mine had 2 a longer one with long ears and a shorty.  My pack was had arch to it and flexxed AWESOME.  I havent' even been able to get full drop out of it because I can't find a good enough rock to flex it out.  I'm running a 3 inch body lift as well but I have 37 inch Toyo MT's.  Depending on the year of your truck when you do the IFS box with thye HySteer make sure and either mount it higher on the frame (I don't know if this works for sure without to much problem since I have a SAS'd 4runner) or find a drop pitman arm with out as much drop.  Mine is the one that came with my hysteer kit from marlin that I installed with I rebuilt the packs and it has just a little to much drop because I broke off my grease nipple on the balljoint.  Minus that one problem it works great.

Regarding the rear springs what I would do since you sound like you aren't wanting to do welding right now I'd try to find anouther rear pack for you rig and just use that pack up front or use it in the rear either way and put 3 inch blocks in the rear.  Just make sure and use blocks that are NOT ALUMINUM because from experience I know that they don't work.  Just grenanded them both at the same time 1 mile down the trail.

Oh and shocks yeah do what the other guys are saying go 9000's up front and just tighten them up on the road and make um soft for the trail.  Mine drives like its another vehicle if they're tight otherwise you'll be all over the place on the road.  Go 5000's for the rear.  The setup works great.  I only have 300 or less into my whole suspension and have outwheeled tri linked Heep TJ's. 

If you have any questions feel free to ask

[kyle_22r [OP]]

i dont want a lot of lift, so i'm gonna mount it as high as i can.  gonna try to get that pitman arm as close to the frame without making contact as humanly possible.

what i don't get is why everybody says you really have to move the box forward.  maybe things will become clearer when i find an IFS box and get my hysteer kit, but it seems that about where my push pull box is mounted is an ideal place.  then again, it doesn't really matter anyway since i'm gonna have to do some drilling and welding no matter what

[toybuilt]

You could always make a new pitman arm useing just the spline part of the old arm. Use some half inch flat stock, that way you can get as close as you want to the frame.

[gotrocks]

ya know I understand what your saying about why move it forward.  The reason I had to on mine was because the mounts for SAS mounts on my rig were mounted just enough forward that when I put the draglink on it crossed over the tierod.  I didn't want to have to do that but I ended up having to.  it was a pain in the rear because I found that out 2 days before I was going to leave to go 4 wheeling 1200 miles away from home.