MrSimon Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 We have all heard that AALs are cheap and easy, but that they quickly cause the leaf pack to sag. I'm sure that if you put a new AAL into an old pack, the two will work against each other and cause problems. But, this past weekend I worked on a Ford Ranger that had a full length AAL installed 10 years and 200k miles ago (the packs were only two years old at the time). The truck has been used hard for a decade pulling and hauling all kinds of stuff .... and the leafs haven't sunk a bit. That AAL is still going strong after a DECADE of heavy use. So for all you people who ask about AALs, if your packs are in good shape .... go for it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfpackjeeper Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 they still generally suck. One application out of thousands does not make them anything more than a band aide. I knon 5 people who have installed them on an MJ or XJ, and they all sagged within a year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd44889 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 :hmm: sag in a year u mean settle all new springs will settle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfpackjeeper Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 :hmm: sag in a year u mean settle all new springs will settle I use the term sag, because they settled past any reasonable amount. They were almost at the original ride height again. Bastard packs are cheaper that AAL's, and generally ride and flex better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigd44889 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 ya if if settled that far then ya thay saged i didn't have that prob. it was cheeper to just do the soa and be done with it more lift to :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 My '94 XJ has 11 year old 3" RE full length AAL and they started with 4"of lift and settled to 3"of lift. They have about 70k on them. It has to do more with the quaility of the AAL then anything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 10, 2009 Author Share Posted March 10, 2009 they still generally suck. One application out of thousands does not make them anything more than a band aide. I knon 5 people who have installed them on an MJ or XJ, and they all sagged within a year. I'd bet they all put cheap AALs into old packs .... which is a bad idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TNT Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 they still generally suck. One application out of thousands does not make them anything more than a band aide. I knon 5 people who have installed them on an MJ or XJ, and they all sagged within a year. I'd bet they all put cheap AALs into old packs .... which is a bad idea. I put mine in sagged 65k stock leafs on my XJ with no problem and I also removed 1 stock leaf. Mine are still great.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 An AAL will not "cause" a leaf pack to sag...it lifts it. The problem is, whether the spring pack is new or old, the AAL is working against a lot of forces all on it's own. A leaf pack with an AAL in it will be a stiff ride and it will not last more than a couple years at best. AAL's are a short term solution and should never be depended on. So for all you people who ask about AALs, if your packs are in good or bad shape .... don't go for it! ...or at least be prepared to change them when they settle back down to stock height in just a year or two at best. :smart: :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I've got eight year old AALs on my XJ, they're still holding strong, its the weak original main leafs that are turning u-shaped. I agree, its the quality of the AAL that matters. :hijack: On a similar note: I've got a pair of JY MJ leafs that I plan on making a bastard pack with. I really need the extra load capacity to haul stuff. I'm set up SOA,,, I figure they are the same arch and wouldn't flex against each other as much as an AAL and only lift the truck a little maybe 1-2". I've seen a full pack of two sets of MJ springs on another truck and they lifted it a little higher than I want. So I was thinking about either an extra main leaf or adding the second leaf? Any recommendations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ren Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I would add the 2 or 3 leaf, as the lower leaves are where you get the arch/ strength from in aleaf spring pack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 I would always add in the extra main leaf (to help support the original main). Then the 2nd one down (if you want more capacity but without a lot of extra lift). The 3rd one down is responsible for a lot of the "lift" in an MJ pack (as I discovered when experimenting with a bastard pack under my 90). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 An AAL will not "cause" a leaf pack to sag...it lifts it. The problem is, whether the spring pack is new or old, the AAL is working against a lot of forces all on it's own. A leaf pack with an AAL in it will be a stiff ride and it will not last more than a couple years at best. AAL's are a short term solution and should never be depended on. So for all you people who ask about AALs, if your packs are in good or bad shape .... don't go for it! ...or at least be prepared to change them when they settle back down to stock height in just a year or two at best. :smart: :cheers: :agree: My Rancho 3'' AAL settled so that the rear was shorter than the front after 3 years, the ride was generally stiff. I splurged for the Hellcreek 3'' and the ride is noticeably smoother despite the new packs being MT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfpackjeeper Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hellcreek 3' 3 ft of lift, got any pictures? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Rancho doesn't list a 3" AAL for a Comanche. What AAL did you use? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeepdoggydogB Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Rancho doesn't list a 3" AAL for a Comanche. What AAL did you use? I bought the Rancho lift in 2005 from a local 4WD shop when they were clearing their old inventory. According to the owner Rancho discontinued the lift in the 2000-2001 years. The Springs, LCA, were red I suppose they could have been something else. And wolfpackjeeper fixed the feet and inches typo :oops: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comanche County Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 Ren, Pete, thanks for the input :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
possum Posted March 11, 2009 Share Posted March 11, 2009 My Skyjacker AAL is stil holding good after 3 years. And I used my truck to move twice. With the original packs. Just got lucky I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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