What to expect from this AAL set up?

[512tr]

A long time ago a bought these AAL leaf’s from Skyjacker and installed it as a part of my total MJ restoration. These leaves came with a 2,5-3” lift kit.

 

Put in new Leaf pads and did some leaf clamps in stainless steel with the bolt sleeve in aluminum. I chose aluminum to try to avoid more corrosion and mechanical wear on the main leaf, (there are grooves in the main leaf after the rusty steel clamp sleeve)

 

As the topic says, I wonder how this leaf configuration will behave, many of you have long experience with different leaf set up and could maybe predict how this will work on my truck?

Would it be stiff, jumpy or…?

 

I will use my MJ as a “work” truck, light off-roading and transporting motorcycles.

[ghetdjc320]

Looks good! You should have a bit more spring rate and free arch. But thin leaves like that won’t make much difference in ride quality. 

[coheed]

Similar but different. I did the zone off-road aal earlier this year and it's a slightly shorter one than the skyjacker one you have. The spring pack is definitely stiffer, but the ride quality is much better because I switched from the cheapest Monroe oe replacement shocks to Bilsteins. Yours should ride about the same as long as you've got decent shocks.

 

 

[512tr]

Thanks for the replies, it will be interesting to see when I get it back on the road again, sometime next summer.

I will use Skyjacker Nitro 8000 shocks, which I purchased a long time ago.

 

 

Does the left one have more arch than the other, or is it just the picture?

Mine also has a minor difference in arch, so I will put the one with most arch on the driver side due to more weight on the driver side (driver, transfer case and gas tank)

 

[ghetdjc320]

You can mix the leaves in the packs to even them out. 

[coheed]

4 hours ago, 512tr said:

Thanks for the replies, it will be interesting to see when I get it back on the road again, sometime next summer.

I will use Skyjacker Nitro 8000 shocks, which I purchased a long time ago.

 

 

Does the left one have more arch than the other, or is it just the picture?

Mine also has a minor difference in arch, so I will put the one with most arch on the driver side due to more weight on the driver side (driver, transfer case and gas tank)

 

Yes, actually they did end up having different free arches. What I did was measure the free arch of each individual leave and got them to average out as best as I could. I ended up not thinking about it when I put the leaves back on, and I should have put them opposite to account for the extra weight on the driver side like you said. 

 

I will say it was only maybe 1/4 or 3/8 of an inch difference in free arch, and it doesn't seem to make a difference in ride height looking at the vehicle. 

[512tr]

13 minutes ago, ghetdjc320 said:

You can mix the leaves in the packs to even them out. 

I was considering doing that, but ended up with the theory that the driver side is heavier, and needed more arch to be level😊

 

Impressive video with Indians re-arch the leaf pack on the street 

 

[87MJTIM]

 

Where did you get the repair parts - pads, bolts, and clamps?  My originals need repair - re-arch and a broken leaf.

[coheed]

I bought all my parts on eBay. Had to turn down the bolt head on the lathe at work.

 

[512tr]

 

1 hour ago, 87MJTIM said:

 

Where did you get the repair parts - pads, bolts, and clamps?  My originals need repair - re-arch and a broken leaf.

The pads I got from China, bolts you will find in a hardware store, rounded the head for the center bolts with a drill and a grinder (poor mans lathe)😊

 

The clamps a did myself.

[coheed]

If I'm doing my math right this is right at 1200 pounds. Maybe more since there's jacks and such in the back, and gear up front. It currently sits about three quarters of an inch lower than the front, but my leaves had about 350k on them