Avsfreak1234

Hey guys, Im sure this has been covered here but I searched and nothing turned up. Im looking to lift my tacoma and the IFS with all of the options out there is not the problem anymore. What have you guys doen to the rear. I hear that AAL are prone to breakage and my springs are not in the best shape to begin with. A shackle lift would be nice but I wanted to see if anyone has one and likes it. There is always the full leaf pack but unless there is something that is so good you cant live without it exists for less than $300 with shocks thats a little out of my price range. I want to get the back end up but need some help. thanks in advance.

ecchamberlin

First things first.
What year Taco

What do you plan on doing with it ie:wheeling, towing, hauling, street queening it?

I would never suggest AAL to anyone. I have had and also had others that have tried them and really regretted putting them in. Not only are they a lot of work to install but the ride stiffens and it flexes poorly.
You are very correct that the stock leaves are not the best.

Sometimes waiting a bit to get the better parts really pays off in the end. Tell us more and maybe we can help yah out.

Avsfreak1234

its a 98 so it has the longer springs in the rear. Im mostly going to wheel it with a little hauling on the side. No towing. It is a daily driver too. Price is my biggest issue. I cant really go over $300-350 total in the rear. that includes shocks. Im not looking for a massive lift. just 1.5-2.5 inches so that it will also level out with the front cranked up to about 2.5 in.

ecchamberlin

I would really try to go with a new leaf pack like Deaver or Alcan. I know your probably thinking that this is totally out because of cost but....

I did 2 AAL trying to save money and this also meant that i had to remove the entire rear axle assembly twice. Lots of work! For a very minor gain. Flexed them out a couple of times and they lost their arch. No more lift.

Part of the reason is that Taco leaf packs run nearly flat and sometimes even have negative arch in them. Which means the the AAL is bearing almost the entire weight of the back of the truck. After they warped I had some axle hop issues that drove me a bit nuts also.

For a few extra saved dollars you get a custom developed leaf pack that will last and articulate like crazy. Huge difference. Let me check with dfireballd here on the boards to see how much he paid for his.

ecchamberlin

These are what mine looked like after less than 4 months of daily driving and moderate wheeling:

Avsfreak1234

where would one go about obtaining these Custom developed leaves? and that sounds like it would be more expensive? u probably know more than I do. thanks for your help, I did a search and nothing turned up

Avsfreak1234

Those dont look good ^^^^

ecchamberlin

NO they are toasted.

Let me check with some of my people and I will get it to you.

Tanto

I paid around $485 for a set of 8-leaf Deavers from wheelersoffroad.com and man am I happy with them! My rear flexes SO much better and they have the military wrap on the ends to deter axle wrap. Check out Deathrunner's video for the Anza-Borrego trip on the 3/4/5 in the Trail Reports section that shows my white doublecab doing the drop and Deathrunner's black 1st gen runner that has a 10-leaf deaver pack.

ecchamberlin

See my people^

Not cheap but no rework or regrets.

If you simple cannot swing the entire pack I would go lift shackles before either the AAL or Blocks.

Tanto

I have a 3" rear shackle set for 4Crawler that I never put on because the Deaver's gave me much more lift than I expected. That will get you around 1 1/2" lift. $80 + shipping and they'd be on their way. Removing the load plate in your leaf pack will give you a little more flex but may lower your rear slightly.

HUTCHSTACO

i wish i chould use shackles but i would have to relocate my exhaust

Tanto

just cut your tailpipe a little bit like this and you won't see your muffler poking out anymore.

I had the same problem when I did my rear suspension and it was either pay money to have the pipe re-bent or take a saw to the pipe.

By the way, that's not me in the picture.

ecchamberlin

No. It is me in that pic.

I would not remove the overload leaf. It adds lots of stability to the stock leaf pack and helps prevent axle wrap/hop. On deavers it is not necessary though.

HUTCHSTACO

i would just cut my exhaust like that but i have dual pipes, i paid for it so i would hate to cut em off

Tacoclimber

I dig the "climbing rope" limiting strap... Now THAT'S a cheap mod!

Tanto

The rope is a simple but effective way of holding up your rear axle when you replace the rear suspension That was an old trick Eric learned in Vietnam.


"Why did ya bring all that bloody rope for?"

ecchamberlin

Very nice! It did actually work really well. Then we found that the auto hobby shop we were at had extension jacks.

Avsfreak1234

was that 485 you paid with or without a set of shocks? Bilstiens? I suppose I could wait a while and pay the extra to get some Deavers. How hard was the install? just new spring and U bolts? What about the new brake line that I know Tacos need when you lift the back? would you have to blead the whole system just for a 6" piece of hose?

Tanto

the 485 was just for the deaver 8-leaf packs. For your extended cab it will be a little cheaper since it is only a 7-leaf pack. My rear shocks are the OME N85 but I would go with something with a bit more travel since those shocks limit my deavers. The install is fairly simple, just requires a lot of torque on the bolts to get them off. The weight alone will require a 2nd person unless you're an ox. Order from Wheelers and they'll include brand-spankin new U-bolts and nylock nuts for free. You will need a parking brake extender and a 20"+ rear brake line. You will need to bleed your brakes regardless after you put your new brake line in, but that's cake and you can get it done in <5 minutes with someone pumping the brakes for you. I would highly recommend using rope to tie your rear axle to a crossmember to keep your driveshaft from coming apart.

The hardest part of doing the rear lift is finding the time and place to do it.