Has anyone really done a slight lift to the rear when installing their levelling kits?

Such as an AAL, or new blocks, or what not?


From what I can see in most threads....only the front is ever dealt with.


If anyone has done it, can you share pics? Thanks

 

Most guys do a leveling kit to remove the rake (the rear sits about 3" high on a stock 4x4 F150). So lifting the rear would defeat the purpose. I personally prefer the rake - but I tend to haul stuff a lot of the time and really dislike the nose high/prerunner look.

Doing an add a leaf and leveling kit would give you a cheap 2 inch lift or so. The only difference between that and a regular lift kit is that you don't gain any up-travel in the front suspension - the shock becomes the limiter. If you want the look but don't wheel heavy it would be an OK approach I think.

 

Heres mine, I like the aal alot. it gives some lift and really helps w/ towing. plus it firms up the ride just a hair, better than super soft stock i think!

here is the truck w/ the 2.5 AS and 1.5 aal

 

I installed an AAL on edwards truck, was very straight forward and easy to do

 

Isn't that a block under your leaf springs? Did you have to buy new ubolts? I went by 4wheel parts and they suggested and sold me a shim kit to put in. I had to go by Custom springs here in memphis and picked up some new ubolts that they had made for $52.

Did you use c-clamps on your springs before you unbolted them? If it's not too much trouble could you tell me how you installed it? Thanks.

 

Yea, its the factory block. the kit came w/ longer u bolts.

Install was fairly easy ( i had never done anything like this before) basically we just jacked up one side, wheel off, then loosened the u bolts, used some big C-clamps on either end then took off the shock, finished taking off the u bolts and let the rear end drop a bit, removed the block and pins then the leaf spring was added new pins went in then we put back in the block lined everything up and repeated on the other side. thats a really rough guess on what happend i did it over a year ago, sorry. if you want i can scan the instructions onto the comptuer and email them to you?

 

you shouldnt need to touch the shock

just loosen both sides u bolts, take one side off all the way, install new pins and aal, and put u bolts back on half way, and then do other side, tighten all together at once, and be sure to use somewhat of a star pattern when tightening u bolts, so the tighten evenly.
-Patrick

 

thanks for the correction patman! As you can probably tell we looked at the instructions once before starting and then went about it our own way. .

 

not a problem, i mean if you are putting new (longer) shocks on thats the time to do it, but im just trying to cut a few steps that didnt need to happen.

also another trick, since there are two alignment pins, pull one out from the bottom, and put it back in from the top one at a time, but do both, and then push the new ones up from the bottom, and push the old ones out the top, it will help keep all those little shims straight and in place. And then you dont need to use C clamps unless the pin gets stuck

 

from now on im going to refer all aal questions to patman, he knows far more than i do he makes it sound like i took the hard way!

 

u can get another stock 2" block from the dealership. i did that with mine plus my fabtech 5 ". peeps say not to stack blocks but F that. haha

 

I wouldnt stack more then 2 blocks gets unstable, and therefore dangerous

 

hahaha well edward was the one that came up with the pin trick, i was trying to use C clamps like i did when i installed my shims on my truck.

but yah i didnt pass my suspension and steering class for nothing

 

Yeah, no kidding, try doing those pins on your back while on the ground, you had a lift.

 

yah a little lift never hurt anyone


But remember i did my shims, and hangers on just jackstands, so ive been there done that