air-over-leaf 411

[staggerd86c-10]

ok so whats the low down on doing an air over leaf setup for a street truck. I got shackles and hangers now so instead of flipping the axle i was thinking of removing a few leafs and putting an AOL kit to adjust it and stiffen it up a bit. It will be plumbed to some schrader valves so it will be simple. thanks for any suggestions you guys might have.

[mongoose]

I'd do the flip...

i'm not even sure if you took out all the leafs except one that it still wouldn't get a 5 inch drop... maybe with a load in the back. also you'll have less room to mount the bags..

[N2TRUX]

Originally Posted by mongoose

I'd do the flip....

I agree. If you remove all but two of your springs now, your probably going to bottom out. You can use the AOL with a sleeved bag to get you back up, but I don't think it will be where you need it.

In my mind you will have to run very little air to have it lower than what it is now. I suggest you do the flip then see where you are at.

[SCOTI]

AOL set-ups don't work well w/the shackle hanger installs because of the reduced space between the frame & the top of the leafs (it's even indicated on the ART web-site in their AOL kits). They work w/flip kits because you change the distance to the top of the leafs vs. the OE placement.

[staggerd86c-10]

wont a flip be too much? i still have 5 leafs left on my truck and i have seen guys run down to three leafs, if i do a flip i think it will be too low where would i go from there to bring it back up? and i would have to notch the frame too. n2trux werent you running a aol kit before you went all pimp?

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by staggerd86c-10

wont a flip be too much? i still have 5 leafs left on my truck and i have seen guys run down to three leafs, if i do a flip i think it will be too low where would i go from there to bring it back up? and i would have to notch the frame too. n2trux werent you running a aol kit before you went all pimp?

His truck had a flip kit w/the leafs removed (2-main/longest leafs were left IIRC), a lowering block, c-notch, & ART's AOL kit.

Flip kit = 5" drop on a 5-leaf spring pack; = 6" drop on an 8-leaf spring pack. Removing more leafs get's it even lower because the remaining springs aren't designed to carry the weight alone; the bags regain that height difference. C-sections will be required.

[N2TRUX]

Well done Scoti...

[staggerd86c-10]

so then how could i just get 2-3 more inches of drop then what i have now? im totally lost at this point.

[N2TRUX]

Do the flip and remove the hanger. See what you need from there. At some point your going to need to notch it, so go ahead and get that done while your at it.