Let’s talk suspension, icon vs fox

Archive Garage discontinued one setup, but they came out with another. That's what I'm looking to add with the crosstube option so that I can maybe mount remote reservoirs on that in the back. I think normally our trucks have an 8 inch travel shock in the back, so with an AAL you could run a 10 inch travel shock in the back. That's what I'm hoping to accomplish. @Cummins3500 I think we are going to be running pretty similar setups and looking to accomplish roughly the same thing.

 

Sounds like we’re headed in the same direction. Archive advertises that kit as being able to run a 10-12 inch shock with appropriate springs. They’re stuffs a game changer for sure

You mentioned the hammer hangers. Did you look at the shock relocation kit? He’s got it installed on a stock truck and just gonna be adding their aal to it.

 

I did look into that, but the install involves more than what I want to do. I don't want to cut up the truck to where it can't be put back to stock. That kit requires a bit of welding and cutting the cross member and shock mounts. And it's discontinued.
So for now I'm looking into hammer hangers. FYI, I can't remember if you got your AAL, but I ordered one a while back from Wheeler's and they're on backorder for a couple weeks.

 

My UCA’s, steering rack bushings, and front coil overs came in this week

placed an order for a set of hammer hangers w/ crossbar & shackles from archive garage. Still debating on the shock relocation kit

talked with Eric at archive, about aal and leaf packs. Im just copy and paste instead of typing it all out

my stock leaves are in decent shape and was leaning towards an aal before I went to a full blown replacement pack, should I go with a 10 inch shock if don’t go full replacement?

Archives response: It depends on the AAL what you are trying to achieve, they don't work for weight, and you're supposed to remove the overload. My recommendation is keep a completely stock leaf pack until you decide you need the load capacity or find that you can't hit 12" travel. I would go with a 12" shock depending on whether you are getting 2.0 or 2.5 and what you want to do with the truck




If your on the fence, archives website has some good videos and They’ve been awesome about answering questions

 

Did you get the ubj press kit from TC? I have one i need to unload

 

I don't think it is. I may or may not have read this, freaked out, and ordered it.

Been planning to order it for a while anyhow.

 

Nah I haven’t picked one up, what do you want for it?

What are you running in the rear suspension mod wise? What kind of weight you normally carry?

 

Alcan full leaf pack. Normally I have about 100lbs of extra stuff in the bed, when I go camping its probably 300lbs of stuff. I have been running 5100 shocks back there for way too long, ten years. To their credit they still work but they can't extend as far as my leaf springs can.

I'm going to do the u bolt flip as well just to get rid of the stock bump stops.

 

My truck runs unloaded most of the time. I was trying to get out of buying an aal or full leaf pack for now. Any ideas how big a shock I can squeeze under the truck (compressed length wise)? I’m assuming your going fox for the rears?

 

Given how much you've spent, and the direction this build is going, I think an AAL would be a waste of money. I'm starting to sound like a broken record because I've written about it many times, but the ICON AAL was a waste of time and money for me. I should have just replaced my leaf packs.

 

I agree, I had better luck with the deaver AAL, but ended up replacing the leaf pack a few months later and wish I had done it from the start. I bought the HD leaf pack for under $500 and was very happy with it, didn't ride rough at all and also didn't sag when I loaded up the back with camping gear and bikes. My new to me Tundra has stock leafs and it's fine unloaded, but the second I put any weight in the back it sags

 

Using stock springs and stock mounting points the biggest you can run is still a 5100 shock which is just shy of 14" collapsed and about 23.5" fully extended. The short collapsed length is the limiter.

I have seen guys running Deaver 9 or 10 leaf packs who were able to squeeze in 10" shocks in the stock locations by modifying the lower mount brackets and changing bump stops. It isn't optimal but it worked for them.

 

I had wrote the icon aal off per your recommendation. The deaver aal was still on the table and a possibility. @rock climber, on that recommendation I’ll cross it off also. Take another look at my leaf pack option.

That points me in the right direction.

this is the first time I’ve been this deep into a suspension. My xterra didn’t make it this far because I didn’t have these kind of options

 

Well the search continues for leaf packs

I had been looking into Deaver’s g57 pack. Nets an inch of lift. Emailed them to ask about capacity and was told it significant reduces payload



archive has there Shackleton pack that adds 500-1000 lbs. it comes with a warning that says it rides fine but has trouble flexing without the recommend weight in the bed.

*did go ahead and order the archive shock relocation kit.

 

Deaver should be able to make you a custom set. If not you can call up Alcan and talk to Bill, he'll make one.

The problem with leaf springs is you'll have to trade flex for weight capacity. You can't really have both. Then when you look at options they don't always fit your needs.

 

My dually puts me in a funny spot. I don’t tow with the tundra, and don’t carry a ton of weight. I’m tempted to go for every bit of flex I can get.

what kind of specs you get on your Alcan pack?

 

I think I told them I need to carry 300lbs in the bed and wanted 1.5 to 2" of lift. When I go camping it doesn't even squat, ice chest full of beer and firewood near the cab.

 

Have you tried? These are a great value and some members really like them. They come in OE and Heavy Duty strength (slight lift).

https://www.autoandtrucksprings.com/toyota-truck-leaf-springs/

 

You can also try General Springs.

 

Appreciate the lead, Ill give em a look, I haven’t decided one or another on the leaf springs yet. I like to compare all my options but I’m having a hard time deciding on what kind of weight capacity I need .

 

That's what I bought been very happy with them. Full custom for Alcan or Deaver or the Icon RXT. The icon is adjustable by removing and rearranging a leaf.

I'd call Alcan or Deaver and they can help you decide based on what you want.

 

I like where this is going. I just received my Deaver AAL and am waiting to install until I get my new coilovers. and I think I'm going to order some 10" Fox shocks. It's been almost 7 weeks and I am not happy with Vivid Racing. That's another story.

For the rear I'm going to try the Deaver AAL and reassess after I get those in. I'm trying to prioritize flex over hauling.

Any reason you can't add some airbags and use those when hauling heavy loads? Mostly I won't have much weight in the back when driving offroad, and if I need to haul anything it'll be from hardware store on the highway.

 

What’s the story on vivid?

@Kimosabe @Darkness mentioned above what you’ll need to squeeze in the 10 inch shocks. I think you’ll have trouble with just an aal. That’s the reason I went ahead and pulled the trigger on the shock relocation kit.

I need to do some calling around about leaf springs. I think maybe a 200 lbs pack with an 1-1.5 inch loft would cover my basis

 

Regarding Vivid, I placed the order in August after confirming with ADS that they had the item in stock. No shipping info or tracking number. I wait a few weeks because I'm not in a hurry, and email Vivid and don't get anywhere. Then I started emailing, chatting, and calling trying to get an update on when the coilovers might ship. Nothing. After 6 weeks I call ADS and they say there's a bolt-in for my truck shipping out, but they can't give out customer info. Another few days, no tracking or shipping info. Finally, yesterday after 7+ weeks waiting I politely pitch a fit to Vivid and call back and forth to ADS and email with someone at Vivid to have them send the purchase order straight to the guy at ADS, and confirmed he received it. ADS was very nice and tried to be helpful, but Vivid was beyond worthless trying to get it resolved.

Long rant, but a bit frustrated. Hopefully they should ship today or tomorrow.

 

Dang buddy, that sucks. Hopefully they get it straightened out for ya.

I’d recommend headstrong when you get ready to order rears. I sent an email inquiry with part numbers and they hooked me up

 

on a gen1, there isn’t much room for an airbag setup. There isn’t much up travel before hitting the framerail. I would think it would be very difficult to cram in an airbag without ruining your travel?

 

Yeah, some guys have done it but with a removable setup that they only install when needed. Others have done similar with timbrens, pretty much a glorified bump stop.

 

Good to know. My truck came with airbags from the previous owner using a camper on the back. Maybe I'll try taking them out or seeing what kind of travel range I have and just install when needed.

 

Thanks @Cummins3500 I think I should be getting tracking and a shipping confirmation tomorrow (hopefully). Ya I'm definitely going elsewhere for any of my shopping from now on. When you get yours installed, post some before and after measurements if you remember, I'd like to make some comparisons and see what I can expect if I haven't gotten mine yet.

 

@Cummins3500 I have a few questions about the products you got from Archive. I've been looking at the hammer hangers and recently I only saw two shackle options: Stock and 4" SUA. Which ones did you go with?
I thought at one point there was a 3" or 3.5".
I also saw you got the cross tube support hangers, where did you order the DOM cross tube from?