MAF add-a-leaf before and after

[caserique]

Thanks to your input, I went with a MAF long add-a-leaf in the rear of my '83 to fix the sagging HFS rear packs. I deleted the smallest spring to insure a smooth ride. Best $52 I've ever spent.

Before:

After:

Took about 1.5 hours each side with hand tools.
Oh, and yes I know my tailpipe is about to fall off--it's on my to-do list

 

[Spike Strip]

Looks great. Love da steelies

 

[drtstreet]

im about to do the same but to the stock suspension. is there anything else that needs done except unbold the u hooks and put the ad a leafs in?

 

[caserique]

The center hole in my old packs aren't centered (length wise) and the add a leafs are centered, so if that's your case you're going to have one side an inch long and one side an inch short.

The only other consideration I can think of is if the u bolts are old, you might break them taking off. Mine were only 5 years old so they came off and went back on without a hitch.

 

[Miloslavich]

looks great!

i'd say thats worth your $52 and your time!

 

[IrollwithTojo]

Love the wheels

 

[ukaviator]

Wow that looks great, and I love that color on the 60 - looks bad ass with those rims!

What color code is that anyway?

 

[Elbert]

agree nice looking truck....color looks very nice on the truck.

 

[caserique]

Thanks, dudes! The wheels are stockton wheel 22 Series - SWS 4X4 Special Wheel--I forget what backspacing i got but these are them: Truck Wheels - Custom Wheels
(Third ones down) Took like six months to get them but they came the day I got the cruiser out of paint which was cool.

The paint is Volvo Titanium Grey from about 2004 or 2005. I was trying to decide what color to go with and a lady in my neighborhood had just gotten a new volvo. I knocked on her door on the morning the rig was going to paint and asked her what color her car was exactly. She was still in her bathrobe and a little annoyed but also a bit flattered I think.

 

[Isaacjohnstar]

Yeah X3 on the paint color! I think its my new favorite. My rear springs are sagging as well. Can you use it with stock springs?

 

[Cruisified]

Bad A.

 

[klinetime574]

Nice cruiser.

If you got the darkest legal tint on your windows I think people would be scared to drive next to you haha

 

[MR.FJ60]

Wow! What a difference!

 

[Spook50]

The slight lift the full length AALs provide coupled with 31" tires is the way the 60/62 series should have looked and sat from the factory. I always thought it looked too much like a roller skate with the stock sized tires. Something I did to make the ride a little more tolerable was to remove the sway bars (trust me, by the time you're done with this you won't need them on the road) and change all my shackle bushings out for polygraphite bushings from P-S-T. They're graphite impregnated (ie: self lubing), and to make installation and break-in a bit easier, I sprayed all the metal parts contacting them (spring eyes and the shackle pins) with Slip Plate. Use the stock shackles, since you don't need greasable shackles with the polygraphite. I put poly boots on my TREs too, but I wouldn't go that route again. Stick with the rubber boots. They'll flex with the steering action and won't tear themselves apart like the poly boots will. My shock absorber bushings are rubber as well, since I saw no benefit to putting poly on there. With the polygraphite spring bushings and full length AALs, you won't sway on corners at all (I noticed absolutely zero difference in road manners), but you'll be able to flex when on trails and whatnot.

I have to admit I'm curious to see how much of a difference it makes to the ride when the smallest leaf from each pack is removed. I may have to try that when I get back home.

Now throw a diesel in that mother!

 

[cruiseninak]

Big improvement. Wheeled it yet? Pics of flex before/after?

 

[caserique]

I did do a flex test in a drainage ditch and it worked awesome. Haven't had time to wheel it for real yet but I'll get it out this weekend and get some pictures up.

The road ride is much better. I was down to about two inches of rear shock travel and now I have 4-5". Needless to say, it's nice not bottoming the shock every time I hit a bump. They're 10 inch travel--I'm thinking 8-9 would be more appropriate for the rear but I haven't done really accurate measurements yet. I see a set of emulsion shocks in the future but I'm waiting to get some feedback from a guy who bought fox 2.0s before laying down the cash.

Spook, I actually pulled the sway bar a month or so ago and have never looked back. For all you guys convinced you need lockers but haven't pulled your sway bar yet--you might want to try it first. I can get through much nastier stuff now that my tires have a chance to stay grounded. Of course I still covet my neighbor's lockers, just less so now.

 

[jmccandless]

Glad you kept your truck, we talked when it was for sale.

Great looking mod, I finally got a 60 (after looking for nearly a year) and it has flat leafs. This might be the way to go before a full OME...

Thanks for the post...

 

[77TLCFJ40]

Did CCOT pay for the MAF fix for their saggy springs? Why did they sag?

 

[Spook50]

I did do a flex test in a drainage ditch and it worked awesome. Haven't had time to wheel it for real yet but I'll get it out this weekend and get some pictures up.

The road ride is much better. I was down to about two inches of rear shock travel and now I have 4-5". Needless to say, it's nice not bottoming the shock every time I hit a bump. They're 10 inch travel--I'm thinking 8-9 would be more appropriate for the rear but I haven't done really accurate measurements yet. I see a set of emulsion shocks in the future but I'm waiting to get some feedback from a guy who bought fox 2.0s before laying down the cash.

Spook, I actually pulled the sway bar a month or so ago and have never looked back. For all you guys convinced you need lockers but haven't pulled your sway bar yet--you might want to try it first. I can get through much nastier stuff now that my tires have a chance to stay grounded. Of course I still covet my neighbor's lockers, just less so now.

I'd be willing to bet that if I had pulled my sway bars before I high centered at the end of '08, I would've been able to get off that mountain of plowed snow without needing to be pulled down by the Silverado that happened by

 

[buoytech]

Thanks, dudes! The wheels are stockton wheel 22 Series - SWS 4X4 Special Wheel--I forget what backspacing i got but these are them: Truck Wheels - Custom Wheels
(Third ones down) Took like six months to get them but they came the day I got the cruiser out of paint which was cool.

Great looking rig. I need to level mine out too. Do you remember how much those rims cost?