should i add a leaf??

[alwaysready]

ok fixin up the X and starting with the shacles and torsion twist. but today i relized that the truck already sits low in the rear..
i do have a bunch of tools in the back that i always keep with me.
so i measured the dimensions since i was going to take the truck to the shop fri morn for the shackles TT and alignment( just did a ball joint, need alignment anyways)..
front gap between tire and wheelwell is 4 3/4
rear gap between tire and wheelwell is 3"
so if i add the shackles( about 1 1/2)
that would put me about level
so in order to lift the front looks like im going to need AALS right?
or am i being conservative on the 1 1/2" on the shackles?
thanks in advance guys

 

[EXPLORER97']

My 97 sat low in the rear when I got it as well.

I got the universal shackles from autozone and braced them in the center. They resemble the warrior ones.

With them on the bottom hole which measured 8 1/2" center to center, the stock is 5 1/2", I was able to level it out and get enough lift for the supeneion side of things.

Could easily fit 31"s but I'm going for 33"s which fit if you don't compress the suspension in the front.

I didn't need an AAL but that's up to you. Hope this helps.

 

[Mud Bug 94]

shackles give 50% of the actual lift.AAl will stiffen the rid a bit.

 

[Greg_DonWindsor]

I find a lot of 2nd gen explorers I see driving around sag in the rear. I had a 96 XL a while back, and an AAL in the back perfectly matched the 2" TT up front. The extra stiffness in the rear provided by the add-a-leaf did wonders to stop bottoming out on rougher terrain.

 

[JIGAWHAAT]

I find a lot of 2nd gen explorers I see driving around sag in the rear. I had a 96 XL a while back, and an AAL in the back perfectly matched the 2" TT up front. The extra stiffness in the rear provided by the add-a-leaf did wonders to stop bottoming out on rougher terrain.

Yeah my 2nd gen sagged a tiny bit in the rear. Then after tt/ shackles/and a bl so I could get 33's on the sag was a little worse. The shackles gave me around 1 1/4" and I ended cranking the tt up to around 1 3/4 to limit the trimming. So aal is in the works for me also.

 

[Gatorblazer]

AAL will help, but it sounds like you need to re-arch your springs, then worry about the lift.

 

[patrick112390]

I find a lot of 2nd gen explorers I see driving around sag in the rear. I had a 96 XL a while back, and an AAL in the back perfectly matched the 2" TT up front. The extra stiffness in the rear provided by the add-a-leaf did wonders to stop bottoming out on rougher terrain.

uhh yeah idk what explorer you had, but my 97 5.0 mounty has its springs under the axel (sua), so an aal would lower it..... unless you do a spring over axel (soa) it will lower it.... unless you have found a way to do an aal on a sua???

 

[carlover]

uhh yeah idk what explorer you had, but my 97 5.0 mounty has its springs under the axel (sua), so an aal would lower it..... unless you do a spring over axel (soa) it will lower it.... unless you have found a way to do an aal on a sua???

An AAL will lift an explorer 1.5 inches. It doesnt matter that its SUA, your simply adding leafs to the pack to make it taller.

 

[Joe Dirt]

I need to add a leaf...

Or 3!!!

 

[patrick112390]

An AAL will lift an explorer 1.5 inches. It doesnt matter that its SUA, your simply adding leafs to the pack to make it taller.

are you positive about that?? it sure doesnt look like i could.. maybe if you had a source? it just seems to me it would just push the axel up more into the wheel well..

 

[alwaysready]

WHo the heck brings back a thread from a year ago about AALS of all things...
yes a AAL will add lift it phsically will lower body 3/8" due to the extra spring unless you remove one of the existing springs from the pack, but it will raise it by adding more strength to the pack.
Now i can go back to my new corner of the world
yes after i did my TT and warrior shackles it sat nice, but then i decided 187,000 miles were too many so 2 months later i bought a jeep cherokee
SORRY GUYS
already installed a 4" lift 31's and a winch etc..
Keep up modding the explorers
I saw one by my college that was lifted with 33's in joliet..
looked nice..