any tips for putting on add-a-leafs
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Amateur
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: lynchburg va
any tips for putting on add-a-leafs
just got my add leafs delivered today gonna try and tackle it tomorow was wondering if anyone has done this , a step by step would be awesome but any tips are greatly appreciated thanks in advance
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Joined: Aug 2007
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From: NM
It is very simple. Put off tires, pull off U-Bolts, drop axle down a bit. Use a C-Clamp to hold the springs down while you remove the center bolt. The kit should include a new center bolt. Remember to keep the springs going from small to longest, so if you have a spring that is smaller than the AAL put it lower then the AAL. Then put it all back together. Don't forget to oil the heck out of the U-Bolts, they will be very stubborn when removing the nuts.
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Joined: Sep 2006
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From: NW suburbs of Chicago, IL
breaker bar and elbow grease =P
Other than sockets for the nuts, you'll need a cut-off tool, at least 1 C-clamp (I used 2), and a torque wrench in ft-lbs. Vice grips would be good to use for when you're removing the old center bolt...the end doesn't have any hex or anything where you can hold it down easily.
You asked about this before, now that I searched...I thought I remembered answering something like this before =P Did you get those U-Bolts I mentioned before?
Anyway...the job is pretty easy, though it takes some patience when pushing the springs together. Just remember: The U-bolts clamp the leaf packs together as well as clamp it to the axle mount. The center pin is not responsible for anything except for keeping it center, no pun intended. The circular head of the bolt actually fits into the axle mount housing.
Loosen your lug nuts (don't remove them), and then loosen the U-Bolt nuts. After they are nice and loose, then you can jack up the rear end and remove the wheels. Continue removing the U-Bolts. Once they are off, a good whack at the axle and the center bolt should break loose from the mount. Just make sure the axle is supported on something so you don't break any brake lines on accident. Apply a C-clamp nice and tight on the leaf pack. Once you do that, remove the center pin bolt. I took a pair of vice grips at the head, and then used a socket at the top. Once I loosened it enough where i had enough space, I cut it to save myself time. You may need a punch and a hammer to poke it through. Once removed, remove the C-clamp, and the leaf pack should look separated from each individual leaf. The very bottom leaf is not part of the pack, but rather a leveling shim between the axle and the leaf pack.
Now the fun compressing part. Get the new center bolt, and the new leaf from the kit. Place the new leaf at the bottom of the pack. The leveling shim goes underneath that. Fit the center pin bolt through to give you an idea of what center is. Make sure it is as straight as possible. Now, this is the part where 2 C-clamps comes in handy, because it makes it easier when you can tighten on both sides of the pack. You simply shift between each clamp, tightening one side and then the other. Keep doing this until they are all packed together nice and tight. Tighten the center bolt as much as you can, but don't stress on it too much, because remember: the center pin is not responsible for keeping the pack together. Once packed up and tightened, fit the axle mount into the pin head. Slide the new U-Bolts in place (Make sure you put the top block back on first so it keeps the U-Bolts in place). Tighten the bolts in a zig-zag fashion, just as if you are tightening lug nuts on a wheel. Make sure they are just tight enough, so you can put the wheels back on and drop the weight of the truck down on the axle...this will make it much easier when torquing the nuts. However, before you put wheels back on, make sure both sides are completed first... =P Anyway, once it's on the ground. Torque it to at the very least 80 ft-lbs. I think mine were recommended at 85 or something, I don't remember. My torque wrench only went up to 80, but heck...they're still holding!
That....should be it in a nutshell. If something doesn't make sense or if you have any questions...just respond. The job isn't really hard. Rusty bolts makes it hard!
Other than sockets for the nuts, you'll need a cut-off tool, at least 1 C-clamp (I used 2), and a torque wrench in ft-lbs. Vice grips would be good to use for when you're removing the old center bolt...the end doesn't have any hex or anything where you can hold it down easily.
You asked about this before, now that I searched...I thought I remembered answering something like this before =P Did you get those U-Bolts I mentioned before?
Anyway...the job is pretty easy, though it takes some patience when pushing the springs together. Just remember: The U-bolts clamp the leaf packs together as well as clamp it to the axle mount. The center pin is not responsible for anything except for keeping it center, no pun intended. The circular head of the bolt actually fits into the axle mount housing.
Loosen your lug nuts (don't remove them), and then loosen the U-Bolt nuts. After they are nice and loose, then you can jack up the rear end and remove the wheels. Continue removing the U-Bolts. Once they are off, a good whack at the axle and the center bolt should break loose from the mount. Just make sure the axle is supported on something so you don't break any brake lines on accident. Apply a C-clamp nice and tight on the leaf pack. Once you do that, remove the center pin bolt. I took a pair of vice grips at the head, and then used a socket at the top. Once I loosened it enough where i had enough space, I cut it to save myself time. You may need a punch and a hammer to poke it through. Once removed, remove the C-clamp, and the leaf pack should look separated from each individual leaf. The very bottom leaf is not part of the pack, but rather a leveling shim between the axle and the leaf pack.
Now the fun compressing part. Get the new center bolt, and the new leaf from the kit. Place the new leaf at the bottom of the pack. The leveling shim goes underneath that. Fit the center pin bolt through to give you an idea of what center is. Make sure it is as straight as possible. Now, this is the part where 2 C-clamps comes in handy, because it makes it easier when you can tighten on both sides of the pack. You simply shift between each clamp, tightening one side and then the other. Keep doing this until they are all packed together nice and tight. Tighten the center bolt as much as you can, but don't stress on it too much, because remember: the center pin is not responsible for keeping the pack together. Once packed up and tightened, fit the axle mount into the pin head. Slide the new U-Bolts in place (Make sure you put the top block back on first so it keeps the U-Bolts in place). Tighten the bolts in a zig-zag fashion, just as if you are tightening lug nuts on a wheel. Make sure they are just tight enough, so you can put the wheels back on and drop the weight of the truck down on the axle...this will make it much easier when torquing the nuts. However, before you put wheels back on, make sure both sides are completed first... =P Anyway, once it's on the ground. Torque it to at the very least 80 ft-lbs. I think mine were recommended at 85 or something, I don't remember. My torque wrench only went up to 80, but heck...they're still holding!
That....should be it in a nutshell. If something doesn't make sense or if you have any questions...just respond. The job isn't really hard. Rusty bolts makes it hard!
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Amateur
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: lynchburg va
thanks for all the advice guys i didnt get to do it today as i hoped because it finally stopped raining and had to work : ( but hopefully sunday i will get to it, and no i never did get the u bolts i found some others that will work for the new springs. anyway wish me luck, and i will chime in if i get hung up. anybody wanna leave a cell number that would be great haha thanks again