BlueXJ

Everyone is so down on AAL and I agree that over time you will lose some of the height, but I had a AAL at first on my second XJ and it went over two years before I started to see any height loss. If I had not started carrying so much crap in the back it would have lasted longer. So if you are on a limited budget but see that improving within a couple of years AAL is not as bad as everyone says IMO.

XJ?2010

I agree, good post blue

hubbazoot

^ x2

As with all upgrades...it really is a matter of how much you are going to spend.

Starbuck75

k im a little behind on the lingo what does AAL stand for?

BowtieGuy3

Add
A
Leaf

Basically, throwing an xtra leaf in your spring pack for lift...

hubbazoot

The leaf spring is the long, arching metal piece seen in this picture here:


When you "Add A Leaf", you add another layer to that spring, giving you more lift. However, repeating this process too many times can result in the leaf spring becoming overly rigid, causing loss in articulation (your ability for one tire to be in a different vertical position along the suspension travel from the rest, google "RTI Ramp test"). The upside to these are that these kits are generally very cheap and are generally enough for a 2-3.5" lift kit.

BowtieGuy3

^ Imma diggin that army green all up there...

hubbazoot

I've seen a couple different jeeps painted army green, I'm seriously thinking of doing that with a big orange spot on the roof to make it easier to spot (always leave yourself an out) in case I get lost and they send aerial search crews. I was thinking kind of a digital camo design, dark green to brown, as fitting for the environment around here.

Or maybe neon orange with a bright green racing stripe over the driver's side.

Starbuck75

ok that seems obvious to me now haha, i picked up a fully kitted out 89 for 3200 bucks with appears to be a 4'' pro comp suspension lift on it, plus bumpers, winch roof rack and guards

hubbazoot

Make sure the frame is good, also make sure that your bumpers are strong enough and bolted to the frame enough to be able to stand a recovery force.

blacksheep

I had a 3" aal and it sagged to about 1-1.5" in 4-5 months. I quickly got rid of it and got a leaf pack. It lifted to 3.5 and has stayed there for 2 months so far. Will soon add 1" shackles to match the front.

hubbazoot

Apparently the sag isn't just an xj thing. I've seen a blazer with a rear sag of about 2in and I saw a ford excursion with a similar sag.

bamorgan7

yea but a aal is not the worst you can do

00XJsport

i would take an AAL over a block any day...

hubbazoot

^ x2.


AAL's aren't bad, and most kits will hold up for a very long time. I prefer full springs, though.