HOW TO ADD A LEAF - INSTALL STEPS BROKEN DOWN

The entire add a leaf install process is relatively easy to master, even for the truck owner who does this for the first time. Overall, the process should take only a couple of hours at most. The steps involved can be broken down as follows:

• Elevate the rear of the truck with a floor jack. The jack must be strong enough to support the weight of the truck and high enough to elevate the tires at least three inches off the ground. Check the owner's manual of your truck for directions on where to place the jack.

• Place the jack stands under the rear axle of the vehicle. If there's a gap between the top of the stands and the underside of the vehicle, slowly lower the jack until the axles touch base with the stands. In any case, one side of the vehicle is liable to be slightly higher than the other side.

• Open the package to the add a leaf kit and lay out the various assembly pieces, including the leafs and spring clips.

• Take a photo of the intact leaf spring for future reference in case you get lost during the reassembly stage. Do one side at a time. Leave the tire and spring on the other side in their place until you finish the first side.

• With your vehicle manual in hand for reference, remove the rear shocks from the chosen side and take out the tire and leaf spring.

• With the first rear leaf spring removed from the vehicle, put it together with one of the leafs from the kit. If necessary, use a U-clamp to hold the spring together while fastening the spring tight with a torque wrench.

• With the newly improved leaf spring now fully assembled, install it back into the chosen side of the vehicle. Attach the spring at the front-end first, then attach the shackle end. Once you have the leaf spring in place, reinstall the brackets, U-bolts and rubber stops.

• Inspect all bolts for proper torque, then reattach the wheel.

• Repeat the above steps on the other side of the vehicle.

Add a leaf lift kits are optimal for a range of vehicles, from trucks and vans to mini-buses and motor-homes. In most cases, an add a leaf kit will come equipped with U-bolts, a center pin and hardware specifically designed for the installation process