Hey infaze.....not sure which tires you had originally, but if you upsized by going to the 31's, your speedo and odomoeter will read a little slower now, so your mpg may not have changed (just thought I'd try and cheer you up)
Not to start an arguement, as everyone has their own opinion on this subject, but when I switched from a shackle lift in the rear to the AAL, I experienced much more axle wrap than with the shackles. The only plus to the AAL versus shackles are that the ride is less bouncy and the shackles will wear out your spring pack over an extended period of time.
I've got a Rough Country 2.5" AAL. There is nothing else wrong with the truck. The only time that I have a problem is when the tires are spinning (ice, burnout, getting over big hunks of rock on land I shouldn't be on). Nothing too inconvenient and I definitely like the AAL, just wanted to point that out. As far as the load capacity, I can put about 500lbs more on the wheels with the AAL (~2,100 lbs total bed load weight)