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Originally posted by McFly:
You know, if they aren't that much longer, you could just use a longer shackle and attain LOTS more flex without the drawbacks of revolvers.

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BART has more sheet metal and glass than I do.
http://www.uniquehardware.co.uk/server-smilies/otn/other/1w.gif http://www.westwoodi.net/~smilies/otn/happy/zzwhip.gif

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91-95 Tacoma has an eye to eye length of 51 inches as measured on a 4wd last weekend.

MVM



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www.nissanoffroad.net (NOR)

51" eh? Stock toyota rears off a pickup like J has are 47" eye to eye. Alot of people use them on the fronts to gain lift and flex on Toys...

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BART has more sheet metal and glass than I do.

The 80-88 rear springs are 48" and the 89-95 rear springs are 51".

'95 Path (POS thought)
'85 Yota Std Cab

Ok, sorry to drag this back up, but....

How many more broken or totally trached Leaf's are out there in the Frontier world?

I know that Andy has actually broken a couple of sets, and Mike's are nearly broken now. Both Andy and Mike have toppers on their truck's. And Lockers.

Here's my thought....Is the extra weight combined with teh increased axle wrap (due to the locker) what is causing catastrophic failure?

Myself, my leafs are in bad shape and I don't have a locker, or a topper, but I regualaily carry a lot of weight in my truck bed.

I'm just wanting to get everything worked out before I buy the locker and break a leaf on the trail.

cliff

Not sure how much the weight affects things. I spend a lot of time on off camber trails where I fully stuff the wheels and hang the other side in the air. The AAL's are too short and cause the second leaf to bend against it's arch...and they snap right off the end of the AAL in front of the axle. I've broken both sides. I think I just need another leaf in there. Ultimately, I'd like to dump the AAL, and use an extra leaf out of a Toyota spring pack (or maybe 2wd Nissan?) in conjunction with revolver shackles.


1998 Frontier 4x4 seriously built
2002 Xterra 4x4 still stock

As others have said the destruction of the leaf pack is caused by the short thick stubby add a leafs and has nothing to do with axle wrap lockers etc.

AC really needs to revise the lift kit. Check out the Calmini spring add a leafs for the D21



Full length add a leafs combined with shackles for the lift in the rear more expensive in the short term but you will not be replacing expensive Nissan leaf springs from the AC add a leafs.

These would probably work on the frontier as well.
As the lift kit they sell comes with shackles but has the optional add a leafs available as well.

Complete kit shown below for D21:



Calmini link
http://www.purenissan.com/nissanmain.htm

On a side note: I browse the XOC board every know and then for information and followed the AC verus Calmini vs SLR thread.

This is exactly the point XOC Ian was trying to make that the AC kits are not engineered and tested the way the Calmini and SLR products are that they are indeed pieced together Manupackager style.

Any real world testing would have revealed the shortcomings of the design and the kinking the add a leafs cause to the factory springs.

The kit they sell is cheaper but the stubby add a leaf will destroy your expensive Nissan springs and cost more money down the road instead of doing it right the first time.

Not restarting the old flame war just making an observation and calling it how I see it since we can link to and discuss othe manufactors here.

1994 KC 4x4 Ka24e

Hey, this is exactly what this board was intended to be used for. Discussing aftermarket options without fear of being censored. As long as information is based on fact, criticism of any product is welcome.

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I like that writeup.... you brought up a very good point. Just because AC is cheaper doesn't mean its really a better deal. I know from personal experience, over and above the rear springs, they could have done more precision in their emgineering. I was face with various problems myself when trying to get this lift on. That is why I am going to run a 6" SLR suspension lift for the frontier when they become available. It is going to run close to 1200 bucks, but it be done right.

GOT BOULDER??????????

One question to ask is if you actually want that kit and call Calmini to order, will it actually be available? I know I have run into problems with this when dealing with Calmini as have many other people.

Is there anyone out there that actually has the Calmini lift for thier pathfinder? It was "released" six months ago yet I still have not seen any Pathfinders with thier new lift. I am not saying they don't exist, only that when I called I was treated like crap and then told to call back in a few months to check for availability.

Customer service is always important.

Cool Datz, it's nice to know we can disuss the products objectively here.

Thanks also Zhvonte for agreeing with my point. Maybe if people knew the add a leaf would damage the springs people would have waited and bought a complete rear spring set up from AC instead of breaking there leaf springs and having to replace them. Then have the add a leaf damage the replacement again. Costing them much more money in the long run.

The point is not bad mouthing AC its making an informed purchase.

Alot of times on the AC board it just turned into I love the lift tell them I sent you.

Instead of discussing the lifts and their plusses or minusses.

Or problems. I realize its also their board and their rules apply.

But, I believe if people had more information they may have chosen the Calmini Kit ot the SLR over the AC just due to the leaf spring problem.(thats where boards like this come in handy)

If my add a leafs kinked my springs I would have been really pissed off. Once you kink a leaf its prone to breaking and can snap which could be very Dangerous. Not to mention thick short add a leafs ride is usually poor.

Customer service is important Orange4ska the folks at AC are very polite and always respond to questions. I ordered my SmittyBilt bumper from them awhile back.

1994 KC 4x4 Ka24e

Another Solution for some might be Fabtech add a leaf FTS 201 1" combined with 2" shackles.

http://www.fabtechmotorsports.com/applications/import/nissan2wd86_01frontier.html


Fabtech FTS-201 add a leafs 1" full length soft ride also work on 4x4 D21's. I have them on my truck and they work excellent. Smooth ride and restored my fatigued leafs on my truck.
They would probably work on the Frontier 4x4's as well.

1994 KC 4x4 Ka24e

Fitz, good posts. I agree with you that the AC AAL isn't the best solution out there, as my two broken springs can attest to. I plan to use the TeraFlex shackes with an extra leaf from a Yota spring pack in the near future so I can get rid of the short AAL that came with my AC lift.

I appreciate your approach of not bashing the vendors and starting a flame war, but instead just posting facts and viable alternatives. That's how we want to handle things on N4W!


1998 Frontier 4x4 seriously built
2002 Xterra 4x4 still stock

I also agree with all points. I was only adding that customer service is also important.

I wish that the the calmini actually had the parts I wanted when I called. They were offering a 3" lift coils spring when AC only had a 2.5". (AC now has a 3" spring) Although in some ways it is good because I got the ford coils instead. They ride great, gave me more lift, from what I hear, they have more flex, and they were less than half the price with no shipping fees.

My experiences in dealing with Calmini's customer support have also been negative. Dealing with Steve Kramer directly is a different story. He's a sharp guy with a good eye for what the public wants. Just wish they wouldn't advertise and list prices for parts they don't have. And they also need to get some friendly people to answer the phone because the last guy I spoke to there was a dick. Thankfully, not everyone has had a bad experience with them, and the quality of the parts they do have is very good.


1998 Frontier 4x4 seriously built
2002 Xterra 4x4 still stock

Ok guy's SLR does make a rear spring pack for the frontier and it run's $590.

I drive an Xterra and run the AC 3" spring pack which is the same as the SLR spring pack. They are all made by and ordered from National Spring.

The stock spring on the X sucked, and I went through 2 sets, one due to a cracked pack, and the other become a very very flat pack. After installing the spring pack I noticed an imidiate change in both the ride, stability, and overall height of the rear end. The AC packs were much stiffer, due to the 14 leafs and not just the 3 that come in the stock pack. While running the AC pack with the swaybar off I have noticed it leaning much less in turns due to the extra weight the springs can hold. They dont flatten out as much from the transfer of the weight do to turns.

Another perk is the fact I have no been running the spring packs for about 6 months and the rear end is still sitting as high as it did the day I put the pack on.

If you can afford a pack to replace the stock pack I would say do it! I dont agree with any of the companies on the market currently selling a lift kit as a "full kit" when the kit itself doesnt include the spring pack. I feel the only way to do the lift right the first time is to buy the spring pack from the start. The add a leafs are nothing more than a retainer that over time fail.

Here are the applications SLR has for the frontier.

Frontier 4cyl NS-02 $590.00 pr

Frontier V6 NS-03 $590.00 pr

Desert Runner 2WD NS-04 $590.00 pr

Crew Cab 2WD
Spring Under NS-05 $590.00 pr

Give them a call and see if they have exactly what you want, and if you do I truely reccomend getting a replacement pack, and ditching both the stock packs, and AAL's.

Only my opinion tho.

~Kevin