I am looking for lift and it looks like most like calmini's uca's. do any have slr's uca's? How are they compared to calmini's? The other question is slr's diff drop... they use offset bushings for this. are these things reliable? seems to me they could shift or wear rapidly under constant wheeling on the thin side of the bushing. anyone have these? How are they working?

I believe DR has the differential lowering kit on his Fronty. I've got it on my 91' Hardbody (a transplant from K-Dawg's Fronty) and i have not had any problems with it. On my truck, when the differential is lowered, the flange bolts that hold the front drive axles (CVs) to the differential come within about 3/8" from hitting the sway bars but they do clear.

the diff drop seems easy to install and the price is ok.. i am aiming for about three inches out of the factory ifs. replacing the UCA is next on my list.. SLR's uca is pricey is superlift's uca comparable? also do you think combining two factory preload leafsprings into one springpack is doable for 2-3inches lift in the rear? just a thought.

SLR arms are made from chromemoly tubing like AC arms. As for stregnth, they're fine. For a lifted HB, the important thing is that you replace the factory bolts holding the UCA assembly to the frame with slightly longer ones....I've seen grade 8 ones pull the treads right out, so if you can find Grade 10 in that thread pitch, all the better. The diff drop kit is slick and relaxes the CV angles somewhat. When I was still IFS, I ran it without issue, and the bushings never showed any wear. It is a bugger to install though, as everything has to be lined up exactly right for it to go back together again.

I don't think the differential lowering kit is listed for the Hardbodies, but like I said, it worked in mine. I don't think SLR makes upper UCAs for Hardbodies but I could be wrong. I've had the Rancho, AC, and Superlift UCAs. Don't waste your time with the Rancho, if you can even find a set. I like the Superlift the best and they required less shimming. The shimmin of the spindle bolts is the reason longer/stronger bolts are required but not everyone needs the same amount.

If you plan on running bigger tires or doing some serious offroading, look into a steering upgrade or skipping all the above and going SAS like so many are doing. There are some posts around dealing with lifts, steering upgrades, and SAS. Plan on spending some money, more so if you plan on having someone else do the work.

The rear can be lifted with AALs, shackles, or springs. The AAL will give you a harsher ride and you risk damaging your leaf springs. Sackles provide a better ride but hang down more. Superlift, Calmini, and Daystar all make shackles. There are also replacement rear spring packs, AC is the only company I know of that still sells them since BDS stopped.
If you decide to install the SLR differential lowering kit, you might want to consider doing other work to the differential while you have it out (gears/locker/swap to a 200). I've had mine out twice and it's a PITA!

When deciding what kind and how much to lift, consider how much you are going to spend and what you plan on using your truck for. The suspension lift alone will not allow you to run too much bigger tires. I'm running 33s with a suspension lift and 3" body lift and still rub in the front while turned and suspension compressed.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Desert Rat:
For a lifted HB, the important thing is that you replace the factory bolts holding the UCA assembly to the frame with slightly longer ones....

---

When Mattman brought his green Pathy to my shop to Helicoil these bolts, we tried to put longer than stock bolts in, but found that they hit a piece of metal back in the a-arm mount. These bolts were barely 1/4 inch longer than stock. This is dangerous because the bolts feel like they're tight, but are actually not tight on the spindle. After some measuring, we found that the stock bolts protrude through the threaded hole approximately 1/2 inch beyond the threads. I honestly don't see anyone shimming their UCA spindle 1/2 inch. I think the problem is that the stock bolts aren't hard enough (for the extra torque caused by lifts and larger tires, not to mention the kind of driving we do), and they loosen and damage the threads in the hole. Also, metric bolts have a different hardness rating, so if you ask for a 'grade 8' metric bolt, what you might be getting is equivilant to a grade 5 bolt. Metric equivalent to grade 8 is grade 10.9 (usually stamped on the end of the bolt head).

If you damage the threaded hole, no matter what bolts you put in after that you're going to have problems, as Mattman can attest. We spent around $100 to get tooled up to do a Helicoil repair on his rig. If anyone needs this type of repair, get in touch with me because I have the tools to do it now, and I'll charge you $30 to help offset the cost of the tools.

-Spike

I've got about 1/4" of shims now and had almost 1/2" when I had the AC arms on my truck to get the alignment within specs. I don't remember the exact length of the bolts I used but I do have some that are too long. Deffinatly need the strongest bolts you can get, and it's a good idea to carry spares. Didn't Flipper break a UCA bolt on day one of AZ Run IV? There is a little Mom & Pop fastner store here in San Diego that will order anything you need with no minimum quantity.

i am definately going to replace the uca's on this truck. i really don't want to do more than 3" lift on this truck cuz of the higher center of gravity. i like to wheel on the rocks. for sure needs to be tough but repairable in the field. as for the rear.. replacment springs for the HB's are expensive but i want leafspring lift not aal's. shackles would be good as well but the hook rock even in stock length. any other ideas or slick mods for the rear of these HB's?

If you REALY want to crawl on the rocks, I recommend a steering upgrade, crawler gears (do you have an auto or manual tranny), lockers, sliders, and skid plates. If you plan on going with larger tires, lower gears in the differentials may be needed. Lots of $$$! The steering upgrade, rear locker, and underside protection are a good start.

I used the 1.5" lift shackles on the back of my 95 HB KC, in conjunction with Superlift a-arms, and the rear of the truck ended up higher than the front, so much that I took one of the overload springs out- which greatly improved the flex and ride. That's about all you're going to get without add-a-leafs (which I personally won't do). The aal's will give you slightly more clearance for your shackles, but I don't think the stiff ride and broken spring packs are worth it. If you want more clearance, get bigger tires.

The steering upgrade is absolutely essential, start saving for that.

-Spike

has a manual tranny.. gears for sure $$$.. steering i think calmini's looks good. lockers i need... thats a good wish list. skidplate is something i want to try something different on. right now i am racking up the damage. i am looking for a part vehicle for the bigger front diff... its harder than i thought.

You know who make an intresting lift kit.. is Trailmaster.... their kit keeps the stock stuff does a ball joint and front diff drop.

http://www.trailmastersuspension.com/products/suspensions/nissan/pickup_4inch.html

Weird thing is they seamed to stop at making Nissan products about 1992..