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Lift with Winch question

4K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  jeffindfw 
#1 ·
Am I correct that I can lift my 2007 Xterra 2" without having to replace the upper control arms in the front? Is that the limit?

Most guys say they lose 1/2 to 1 " of height when installing a winch. If that is true, then I assume I should do 2 1/2" spacers for the FRONT, and a 2" lift for the rear if I add a winch?

What is the length of the OEM shocks on the Xterra? I know I need to add longer shocks if I do a lift, but I do not know how long the OEM shocks are.

My Xterra is not used like most of you guys. I'm not crawling over boulders. I am a storm chaser, so I'm running high speed on the highway the majority of the time and 10% of the time I'm fairly high speed on rutted out, bombed out mud roads. Would you guys suggest the Bilstein 5125 shocks for what I am doing?

Right now, I'm leaning toward front shock spacers to lift the front, and shackles for the rear with Bilstein 5125s at all 4 corners.

THANKS GUYS!
 
#2 ·
I can answer one of your questions here.
1.) you can run pretty clost to 3" up front before needing new aftermarket UCA's

that being said. look up Nisstec( http://www.nissteclifts.com / ) ordered my lift through them. great company, great customer service, and quick shipping ( to a border town for me to go down to the lower 48 to go pick it up and bring it back to Canada)

as for the longer shackles, The leaf springs on the x are fairly week, and will flatten out quickly with longer shackles. IMHO your better off with a add a leaf or even better off with a full leaf pack replacement( OME, Alca)

I am about to replace my rear leafs with the OME DAKAR leaf pack this weekend and have the Bilstein 5100 series ( for 2 to 4" of lift) to throw on as well.

where are you located, sombody els with probably more technical info will deffinately chime in. but that link that I posted is a great place to start looking when looking for lift kits
 
#3 ·
oh and I am about to take my set of Ready Lift Shackles off of my rig ( bought an adjustable hight set from Nisstec) if your intrested send me a PM and we can figure out shiping and stuff

this is the specs on the lift :

2005-2012 Nissan Frontier/Xterra Suzuki Equator 2.5" Front, 1.5" Rear SST Lift Kit
found here : http://www.readyliftstore.com/Nissan_XTerra_Leveling_Kits_s/132.htm

as for the front spacers, I am keeping them untill I can save up some cash to be able to upgrade my whole front suspension as well

any ways let me know if your intrested
 
#5 ·
The 2" lift limit on 2005+ X's refers to the point at which the arms bang on the coil bucket.

If the banging is not a concern, you can go to ~ 3" as mentioned sometimes....but may be out of range for getting a decent alignment on many trucks.

Typically, you need new UCA to get over 2" without banging.

Longer shackles DO NOT cause your leaves to flatten, that's a legacy of the old jeeps with leaf springs, when they would reverse arch, etc, under articulation.

The X is not going to do that until the new shackles would be a LOT longer than available.

The leaves tend to flatten all by themselves from wear and tear...and some people who, by the time they get around to a lift, etc, may notice this and think its from their lift....but on X's at least, its just wear and tear.

IE: The leaves have no way of knowing how long the shackles are...they are only attached at one end. The ONLY way it CAN impact it is if the axle is compressed up far enough to make the shackle end hold the end of the leaf so it gets the axle higher than the leaf end, etc.

If you look under an old CJ, and at a 2000 - 2013 Xterra, you'll see it can happen on the CJ's, but not the X's.

In the old days, we would use really long pry bars, etc, to try to flip the leaves back if they locked in the bowed up against the frame position...it was a PITA to flip them back for sure. On X's, its just not going to happen from over articulation.

:D


Your plan to run shackles and spacers is fine if you limit it to the 2"...and consider the following info as part of a longer term plan:

I would recommend getting the winch FIRST though, and seeing what is actually happening to the suspension, or, at least pressing down the front end with an equivalent weight, to see what the suspension does.

The primary concern with a winch, bumper, etc, is that over time, the stock coils will flatten due to the added load...and you'll lose height gradually.

Using coils with a higher spring rate can compensate for that, as they compress less under a given load than the OEM coils would.

Spacers do not compress over time, and are a reliable way to get a given amount of lift...except that your OEM coils are STILL going to compress over time...at whatever rate they would have w/o the spacers.

The weight of a bumper/winch is cantilevered weight as its forward of the front tires...which magnifies its leverage on the suspension.

So, you might use ~ 200 lb to push down the front suspension to simulate the winch/bumper's effect.

You can also consider the use of synthetic line...and an aluminum hawse fairlead instead of a roller fairlead....as that can chop ~ 40-50 lb off your front end weight.

For the type of terrain you are describing having to race across under potentially super windy conditions, etc...I'd keep the center of gravity low, and go for wheel travel to follow the terrain and soak up the pot holes and so forth.

Revolver shackles are better than std shackles at this, and allow the rear axle to dance over rough stuff more easily, with less disruption of the rig, while maximizing wheel travel.

They raise the COG a bit less than the std lift shackles, but in your case, that might be preferable.
 
#6 ·
TJ, what you are describing is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I need the suspension to absorb the ruts, pot holes, cattle guards etc. You get "whoop de doos", uncompressed over hill top rises, and full compression dips. I need shocks that can take that kind of abuse at speed without overheating or foaming, or whatever it is that happens that causes an offroad shock to go "limp" until it is allowed to sit for a long enough period.

To keep weight off the front end, I'm not doing a bumper, rather will be welding up my own "behind stock bumper" winch mount.

Man, TJ, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the effort you put into explaining and sharing your knowledge with me (a total stranger). I am a road racer/drag racer guy who turns all my own wrenches. BUT, I am wise enough to realize that THIS is out of MY realm of knowledge. I'm reading and learning as fast as I can, but I really need as much guidance and opinion as I can get from you guys.
 
#7 ·
TJ, what you are describing is EXACTLY what I'm looking for. I need the suspension to absorb the ruts, pot holes, cattle guards etc. You get "whoop de doos", uncompressed over hill top rises, and full compression dips. I need shocks that can take that kind of abuse at speed without overheating or foaming, or whatever it is that happens that causes an offroad shock to go "limp" until it is allowed to sit for a long enough period.

To keep weight off the front end, I'm not doing a bumper, rather will be welding up my own "behind stock bumper" winch mount.

Man, TJ, I can't tell you how much I appreciate the effort you put into explaining and sharing your knowledge with me (a total stranger). I am a road racer/drag racer guy who turns all my own wrenches. BUT, I am wise enough to realize that THIS is out of MY realm of knowledge. I'm reading and learning as fast as I can, but I really need as much guidance and opinion as I can get from you guys.
Your description of the shocks losing their ability to damp as they cycle is exactly why so many of us go with a monotube shock over an old fashioned twin tube shock.

The way a shock works is it converts motion into heat: That's where the absorbed energy goes.

When the shock cannot dissipate the heat, it can no longer absorb energy and damp motion.

A twin tube shock has a harder time dissipating heat, due to its twin tubed construction. A monotube shock has its radiating surfaces on the outside of the shock, as there's only ONE tube, and it can dissipate heat MUCH better as a result.

On the same types of whoop de doos that you are describing, I have seen twin tubes, such as Rancho 500's, etc, do fine at first, but gradually get too hot, and simply stop damping after awhile, perhaps a few minutes worth of serious cycling...and then the ride goes all to hell...and the passengers get beat up, etc.

On the same trails, the Bilstein monotubes can go all day long w/o a hiccup....and you glide over what turned the Rancho guy's livers to pate earlier, etc.

I'd still recommend that you go synthetic for the winch line, etc, to save weight and make the front end more compact/less damage prone.

The Revolvers really help, so you should go that route.

There are some lines and hoses, etc, to be sure to create some slack with, so that on long travel motions, nothing gets yanked, etc. IE: Unclip the lines, jack it up by the frame so the axle is flat drooped, and see what's taut/slack...and unclip what's left/re-route to a more direct path to make the slack you need.
 
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