AAL or shackle?

Wat is better AAL or shackel? i have heard that AAl are stronger and that Shackle lifts make your leafs sag? that true. also does cranking your Torsion bars have an affect on your steering compnents or joints and stuff like that.

in a nutshell, aal's give ~1.5 inches added to the rear. Shackles give about the same, but also provide greater articulation, shackles don't sag the leaves. Also t-bar crank will stress the steering more, because you change stock steering geometry. But not like when you add a 3in lift. With an idler arm brace and a tbar crank your steering should be okay, but if you crank too high your centerlink will be stressed more than it should.

I suggest you use the search tool and read up more. This has been discussed here since the creation of the board.

Yeah - You got it wrong son.



Shackles are way stronger...no one has ever had a shackle sag...AAL's, sag...all the time...as they wear out.

The leaf spring has no idea how long the shackle above it is...just think about it...the leaf has the same weight on it no matter how long the shackle is.



AAL's hurt articulation...they give height, and stiffen the spring to get it...a stiffer spring does not flex as well, and you get less wheel travel.

Shackles do not stiffen the ride, they don't affect it at all...but, they do add wheel travel, as they can swing with the leaf pack and let it articulate better.

Shackles are the best way, AND the cheapest way, to get a PML.



Cranking the t-bars, or any suspension lift, raises the steering box relative to the axles, which stay the same distance from the ground...so, again, if you think about it...

The steering linkage has to reach further than it did before...and, since its higher, it has to take the more acute angle to get to where it has to go...that angle puts stress on the components...1.5" does not do much though...so it's OK.



BTW - The drive line has to reach from the engine-tranny-axle path too...and a suspension lift makes the distance longer, and the angles greater, just like it does for the steering.

When I did the 3" lift, I put in a Diff Drop Kit to relieve some CV angle stress..and its fine now, as it was only an issue when the wheels were at full lock, in 4wd, under power when fully drooped...but the drop kit took care of even that situation.



If you are doing a PML, and your question is because you wanted to decide if you should do a shackle PML or a AAL PML....just get the shackles, crank the t-bars, and get a wheel alignment...and be happy....you're good to go.

I've got the AAL PML, but after doing it all I think I'd recommend doing the shackles. They seem like they're a lot easier to install. Plus I didn't grease the new leafs, so whenever I go over the slightest bump they squeak real bad.

thanx for clearin that up guys, i guess the rumors i heard were a bunch of BS. Uguys sound like u know wat u are talkin about.

At least the greater part of us does.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, shackles DO cause the spring pack to sag faster. Granted, putting on the shackles and driving back and forth around town won't cause any change.

But like you said, they add wheel travel and cause the spring pack to move in a longer arc. IN offroad situations, combined with the removal of the rear sway bar, this extended arc travel will cause the spring pack to fatigue and flatten much quicker than it would w/o the extended shackles.

I'm debating between the two right now as well, and will probably go w/ the shackles b/c they're cheaper (damn gas prices), and will just start saving up for the SLR spring pack when the time comes.

Personally I find that the AAL is a better option for me. I wanted better load support since I feel the rear suspension is too light for such a heavy vehicle. I don't like shining my headlights to the top of every car I'm behind just cause I hit the gas pedal.

With the AAL's, The rear susp. is stiffer, but not rigid. I have better support for heavy loads in the cab or when I'm towing. I may not get crazy amounts of articulation, but IMO you're gonna be more limited by the wheel wells than the suspension. Also it creates arc in the leaves and uses more leaves than the stock setup for a more progressive rate of spring compression.

Shackles only create lift and may give more droop, AAL's provide function. Also, they won't squeak if you install them correctly, not to mention improperly maintained shackles can squeak too. Poor arguement.

Not may. They do provide more droop travel.

For the people that have had shackle lifts or currentley have them, did they last u long? how long did u have them on there till problems with suspension and all that start to occur? this is my last question on this topic then i am done, sry just tryin to decided between PML and shrockworks bumper.

If you remove your rear sway and wheel hard, letting the rear axle droop, and stuff you will flatten your springs even if you have stock shackles.

Actually...I measured the travel, linkage and spring movement (posted around site somewhere)..and the X's rear suspension does not go past flat fully compressed,

...with lift shackles...it gets almost flat, but you'd need more than just another 1.5" of wheel travel to get the leaf to reverse arch, the condition that IS associated with damage over time....mostly on extremely lifted leaf sprung jeep CJ's, etc....

...not really a true concern for X's which pretty much do not have more than a 3" lift at most.

As Gbizzle mentioned though, even a stock set-up fatigues with time.

As to functionality...

The ~ $150 AAL adds height, adds capacity, stiffens handling, steals flex....

The ~ $50 shackles add height, do not affect capacity or handling, and add flex.



Essentially....an AAL makes sense for those who do not off road, and the shackles make sense for those that do off road.

Obviously, its not like an AAL can't off road, its just that a shackle will work better...so individuals merely look at their priorities, and choose the option that works for them.

Um, there's quite a difference there. One is suspension and one is armor. One cost you about 90 bucks (including alignment) the other $600.
If you can get the bumper, why not just throw in the pml. Easy and cheap.

Hmmm....yeah, odd set of choices on Bumper vs PML...

No one has suspension problems with a PML...its a safe and proven mod...and it works.

And - no one has a problem with a Shrock bumper...another safe and proven mod.

As the cost difference is such that you are weighing a $50-ish mod against a $600-ish mod...and the bumper's cost was in your budget anyway...I think its pretty safe to just do both, as if you can afford a bumper, another $50 is chump change.



So - No wrong answer...no matter what you do, it will be better than stock, look better than stock, and make you more capable off road.

Yea, I wish I had enough $$$ to be deciding between the PML or bumper!

Anyway, I decided to go with the calmini shackles. More money to go towards extended shocks and armor.

That's all i need to hear guys, you have answered all my questions i had actually. Have a good one.

So, what did you decide?

I think i am going to do shackles, and 32 in mudders. Cause i ahve always wanted a lift and my dad says that he is ok with it for the most part and wants to look into it more and stuff so yea. for some odd reason it doesn't work out, i still got a lot of $$$$ to spend. But shackle lift # one on my list.

This is perfect. Im a new guy here and came in to ask about this same subject, so....thanks for all the great info in this thread.

By the way, I thought that i had read in another thread someplace about somebody doing BOTH an AAL and shackles and then cranking up the torsion bars...any input on this guys? trouble? success?

I'm not a mechanic or anything, but from just doing some research on this and doing my own pwl ( ) with the shackles, here's my input.
from what i understand, if you do both shackles and aal's then you'll lift the rear 3". and in order to match that in the front you would have to get new uca. you wouldn't be able to just crank the t bars like you would in a shackle lift.
btw, welcome to the site robbo!!

good point nancycpt and thanks for the welcome

what about when towing in upwards of 2 tons on a trailer? im stock right now, but how how much would it effect the leafs with that much weight with the shackles? i usually get a few loads of mulch a year and if its wet, it weighs around 2 tons. i also haul my motorcycles and tractor on ocassion as well. i usually make a trip to the dump once a week with trash and dead, wet grass also. how would frequent towing effect the shackles compared to AALs?

As far as hauling loads...

The shackles will leave you with exactly the same capacity as stock.

The AAL's will temporarily increase your capacity, but, you will sag them, and no longer have the same amount of lift, if you keep hauling more than the susspension was designed for (The AAL's are supposed to provide height, that's it)

So - The stock leaves will also sag under that kind of loading, and the AAL's might prolong their life under those conditions.

The X has a mere 750 lb or so of extra cargo capacity...so tongue weights are a better bet than actual cargo loading, if you have a lot to haul/want your suspension to last.

Good news, well kinda. I went by nissan and they told me that i couldn't do the calmini shackle lift, w/o cancelling my warranty. but, i could do the rancho 2.5 in. suspension lift, and they would not cancell all my warranty. kinda weird, but i like a 2.5 in. lift over a 1.5 in.

That makes absolutely no sense. I wonder if the guy you asked knew wtf he was talking about?

i dunno, i didn't get it either, and i felt the same way. watever, shit happens.

i call BS on the part of that dealer, you cant void a warrenty on a whole vehicle with just a leafspring shackle and t bar crank, i had a leaf break and my warrenty probably would not cover it since i had shackles installed, i can understand that but i went to a good spring shop to get it fixed, but if something else breaks thats not even suspension related and they say you have calmini shackles, they cant fix it is complete BS, they have to prove that the aftermarket piece affected the part that broke

yea that is wat i thought too, i am callin my dealership back up.

the dealers,(well around here at least) dont like aftermarket, they wont even touch the truck if theres aftermarket parts usually so i dont know if you gonna have much luck with them, personally i'd say screw the dealer and warrenty for that part of the truck and just do it, but thats just me, its your truck, they'll prolly tell you more BS, but you might have a good dealer...good luck

Lets put it this way...the Stealerships look for ANY excuse to get paid for repairs/not honor your warranty.

Some are more honest than others, and we have some mechanics, etc on this site that work at said stealerships that I would trust...but the great majority of them that I've been in contact with, including the Stealership my X came from, look to screw you.

My dealer said if I put a different brand of tire on it or went off road, it would void my warranty.

I called BS, and, the LAW stipulates that they CANNOT void your warranty because of a mod, merely refuse to repair the mod, or something they they can PROVE failed due to the mod.

So - As the Shackle for example will not likely cause your windows to fail, they are shit out of luck trying to make their "Your warranty is VOID" claims stick....THEY ARE LYING TO YOU.

hahah!!!
They should be called STEALERSHIPS

You mean like they were called stealerships in this thread a week ago in the post just above yours?

yea

Since this thread has been revived after 2wks...Here's the finished product:

So is that shackles only or is that with the AAL? Did you crank the front up? Are those 32's?

Nice looking dog, BTW.

Yea, those are the calmini shackles and a torsion bar crank in the front to level it out. No AAL. It also has a 2" body lift, we put on a few months earlier.

Those are 32" (P265/75/16) Super Swamper TrXus MTs on stock wheels. I plan on moving up to 33" once those wear out.

Thx, but it's my friend's dog (she's a siberian husky). He showed me how to do the shackle install / did most of the work. This is my first 4x4, but between the shackles and body lift install, I'm learning a hell of a lot about the mechanics of my truck and having an awesome time thanks to the local xterra club.

Lookin good man!

Looks great!

I just ordered my shackles from Calmini this afternoon. Once they arrive they'll be added.

Great job!