Ok forgive me maybe i am blind but i cant seem to find direct directions on exactly how to do a pml. I understand that that you take the stock rear shackles off and replace them with 3"inch ones right? and you adjust you torsion bar. now how many times should i turn the bolt. i also saw on a link (either here or on clubxterra.org) that it can be harmful to your suspension adjust your t bar. is this true?

once again sorry if this post seems ignorant im just new to the forum and x

How many turns varies from truck to truck... you just have to keep tweaking it till you get the desired height you are looking for. Which in most cases is about a fingers width between bumpstop and control arm.
I guess in a way it can be harmful, since the T-bars are like springs, and by twisting them you are putting more tension on them. But in fact, them breaking is a very rare instance.

Directions on how to adjust T-bars...

The number of times you'll need to turn the bolt varies from X to X - heck on mine I had to turn the passenger side a few more times than the drivers side. It's been a while, so I don't remember exactly how many turns I did.

The shackles are easy - you'll need a 12mm and 14mm socket, 14mm wrench, jack, bolck of wood, and want to have a rubber mallet. Undo the rear sway bar first -one bolt and nut located by the top of the shocks - just disconnect the top part. Using the 12mm socket, undo the last (rearmost) hanger for the exhuast - this will make getting the4 drivers side shackle out much easier. Take the wood and chaulk a front tire.(The following part can be done by one person, but is much easier with someone to operate the jack while you manuver the shackle) - Loosen the nuts on the stock shacle(should be a 14mm, but I could be recalling incorrectly) Put the jack just in front of the spring hanger, and raise the jack until the rear tire is just about to come off the ground. The shackle should be perpendicular to the ground. Take the nuts off of the shackles, remove the first side of the shackle, and then slide the other side of the shackle off - you may need to raise/lower the jack to get the shackle to come out or You may find just giving the shackle some good whacks with the Rubber mallet will get the shackle right out. keep yourt hand on the end of the mallet, so you don't get your fingers between the spring and the hanger just in case the jack slips out.
Insert new shackle, and adjust jack as needed to assit in getting new shackle lined up properly.

ok i think i have enough information to confidently do this now. I am just worried that i am going to mess up my x and have to spend lots of money getting a shop to undo the damage i have caused. so another question i had is can i adjust the t-bar before i get the shackles? and then go get an alignment or will i have to get another alignment after i put the shackles on?

no alignment needed for shackle work, that's all in the back of the X. I can explain/show you some of this stuff if you meet up with us at coal creek. I did a PML on mine as well.

"Undo the rear sway bar first"
..and go ahead and throw that thing away while you're at it.

Or make a windchime out of it. That's about the only thing I can thing of the rear swaybar being useful for.

ok sounds good i will for sure be there. i would really like to take a look at yours and im assuming that you really dont need the rear sway bar? should i take it off before i go this saturday to cc?

You don't really need that rear sway bar - you have a truck and probably don't drive like Mario Andretti. BUT - it is there for a reason: to keep the axle lined up under the body of the vehicle. Under certain (xtreme) conditions, the axle could move sideways on its perches. Front sway bars are far more important than the rears, and should always be attached (unless off road, of course... with it removed the rear axle can flex more.)

Also, by law, it has to be there. If you ever had to re-safety the truck that sway bar would have to be put back on, so don't toss it into the pond.

Scott

ok so just to recap i can go ahead and crank my torsion bar before i put the shackles on?

Here is one for the shackle install http://www.xterra4x4.com/mods/Owners/shackles/shackles.html

and here is one for the torsion bar crank
http://www.xterrafirma.com/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=4052

and yes you can but its recommended that you get an alignment shortly after doing so.

Sure you can. I drove mine for about 4 months with no alignment. You just get a little extra wear on your outer edge of your front tires.

It's your call on the sway bar. Most people don't notice it missing. Try disconnecting 2 of the nuts, wiretie it to the axle and drive around with it. If you don't like how it feels, you can put it back on pretty easy. If you don't notice it, go ahead and remove the rest of it. It'll get you a little extra flex in the rear.

Thanks alot man im going to try to do that tomorrow and see how it feels

there is a set of shackles on 4x4parts that says "bushings not imcluded" do i need to purchase another set of bushings or can i just use the ones that are on the stock shackles?

you have an '02, right? the ones on 4x4parts.com that say bushings not included are for 2005-2007 X's.

This:
https://www.4x4parts.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=435_436_398_520&products_id=145
is what you should be looking at. (and is what I have)

ok thanks alot tuff i guess i didnt see the year on there but anyways you guys should be proud i cranked my tbar last night and i can tell a big difference already. Drake this saturday when i meet you at cc would you mind checking it out and making sure i did it right/got the maximum lift i can get out of it. the only draw back was my hand slipped of the wrench and slammed into the frame and it broke a bone in my hand lol i have the worst luck

holy crap, you broke a bone? hehe.

It's looking good for me to be at CC with my X as well... locker install went pretty well last night, just gotta put everything back together now.

haha yea i sure did i like back handed the frame and it broke the bone in my hand that is connected to the pinky finger. it sucks it hurts bad but the doc said just to keep it wrapped and it should heal

hey guys i know this is way off topic but yesterday so badass!! thats alot for all you help and my email is jdublin1@gmail.com if you guys could email me any pics you took that would be great

I will upload my stuff tonight. I took mostly video footage and a couple of photos. I'll send them to you either tonight or tomorrow afternoon.

ok i appreciate and sorry i had to bail out yesterday but anytime you are coming up just let me know and ill go.

Nah man it's cool. It's probably good you left early. I let Tuff and Andy sucker me into trying some insane stuff after we got back on the trails. Payback for running my mouth I guess... lol.

I trashed my ball joints and my fuel gauge is now stuck at a full tank. hahaha

lol. "I gotta get stuck so I can use my new tow strap" heheh. Hope you don't need to replace those shocks anytime soon, I'm guessing that shock bolt is pretty much destroyed after that rock.

It'll be next week before I get my stuff uploaded, I'm in ATL all week on business. Also, got your PM Justin - lemme know when you get your rear shackles and we can have a PML/reindexing party.

ok well im ordering the shackles this friday and im off work from may 30th - june 9th so anytime after i get the shackles we can do it when you free

I haven't looked at it yet. I'm still staring in awe at the crater in my fuel tank skid and the dent I walloped into my shrock skids. Plus I just had my "service engine soon" light come on today for some reason.

Oh and I'm out of windshield washer fluid. lol

But hey... got the fuel gauge fixed. I figure damage was minimal given all the shit I put it through. lol