Does this kit lift the body 1.5"? I was told that only the rear gets lifted as opposed to the entire body...is this true?

What do you all think of this product???

They replace the stock shackles connecting the rear leaf springs to the frame, so they will only raise the rear of the truck. Most people crank up the torsion bars in front 1-1.5" to even things out.

Thanks for the info-

Is there any other effect besides the "lift" by raising the torsion bar in the front - wont this make for a stiffer (bumpier) ride??

thanks again

Somewhat. When your raise the torsion bars you're increasing the preload on what is basically a spring. The more preload the more force is required to get more deflection from the spring. 1-1.5 inches shouldn't make it that rough. Also new shocks can improve the ride quality. Bilsteins are the shock most of the people here upgrade to. The other issue is that you should get an alignment done. As the torsion bars are raised, you change the camber and toe-out of the tires. An alignment would correct this back to factory specs.

I would add that I would avoid the 2" shackles from SLR. I had these, and promptly ripped them out to install 1" shackles and a triple-spring AALs (also SLR). The 2" shackles, IMO - flatten the spring pack way too much, and with the stock load leaf in place, you'll be hopping over speed bumps and potholes - let alone off-road. No good.

1.5" would be about the max I'd use... And I'd still consider ditching the load leaf and replacing it with AALs or Tokico's composite load leaf.

Elm V,
When you adjust the torsion bars, you increase the tie-rod angles. The tie-rods will start pushing upward on your centerlink. This will cause premature wear on your centerlink. It might not wear as fast as someone with a 3" lift but once you change the angles, the CL will start wearing much more quickly. This is a very comon problem for people with lifted trucks. Clamini and SLR have fixes for this problem.

i think that nobody has pointed out the reduced front end articulation when cranking the torsion bars. no big deal unless you DON'T like riding on three wheels sometimes when wheeling.

Disconnect the sway bar. Even when the torsion bars are adjusted up, you can still get full travel.

I highly recommend AAL's first (SLR's bes, IMO) and then shackles if you still want more lift. The AAL's will improve your ride and give you better suspension flex while the shackles make the ride worse by flattening out your spring pack more than it already is (And nissan gave us flat ass springs!).

So, AAL's first, then shackles. Trust me!

ian,
after searching on front sways, i learned a lot more about the subject. thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

That's a myth.

A spring has no idea what is holding it up at either end.

That would be wrong, Ian.

The flatter the spring pack, the less "spring" you have in those leaves - which in turn makes you bottom out on the load leaf that much sooner. This causes a harsh, bouncy ride over things as little as speed bumps.

Since removing the 2" shackles and going to 1" shackles - and also swapping out the load leaf for triple-spring AALs (all SLR), the ride is MUCH smoother, and I have a nice, serious arch in the leaves.

So let me get this straight

Get an AAL with 1" shackles is a good way to go?
Next question, where can I get them at a good packaged price?

Do you have part numbers???
Thanks guys

Not really. The back of the truck will be lifted 3 inches, while the front can only be lifted about 1" over stock without new upper control arms.

Your best bet is to always buy a complete kit.

And what size tires will this lift accomodate?

You are incorrect. The spring is not made flatter with the shackle. The spring is still the same spring is was before installing them, the truck merely sits higher.
If the pack was made flatter, then there wouldn't be any height gain.

Don't believe all the myths.

All I really want to lift the truck a bit without spending too much and without much modifications...all I want is to get slightly bigger tires.

It has been proven that you can run up to a 32" tire with no lift at all, though most people opt for the 31's.

That being said, the cheapest and most simple lift that you can do is to get 2" shackles and longer shocks for the rear and then crank the front t-bars up about 1 1/4".

With or without the lift, you will have to trim the back edge of your front mud flaps.

BTW I noticed that you have a 2001 SE, if you have the originals rims, I would get a tire in the 265/75/R16 size.

IT already has 225/65/R16 TOYO Tires....didnt know the stock rims could fit the 225/75/R16

I a lot to learn....
So what size tires will the stock rims fit??

There are 2 types of "fit". Diameter-wise, anything will fit the rim, but may not fit the truck. Width-wise, you shouldn't go over an 11.5" wide tire on a 7" wide rim.

forgive the ignorance...

Can you give me the range then on specs...IE

255/65/R16 , 265/75/R16, etc...

I think we're both kinda right, really. I agree, the springs are the same, essentially. However, with the shackles, the rear end of the leafpack is definitely "pushed down" more over stock, which basically "flattens out" the springpack a touch. EDIT: But I hear what you're saying about there not being any lift if they were flattened out. It's a little of both going on somehow. I no longer have 'em on, so I can't really make any measurements. The reason why, IMO - is because not only are the shackles "higher" they're also in effect "longer" which moves the rear eyelet further back from stock. This serves to lessen the arch, IMO.

Put a stock X and one with the 2" shackles next to each other, and you can clearly see the difference in the arch of the springpacks. I have photos of all this stuff, but I don't think of the stock attitude... I definitely have shots of the 2" shackle alone and the 1" shackle w/AALs. Someone else could probably provide a stock photo.

The problem is mostly the load leaf. The X bottoms out on it too easily in general, IMO. The way the X is now, all bumps are just soaked up nicely, rather than the rear hopping, as it did before.

Yes, good point. If the shackle is too long, this can happen, but the shackle should rotate downward to keep the eye-to-eye distance of the spring the same.

It does to a point... It's free to move about.

It depends on your springpacks natural resting arch, which it will try to attain. I suppose there'd definitely be a difference between a brand new springpack and one that's sagging, for example... The new one having more arch, would pull the shackle eyelet forward - whereas the worn one would relax more and push said eyelet back. Which makes sense, as you'd also have less lift with the worn springpack. So YMMV.

EDIT: I don't think the eyelet-to-eyelet distance remains the same with the new shackles - and therein lies the rub. I wish I could measure this, as I'm kinda curious now. One could also measure the distance between an imaginary line through the eyelets to say, the bottom of the springpack/shock plate to measure the arch.

265/75R16 = 31.6x10.4

255/65R16 = 29x10

285/75R16 = 32.8x11.2

235/85/16 - 32x9.25 Pizza Cutters (I likem, may get them as an AT street tire)

Just a quick question. I am adding 2" shackles to my truck and was curious if I will need to change the rear shocks, or if the factory ones will be fine until I get Bilstin's for all 4 corners sometime later this year?

If you just drive on the street, you might get away with it for a little while... You really should add the extended shocks (needed when rear is at full droop). Otherwise, you could bottom out your stockers.

I got some Calmini Heavy Duty Shackles for the rear...What is the installing procedure for these sucker's ?

It's an easy job. Jack up the entire back of the truck from the frame until the springs are unloaded, make sure the truck is stable, then pull off the two bolts holding the shackle on, then throw the new ones on. You may need something to pry the spring down a bit to get the extra length needed for the new shackles.

Also, on mine I had to disconnect the last hanger on the exhaust so I could move it around enough to get the top bolt on the drivers side to go in.

I'd also double check the tightness in a couple of days. I think there are a couple of threads about how to install shackles so you may be able to get better instructions that way, the real key is not to do one side at a time, because that will twist the spring relative to the frame and make the bolts impossible (or very difficult) to get on or off.

Hey pnwbeers...did you also crank up the Torsion Bars, if so, how do you like the Shackles/Torsion Bar option, as far as a little lift and handlng...

Besides unbolting the old ones and slapping these on in their place?

Just a hint though. I used a 4 foot section of 2x4 to lever the leaf springs down into place. Bolt the top of the new shackles first and then the bottom. Otherwise the lever thing won't work.

Oh, and leafs can snap up hard when you let the old shackles loose. Watch your fingers.

X-factor, all your tire size and fit questions are almost certainly answered in the "tire info" thread at the top of the "Tires, wheels, and brakes" section. Please review it and other threads there.

Brent

qb][/QUOTE]Hey pnwbeers...did you also crank up the Torsion Bars, if so, how do you like the Shackles/Torsion Bar option, as far as a little lift and handlng...[/QB][/QUOTE]

I did - probably about an inch, maybe a bit more. I also upgraded the tires - I went from a 29.1" to a 31.8" (265/75/16 bfg at), so that put me up another 1.3" or so. Overall I really like being up a bit higher, it helps offroad quite a bit too (although that's probably mainly the tires). I don't really notice much difference in handling, although it may be a bit stiffer up front from the T-Bar crank. It seems like a good midway point between a full 3" lift and a stocker.

Next up, Bils!

Rickster, maybe we could do it on Sunday. Didja get the email.

Yeah...I got the e-mail, Patrick...I was just curious about them and wanted some XOC opinions...Sunday it is...

A torsion bar crank up front along with either 1.5" shackles or AAL's out back will allow you to use 33X10.50 tires with minor trimming to the back plastic behind the rear wheels....this has been done as I've heard...you will definitely be able to run 31X10.50's with no problems...I'm getting the AAL's and doing the Tbar crank at the beginning of January...I can let you know how it all works out with the 31" tires at that point if you'd like....and I won't have to do any trimming either..that's a good thing in my opinion.

Dave.