I had been intending to save for a shrockworks bumper, but santa said he would get me one in a couple of weeks . Now i dont know if i should by a stereo, save a few months and by a lift, or by some rubber floor matts and some seat covers. So what are yalls recommendations.

I use the X to drive to school everyday and try to offroad as much as possible, probably at least once every 2 weeks.

being that you're getting the new, heavier bumper...
you might want to think aobut upgrading the torsion bars or getting stiffer shocks.
at least you're 1/2 way to the full 3" lift! .

Yep, if you're putting a Schrock bumper on you will need heavy duty torsion bars and Bilstien shocks or that front end is going to sag and be unruly under braking and cornering.

Can we dispel this myth once and for all ?

New torsion bars and shocks are not required when adding a bumper.

Nissan puts the same torsion bars on a 4WD and a 2WD, and on V6 and I4 models, the difference between the weights can vary from 3500 to 4200 pounds.
Adding a bumper that weighs only 80 pounds more than stock will not make a difference.

True Ian, but IMO the factory setup is a bit weak just to carry the stock 4x4. Also, the positioning of the weight is an issue, and with a bumper that weight is being hung way out in front, where the weight difference between models sits between the axles. So, while my stock torsion bars technically held the front end of my truck up with the ARB bumper, they did not properly control the weight. THe front end bounced all over the place, and brake dive was horrendous; not to mention dropping the front wheels off a ledge would cause the front suspension to compress too much. Add a winch and things are really bad.

So, Outlaw X said he got a bumper and had some extra money to spend. Taking the bumper into consideration and the amount of money he wants to spend, that's the best thing he can do, IMO, and the bars and shocks will make the truck more safe to drive.

Let's not forget that carrying less than 100 lbs of weight in back causes the rear springs to sag too and yours and mine were good examples. With a total load capacity of less than 900 lbs, I don't think Nissan overbuilt the suspension.

Talk to Calmini themselves. They will tell you that all you might need to do is a torsion bar crank. The shocks have nothing to do with it. Don't believe me, call them. They even said that if you use one of their lifts, they recommend the bumper becuase it smooths out the ride.

Cranking the torsion bars lifts the front back up to the correct ride height; at least temporarily. It does nothing more. The shocks help control the movement of the extra weight so the front end doesn't bounce and wallow around.

I guess if your idea of a good ride is having the truck oscilate and float all over the road then cranking the torsion bars will do. IMO, my truck was borderline dangerous to drive with the ARB before I put the Bilstiens in. The front end was out of control and dips in the freeway would nearly launch me into space. Another club member put an ARB and winch in on the factory suspension and I could push the front of his truck down 6-8 inches with my hands and then it would come up and bounce about 8 times. I push mine and it goes down a couple inches, pops back up, and settles. On the road this translates to a solid, and level safe ride.

Anyway, it is true that you don't HAVE to do suspension modifications with a bumper, but it is a very good idea.

FWIW - I'm also planning on a Shrockworks bumper in my near future, so I sent SLR an email requesting the correct model of Bilstein shocks. Their response was that you MUST upgrade to 20% all the way around, as well as "their" torsion bars.

Since I was planning on dumping the stock shocks and upgrading right away, I've decided to wait until I install the bumper and do it all at once.

When the time comes, I'll ask YOU GUYS which torsion bars to get.

I too see ZERO need for anything to support a bumper alone. The stock suspension can handle it quite well. Everyone always throws around the weight of the aftermarket bumper, but remember, it's only the difference between the stock one and the aftermarket one that is really relevant.

Run with your stock t-bars until they just can't do the job any more, which will be quite a while. Stock shocks can handle it too, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper to upgrade them if you really feel you must. Doesn't matter how much the front end pitches down under braking either, the weight shift would be identical if you had no suspension travel at all. That's just physics.

Adding a winch is definitely quite a bit more weight and I would go for shocks for sure, but even then the stock bars should be able to support it adequately with some cranking for a while. It will shorten their lifespan, but milk 'em for what you can.

Brent

Wouldn't that be a shock problem?

Hey Just send me the Money!! I might be able to do something with it