MudSlinger Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 alright, i just got my 87' XE-V6 5 speed. she is completely stock. i have a couple questions about lifting her. do the Jeep Grand Cherokee springs work on both the front and the back? if so, how much lift will i get? can i use the JGC springs with a 3" body lift? if i do both, do i need new, longer shocks? if i do both, what size tires would fit well? what width tires should i get? i plan on buying new rims too. should i stick with 15" rims, or go to 16 or 17" rims? does anyone know where i can get a cheap roof rack? any comments on mounting the spare on the roofrack, such as pros and cons, would be appreciated. i know theres more questions i would like to ask, but i can't think of them at the moment. thanks a lot guys, for all your help, anything you could give me would be great! also, anyone got any suggestions for some minor performance upgrades? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Here's a quick hint before you get flamed by people. First off, only post once. It gets to be a mess, especially for others trying to follow the thread or search later on about the same topics covered. Use "Search" and try sticking to questions on 1 topic at a time. Its gonna be a mess if you have 25 different people jumping in with answers to specific questions withing your post. I'll start at the beginning: Jeep GC coils are for the back only. Your front suspension has torsion bars instead of coil or leaf springs, and they can be adjusted to provide a small amount of lift before additional parts are required (ball joint spacers or new upper control arms, etc) to correct the excessive suspension angles caused by heavy cranking of the Tbars. I believe there are stickies on these in the garage and/or 90-95 areas of the forum. Also go to the Damagedreality forums (you can find a link in the signature of 88pathoffroad, he runs it and has posts all over the place). Here you will find in-depth info. on the Jeep coil install, what coils work, how to do it, etc. etc. And yes, these can be used along with body lifts. For body lift install, look for the how-to post by Statikuz and others (again, using Search). Bigger rim sizes generally equal much more money for the same overall diameter tire, and most people stick to 15" rims instead and increase the tire size. Say you have the same overall diameter at the tread, a 15" rim will use a taller but cheaper tire, while a 16" rim will need a shorter profile yet more expensive tire. With both lifts installed you can roll 32" on 15" rims no problem, 33"s may require some minor triming around the bottom of the fenders. No biggy though. So.... separate out the rest of your questions, and you'll probably get a better response. And be sure to use the search feature on the upper right of the forum board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MudSlinger Posted December 1, 2004 Author Share Posted December 1, 2004 thank you very much, and sorry for posting twice. i am new to the whole forum experience. i love this site and the atmosphere it provides. the pictures ain't bad either, lol. how wide should i go with my tires? and could i put 32" tires on without the torsion bar being adjusted? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MudSlinger Posted December 1, 2004 Author Share Posted December 1, 2004 i know i'm kindof a pain, but i don't know much about it, and will probably be asking some questions most of you think are common knowledge. please bare with me. how much of a pain in the neck are putting in new UCA's and how much do they run, and where can i get some. also, do i need to get new, longer shocks if i put a 3" body lift on, as well as JGC coils in the rear, and UCA's in the front? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
statikuz Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Use the search feature! You'll find answers to all of your questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Pickles Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 Don't worry about being a pain, that's why this place is here. We were all still (or still are) there. I was quite the NOOB a while back, as have been many people. I'm just trying to help you along, and point out the tools at hand. Each section has a "sticky" section at the top with common problems, issues, mods, etc. The search feature will pull up tons of info. once you get used to using it. And if you don't see it here, try looking at the Damagedreality forums as well as the NPORA's main page, www.nissanpathfinders.com. From what I've gathered, you don't necessarily need the shocks if you're on-road and just doing it for looks. If you're wheeling at all, I'd bet you'd want to go to the longer ones though so you don't over-extend the stock ones and blow them out. Mine already had long air shocks in the rear when I got it, and they had the extension that I've needed so I haven't had a problem. Anyways, post away and learn a ton. There's all sorts of valuable knowledge here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MudSlinger Posted December 1, 2004 Author Share Posted December 1, 2004 well, i need new shocks anyway, seeing as the ones i have are about toast. so i might as well get some Ranchos, and i might as well get some longer ones. i have tried the search feature, and can't find a whole lot on upper control arms, the advantages of new ones, and the extent of the PITA factor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
statikuz Posted December 1, 2004 Share Posted December 1, 2004 New upper control arms makes it easier for your truck to be aligned when you crank the T-bars, and make for less wear on your front end components. Calminis are the best. I guess they're not too bad as far as installation, but I know there's something around here that talks about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88pathoffroad Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 OoooooK. Lemme give it to you simple, so you don't have to search more and ask more and so on. The following companies make UCA lift kits for Nissan HB pickups and Pathfinders: Calmini. Superlift. Rancho. Rough Country (repackaged Superlift kit) AC. Those are listed in order of quality and preference. Calmini's best, AC's worst. You do not need longer shocks if you install a body lift. A body lift does not affect your suspension, it merely lifts the body off the frame. The front end will be fine with stock length shocks. A UCA lift does not increase front suspension travel, it merely re-adjusts the ride height to a point higher than stock and allows for proper realignment, steering adjustments and tire wear. On the rear, if you use lift springs, you can still use stock length shocks but the shocks will be your limiting point on rear axle travel. Longer shocks in the rear are a good idea when lifting the rear, they allow more axle travel. More travel is a good thing when offroading. New UCA's are fairly easy to install. It took me about 1 hour tops to install a new pair on my Pathfinder. Eight bolts per side and you're done. Good 'nuff? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
govols74n Posted February 8, 2006 Share Posted February 8, 2006 Two years after the post and you answered exactly what i was looking for....if you ever read this again thanks man!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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