I can give you some feedback on #4 I have the Sway-A-Way 26.5mm torsion bars installed on an 89 D21. Their claim is that these bars have a 20 to 30% higher spring rate than the stock bars. I have been very happy with them, as I also have the Desert Steel 2" lift I have had to crank the bars up to get the lift. As the bars have a higher spring rate I have not had to put in as much pre-load as the stock bars and while the ride is stiff it is by no means harsh (it's now more compliant then when I had the stock bars turned up)
I would imagine that if you had the money to spend the dual stage would be even better.

 

I have shackles in the rear of my 720 and add-a-leafs in the rear of my 4runner. the shackles are very easy to install, they provide about 1.5 in of lift. They do not change your spring rate. My shackles perfectly leveled my nissan after the superlift control arms and cranked in torsion bars. The add-a-leafs in my 4runner were a bit more difficult to install, but by no means hard. I got about 2.5in of lift, and my rear end is a bit stiffer. So you just need to look at the amount of lift you need and if you want a stiffer rear end. I have had no problems with either set up. I also have had no CV problems with the 720 after three years with the lift. But I have had to replace the upper ball joints twice. Just don't crank it all the way to low profile bumpstops(3.5" lift) like I did and you will be fine.

 

Thanks Scott, Strider for the feed back. I am cautious about suspension mods but 2" doesn't seem like much and I would not scrape rocks where I am now going with that much lift. Did you install it yourself Strider?

Lots of wear, lots to go?

 

Yes I installed it myself. It was the first major project that I had ever taken on. It took me two days to do it. Now after doing many other mods I could do the lift in 6 hours or less. It is not diffucult, just kind of time consuming. The biggest problem was getting the old bushings out of the old control arms. I ended up having to burn the bushings out with a torch. So be prepared. If you end up deciding to do the lift, holler at me and I will do a better write up for you. Don't be afraid of the lift, it is really a piece of cake when it comes down to it.

 

with low profile bump stops, I have like three inchs of lift, plus you need to factor in the 30in tires, so I bet your ground clearance gets increased by 4in or so.

 

Strider, I dropped the ball on this post and didn' t check back again. Thanks for the write up offer. I am still
considering a lift (time and money factor in) but I may need longer shocks which would be a bummer since I recently got a set of Heckethorn Nitro 9000s for my stock suspension and would hate to buy another set so soon! I am curious why you would want to remove the bushings from your stock A-arms, don' t the lift arms come with bushings and wouldn' t torching out the old ones ruin them ? Also where besides auto customizers can I get a set of heavy duty torsion bars?

She don't like my 720

 

You can get heavy duty torsion bars at any off-road shop or catolog really. Just ask for sway-away torsion bars.

Kevin
<><

 

Lots of good advice. I would go for 2way and the shackles. I find the rear is stiff enough already and all you get is less traction.

I did find the bars were a huge pain to put on. The theory is simple, but what a drag. An impact wrench is really handy! I would put some washers on the adj bolts, and the preload on the 20% bar is so high that you can't follow the factory directions or the adj. hangs down for rock hits. BTW The adj. only fits the frame hole one way (slightly oval) and make sure that it is on the grooves perfectly or it will strip.

I find the 20% and front 5000's shocks to be much smoother than stock. I was concerned about stiffness and I should have gotten the 9000's . The factory shock has a lot of compression to make up for the soft bar.

Ask for racer net on the bars and save 15%!

 

Thanks for the info. Pathaholic, by "follow the factory directions" do you mean you can't put the specified angle on the t-bar anchor arms? and what or where is "racer net" ? I don't know much about suspensions.

She don't like my 720

 

Yep, The factory angle is FAR to low to the ground. The 20% bars need just a little preload (tightening) to get to .5-1" lift. When I re-index mine soon, I'll start them as close to level/flush with the hole as I can get them.

I'm reindexing after I let them settle in a bit. My factory bars lasted only 4 years, but the front shocks were still good (still replaced them, and I would use rancho 9k's next time).

Whatever you do, don't touch the front 3 attachment bolts. They are a bugger to get on and off.

 

Thanks for the response Pitt and Pathaholic. I'm surprised those bars lasted only 4 years Path. you must
have done some serious wheelin'. I don' t think R9000s will fit a 720 though, at least not the front. Any
comments?


She don't like my 720

 

Re: 720 shocks

We talked about this just a while ago. Just take off a shock and get the specs. plus the lift and compare it to the Rancho catalog (somewhere on the web). I have lots of additional applications this way, and also discovered that AC was underspec. some applications (too short).

 

Re: 720 shocks

Thanks again I'll keep all this in mind.

She don't like my 720

 

In order to ge the cross shaft out of the a-arm the bushings need to be removed because the cross shaft is reused.

1989 SR5 4Runner

 

Thanks Strider I figured it out after I looked at my a-arms and thought about it a while. I think some people just bang the bushings out with a chisel. This project just keeps growing. To do a lift I'm sure I would need to replace my t-bars also considering their age so everything is on hold right now and it is also getting very hot here 100+ . I think Alaska was cooler? Thanks again for your time and patience answering my questions, I don't know suspensions but I'm learning.

She don't like my 720

 

I had to do the same to my upper control arm bushings. I have a few more things to say:
1)Get Greasable Control arms so the squeking wont drive you bonkers
2)Have a shop make you milled balljoints so they wont go out so fast and you get a little bit more travel

Kevin
<><

 

Those bushings look harmless enough, but if they are the stock rubber ones they will be stuck in there horibly. You might want to put the a-arms in the freezer for awhile? When I had to replace the poly bushings after a couple years I put the stock rubber ones in and that was nearly impossible as well, I had to freeze then grease them and them it took every vise and clamp I have to get them in. Also i bet that a machine shop could do it in a bout 5 minutes.

1989 SR5 4Runner

 

I replaced my A arm bushings a while ago and ended up using a gear puller and the cross shaft. Put the arms of the puller on the A arm and the screw on the end of the cross shaft to push it and the bushing through the hole. Just a trick that worked for me. But I like the freezer trick, I wouldn't have thought of that.

Bernie
'86 720 "The Stain"

 

Mites git mistook fow som chikun wyngs in my freeza 'an gits cooked!!

MILDOT


NISSAN IFS SUCKS

 

Yeah Bernie I was working out a way to use a puller to both remove and install the bushings. Very resourceful of you. I guess I'm a little surprised it could be done as simply as you described and the screw point didn't try and slip off the end of the cross shaft when you started to torque the puller. I will for sure remember that one when the time comes. Maybe freeze it too! Amazing what you can learn on the net. Mildot you have strange tastes, steel and rubber wouldn't go down well at my table.

She don't like my 720

 

If freezing it doesn't work, you can also use the opposite extreme and use a propane brazing torch to melt/burn the old bushings out.

Robert Morawski
rjmorawski@home.com
ORC Nissan Section Editor

Will Rogers never met Bill Clinton

 

You have come full circle with the torch suggestion Robert; but I do have another question about tbar installs (surprised?). Pathaholic wrote not to "touch the front 3 attahchment bolts". I think he was refering to the bolts holding the torque arm/tbar to the lower link. My 720 has only 2 bolts per torque arm but I' ve read that you must remove these bolts to get the tbar off. Am I missing something?

She don't like my 720

 

When I reindexed my torsion bars I just loosened the three bolts on the torque arm and I was able to get the torsion bars out.

 

Thanks for the reply Chuuktruck, I thought what you described should get them out. Do you have a 720?

She don't like my 720

 

Nope, you don't have to remove the front bolts to remove to T-bars, I just removed the adjusting arm bolt, dropped the T-bar down, and slid it back out of the lower control arm.

MILDOT


NISSAN IFS SUCKS