[TheOregonFront]

how do you like it? what size tires are you runnin? just curious to see what will fill out the wheel wells. i did see some with 35s and it looked nice. thanks!
im new to the 2nd gen world now lol

 

[dubie2003]

Forget Fabtec and go Calmini and extended coilovers. This will get you the max of everything. Fabtec using some "shady" parts that could more easily break while offroading then Calmini does.

 

[TheOregonFront]

Forget Fabtec and go Calmini and extended coilovers. This will get you the max of everything. Fabtec using some "shady" parts that could more easily break while offroading then Calmini does.

hmm i will have to check that out. but want a 6inch lift. with the calmini id get 5? or are you saying i could get more with extended coils?

 

[bigdog]

Forget Fabtec and go Calmini and extended coilovers. This will get you the max of everything. Fabtec using some "shady" parts that could more easily break while offroading then Calmini does.

I think the part everyone is concerned with is the extensions on the front shocks and if your going to use extended coilovers, then that part goes away. That being said the Calmini kit with the sway-a-ways looks like nice package.

 

[HKYStormFront]

no offense to anyone with a drop diff lift, but i'd put my money into a full titan swap (diff, axles, arms, aftermarket coilovers, etc) for maximum benefit of the lift. fabtech and calmini can both be set up to work well, i just think the titan swap is a little better due to the fact you won't be lowering the diff. then again, if only for show and not for rock crawling, either will work ok

 

[TheOregonFront]

I think the part everyone is concerned with is the extensions on the front shocks and if your going to use extended coilovers, then that part goes away. That being said the Calmini kit with the sway-a-ways looks like nice package.

well how do you like your 6"? and 295? is that a 34

no offense to anyone with a drop diff lift, but i'd put my money into a full titan swap (diff, axles, arms, aftermarket coilovers, etc) for maximum benefit of the lift. fabtech and calmini can both be set up to work well, i just think the titan swap is a little better due to the fact you won't be lowering the diff. then again, if only for show and not for rock crawling, either will work ok

i have not read up on the titan swap. this will get you lift?

 

[banginstien]

With the Titan swap will get u like 3" lift. Better components and travel like HKY said. I want to change my wheel and tire setup do to the 285-65-20's on right now. I like the lift but I would change to longer coilovers. I have a Superchips and it helps bring back the power close to stalk.

 

[AndysLog]

dont limit yourself to just frontier kits.
it has been shown with minor mods, you can run titan kits also.
some without any mods at all. i would look into that route since there really are no spectacular db for the fronty.

 

[TheOregonFront]

i may go titan swap, but with that ill need extended axles and thats like what another 500 AWH! lol

 

[bigdog]

well how do you like your 6"? and 295? is that a 34

I am happy with my setup, but I have added a lot to the basic package to make it ride the way I wanted. The kit comes with decent rear shocks, but the 4" blocks put a strain on the leaf springs. So eventually you've got to deal with that. In the front the stock shocks (at least for an SE) don't do well with the extra lift. Maybe its a COG thing, not sure. So I replaced them with the extended Radflo's and now it rides like it was stock.

 

[AndysLog]

i may have some titan swap axles for someone soon.

 

[TheOregonFront]

so guys how much of a PITA was the 6"?

 

[bigdog]

...due to the fact you won't be lowering the diff...

this is seems to be a common misconception. Technically the drop bracket does not lower the diff . The goal of the kit is to maintain the geometry of the drive train. The brackets drop in around the diff and the LCAs connect to the new bracket. This allows a 4WD to lift the front by 6" without putting stress on the drive train.

It would be interesting measure the height of 2 diffs with similar tires and see how they measure up.

I'll have to climb under the truck to take pics and show you what I mean.

so guys how much of a PITA was the 6"?

From my perscpective 6" of lift is nice, but the stock suspension does not support it well and the 4" blocks in the back will wear on your rear leaf springs. So expect to spend a lot of extra money if you go this route to get the truck to drive nicely. For me that meant PRG UCA (for alingment and flex) extrended radflo coilovers (for handling and to remove the spacer). After 2 years my leafs were flat so I swapped the 4" blocks for Deaver 2" add-a-leaf springs and 2" blocks. My truck rides better then stock now, but it was not a cheap project.

edit here are a couple pics:

you can see from this first one that what has dropped is my lower control arm. It now mounts to a bracket that is 5" lower then it used to be, if measured from the frame of the truck. But what I think we are all more concerned with is distance from the ground, not the frame. Since the wheel mounts to the suspension in the exact same manner as before, then I would argue that the control arm is the exact same distance from the ground as it was before the lift.

This one shows that the center of this mounting bolt is about 11.5" off the ground. This should be a measurement that other folks could take. My tires are 33.27 in diameter, so if we get the same measurement and adjust for change in tire size we can put this debate to bed. My guess is that this measurement will be pretty close to 11.5" for everyone else, but I could be wrong.

BTW - If I were to start from scratch I'd seriuosly consider the Titan swap. At the time I thought that would have been a much more expensive project.

 

[TheOregonFront]

thanks for the info!! so fabtech doesnt come with ucas. thats just dumb it should. and they use freakin spacers? awh maybe i autta just do prg 3" but i really waana go higher lol

 

[bigdog]

no the basic kit is just the lift components. In theory that is all you need, but I was not happy with the way it rolled down the highway lifted that high with stock suspension.

Now when you drive it, you would not even know its been lifted.

 

[TheOregonFront]

no the basic kit is just the lift components. In theory that is all you need, but I was not happy with the way it rolled down the highway lifted that high with stock suspension.

Now when you drive it, you would not even know its been lifted.

so if i get the radflo 2.0 and the ucas ill still be riding at 6" up front? would i be fine to just get rads? cuz i dotn want spacers at all. awh i see i would have to get the fabtech specific rads that are 8 bones a peice WOAH


and idk im lookin at calminis 5 and it looks like i can get alot more. extended brake lines and adding sway aways would be 2k. but i still see that gnarly spacer.

 

[bigdog]

so if i get the radflo 2.0 and the ucas ill still be riding at 6" up front? would i be fine to just get rads? cuz i dotn want spacers at all. awh i see i would have to get the fabtech specific rads that are 8 bones a peice WOAH


and idk im lookin at calminis 5 and it looks like i can get alot more. extended brake lines and adding sway aways would be 2k. but i still see that gnarly spacer.

Yea, you get the extended rads and can crank the preload to match your desired ride height. With Calmini you can get the same Radflos, just use less preload. And yea throw away the spacers, these combined with the uca should give you max flex. If you go calmini you will want to either get their saws, or get the radflos from PRG. If you go with PRG you can do the 2.5 too.

Then the back should be good enough for now. Eventually you'll need to fix it though.

Can I ask why you think you need to be that tall?

 

[TheOregonFront]

thanks! well i dont need, i want lol so when i go with the 6" dump spacers and get rads and the ucas? but i dont have to get the fabtech specific rads? just crank the 2.0s to height?

 

[frontyfan]

I'm running Calmini with 2.5 extended Radflos. I have very little preload (only cranked about a half inch) and I still had to add a 3" AAL in addition to the shackles and blocks in the rear just to get it to sit level. I like the kit, but in order to get these DB kits to perform you have to spend the coin on them. You can run the spacers up front but if you put a bumper on too, the spacers can't support the additional weight very well. Everytime I hit the breaks it felt like my bumper was going to scrape on the road.

With just the Calmini, I was sitting at 8.5" of clearance to the skid plate, which I think is actually lower than stock ground clearance. As soon as I put the Radflos on, I went up to 11.5" of clearance at the skid....and again, that is without preloading the coilovers. I'd really consider getting 2.5s too. Oh and total lift for me is around 8 up front and 9 in the rear. Bigdog and I sit about the same, but his coilovers had to be preloaded half way or so (not knocking your setup Brion) as where mine did not only because he has 2.0s not 2.5s.

 

[bigdog]

thanks! well i dont need, i want lol so when i go with the 6" dump spacers and get rads and the ucas? but i dont have to get the fabtech specific rads? just crank the 2.0s to height?

oh, no you definitely need the extended radflos, if you want to get rid of the spacers. what I'm saying is that they are the same for calmini or fabtech you just crank them up a little more with fabtech (or less for calmini). And you'll want to get the UCA and radflo at the same time cause they mount to prg uca differantly then oem uca. Just tell Greg what your doing and he'll hook you up right.

Okay, so as long as we are clear that you don't need this kit. Cause at the end of the day I can't really run any bigger tires then anyone else, and I had to cut metal too. With gears I guess I could run 35's, but probably need to go to 17" or 18" wheel to cut down the width. I would like to run a 285/75R18. That might sit in the wheel well nicely, but prbly still more cutting.