[Barricade]

Hey everyone! I'm sure somewhere, this question has been answered, but for the life of me I can't find it using the search feature. Maybe I'm not using it right? I don't know. But my questions is, how bad is coil bucket contact? I have a 2011 pro 4x, and I would LIKE to start with a 3" spacer block lift and figure out if I want to go higher or lower for a more substantial upgrade later down the road. Everywhere I've read, says anything over 2" on a pro 4x starts to get dicey. My question is exactly how dicey is going up 3"? Or should I stick to a 2" lift? I live near Tampa so not a lot of rocks out here, but sometimes the roads wash out and there could be some pretty nasty holes (potholes would be an understatement to use) especially on the limestone roads that are out here and having some extra clearance would be helpful. I'm running stock sized Kelley all terrains and considering they only have like a 1,000 miles on them won't be changing them anytime soon. Thanks in advance for all your help, and if you know of a thread where this is addressed, please feel free to point me in that direction.

 

[whistler]

The problem is that you will have no droop travel.

 

[Skinny06]

Exactly what whistler said.

So your suspension won't extend downwards and you'll bash the ever living **** out of your coil buckets if you hit any of those potholes you mentioned at speed. Even at low speed your suspension won't travel down into those potholes and it'll still contact the coil buckets.


There is a reason that the information you cited is everywhere you've read.

 

[Barricade]

Exactly what whistler said.

So your suspension won't extend downwards and you'll bash the ever living **** out of your coil buckets if you hit any of those potholes you mentioned at speed. Even at low speed your suspension won't travel down into those potholes and it'll still contact the coil buckets.


There is a reason that the information you cited is everywhere you've read.

I understand that, I'm sorry, must not have worded my question right, other than a loud clunk, is there a reason to be worried. I.e. bucket contact too often will cause your flux capacitor to over heat and blow a moon sized hole into the earth.

 

[Frontier510]

When I lifted my Pro-4, I got impatient. and lifted it, before I had gotten UCAs. I went up 2" with stock arms. The coil bucket contact was minimal. Unless I was off road, hitting speed bumps or finding pot holes. Yes Michigan has a few pot holes. The stock upper arms limited down travel, to the loss of an inch at the shock. The alignment was fubar. Camber in particular. +.3*. And that was with camber bolts. 6 month later I had gotten my SPC uppers. and went to 3" lift. Alignment is spot on and no more coil bucket contact. I can now use the full range of the shock. I wouldn't go anymore than the 3" unless you Titan swap or get a drop bracket lift. Around 3 1/4" the lower ball joint binds up at full droop. Some where between 2" and 3" of lift, the sway bar drop links bind up at full droop. so if you plan to continue to run a sway bar you should get longer drop links.

 

[Barricade]

When I lifted my Pro-4, I got impatient. and lifted it, before I had gotten UCAs. I went up 2" with stock arms. The coil bucket contact was minimal. Unless I was off road, hitting speed bumps or finding pot holes. Yes Michigan has a few pot holes. The stock upper arms limited down travel, to the loss of an inch at the shock. The alignment was fubar. Camber in particular. +.3*. And that was with camber bolts. 6 month later I had gotten my SPC uppers. and went to 3" lift. Alignment is spot on and no more coil bucket contact. I can now use the full range of the shock. I wouldn't go anymore than the 3" unless you Titan swap or get a drop bracket lift. Around 3 1/4" the lower ball joint binds up at full droop. Some where between 2" and 3" of lift, the sway bar drop links bind up at full droop. so if you plan to continue to run a sway bar you should get longer drop links.

Ok, just so I'm sure I understand, even at 2" you're going to start running into alignment issues, sway bar binding, and the obvious loss of travel. Other than burning through tires quicker, any other issues with a funky alignment? Sway bar binding isn't a concern, if need be I'd just pull the sway bar. Anything else I'm missing? Just trying to understand the full range of ramifications

 

[Frontier510]

At a two inch lift you'll have

1. Loss of travel
2. Coil bucket contact
3. Messy alignment

The sway bar drop link binding happens between 2" and 3". A messy alignment , besides wearing out your tires will make the truck a handful on the road, to drive. not only was I at +.3* of camber, I was short a degree of caster. Part of what caster does is help the vehicle track straight down the road. So with a degree less it wants to wonder all over the place.

 

[Barricade]

Ah! I see said the blind man to the deaf man. Well, what I was hoping to be a $300-$400 mod just doubled. Here's a question for you, are the issues just listed going to happen 100% of the time every time a pro 4x is lifted, or is it a possibility, and the chances are say....50/50? Weighing risk vs. Rewards type of deal.

 

[BCBrian]

If you spring for some aftermarket coil overs and control arms you can avoid these issues. It will cost more but the benefits are worth it.

• Better handling
• Better ride quality
• Better tire wear
• Increased travel

Rather than spacers, save up for a better kit and do it right the 1st time. In the long run, you will save $$$.

 

[Barricade]

If you spring for some aftermarket coil overs and control arms you can avoid these issues. It will cost more but the benefits are worth it.

• Better handling
• Better ride quality
• Better tire wear
• Increased travel

Rather than spacers, save up for a better kit and do it right the 1st time. In the long run, you will save $$$.

I 100% agree with what you're saying. The problem is, I don't know if I want 2", 3", or 4". I've looked at pictures and have seen all three that look good, and all three that look like garbage. I was hoping to be able to get 3" cheap and drive around with it for a while to see how it looks and if I want to go taller or shorter then drop the cheddah on the nice lift once. But based on everything I've been reading, that's not the best idea. Unless y'all have an idea?

 

[Nissan4Life]

To answer the original question CBC is not all that bad. It is metal on metal which sounds terrible. You can soften the blow a little with small bump stops bolted to the UCA where the contact will occur. I did this for a while, still a noise when CBC occurs but not the jarring clank of metal on metal.

As for how much to lift. Do 2", and be happy with it till you can get UCA. 3" will ride very poorly. And you do not have 4" of down travel to be able to lift the truck 4". Our trucks only have 5.5" of total suspension travel from the factory, and it is set at about 2" of compression travel and 3.5 of drop.
Also even at 2" (really 2.5") of lift with a shock top spacer, the pro4x yellow shocks will start to crush at full compression. PRG is the only company that provides a taller bottom out bump. As a result you will lose some compression/total travel.

 

[Barricade]

To answer the original question CBC is not all that bad. It is metal on metal which sounds terrible. You can soften the blow a little with small bump stops bolted to the UCA where the contact will occur. I did this for a while, still a noise when CBC occurs but not the jarring clank of metal on metal.

As for how much to lift. Do 2", and be happy with it till you can get UCA. 3" will ride very poorly. And you do not have 4" of down travel to be able to lift the truck 4". Our trucks only have 5.5" of total suspension travel from the factory, and it is set at about 2" of compression travel and 3.5 of drop.
Also even at 2" (really 2.5") of lift with a shock top spacer, the pro4x yellow shocks will start to crush at full compression. PRG is the only company that provides a taller bottom out bump. As a result you will lose some compression/total travel.

That's what I was thinking, but wanted an answer to how bad cbc is. Just a noise is one thing, a noise indicating you're going to break something is totally different. If I went 4" it'd be a titan swap. Which brings another question, can you titan swap a pro 4x?

 

[Barricade]

That's what I was thinking, but wanted an answer to how bad cbc is. Just a noise is one thing, a noise indicating you're going to break something is totally different. If I went 4" it'd be a titan swap. Which brings another question, can you titan swap a pro 4x?

Ohh! Also! The prg lift you're talking about to mitigate the shock crush, got a link to it?

 

[Nissan4Life]

Frontier/Xterra 2.0 inch Lift Spacers | PRGProducts.Com

These are the strongest and most complete leveling kits for the Frontier on the market today. These kits are built to last with machined billet 6061-t6 aluminum and grade 8 hardware; we guarantee the spacers for as long as you own your Frontier or Xterra. We recommend only the 2" for the 4wd...

www.prgproducts.com

The bump stop is not pictured. He talks about it in the description. You can see if in this picture.

Frontier 2 x 1.5 inch Mini Lift Kit | PRGProducts.Com

This kit includes our front billet 2" lift spacers and our 1.5" rear lift billet block kit. We also include taller urethane bumpstops and new cotter pins. With this kit, using stock upper a-arms, there can be coilbucket contact, but at 2" lift most people never even notice. We designed this kit...

www.prgproducts.com

The pro4x yellow shock is longer than the black shock of the other frontiers. That is why you often see other lift spacer that say NOT COMPATIBLE WITH PRO4X. At 2 or 2.5" the shock barely crushes at full compression. You won't fully blow up your shock. It will just damage the seal and it will start to leak sooner than it should.

Yes you can T-Swap a pro4x. There is nothing different about the pro4x other than the shocks and coil spring rate.

If you are thinking of t-swapping, I would suggest just getting the 2" spacer lift and a taller bumps stop. Then start to collect parts for the T-swap. No point in spend big $ to lift now only to have to do it all over again.

 

[Barricade]

Frontier/Xterra 2.0 inch Lift Spacers | PRGProducts.Com

These are the strongest and most complete leveling kits for the Frontier on the market today. These kits are built to last with machined billet 6061-t6 aluminum and grade 8 hardware; we guarantee the spacers for as long as you own your Frontier or Xterra. We recommend only the 2" for the 4wd...

www.prgproducts.com

The bump stop is not pictured. He talks about it in the description. You can see if in this picture.

Frontier 2 x 1.5 inch Mini Lift Kit | PRGProducts.Com

This kit includes our front billet 2" lift spacers and our 1.5" rear lift billet block kit. We also include taller urethane bumpstops and new cotter pins. With this kit, using stock upper a-arms, there can be coilbucket contact, but at 2" lift most people never even notice. We designed this kit...

www.prgproducts.com

The pro4x yellow shock is longer than the black shock of the other frontiers. That is why you often see other lift spacer that say NOT COMPATIBLE WITH PRO4X. At 2 or 2.5" the shock barely crushes at full compression. You won't fully blow up your shock. It will just damage the seal and it will start to leak sooner than it should.

Yes you can T-Swap a pro4x. There is nothing different about the pro4x other than the shocks and coil spring rate.

If you are thinking of t-swapping, I would suggest just getting the 2" spacer lift and a taller bumps stop. Then start to collect parts for the T-swap. No point in spend big $ to lift now only to have to do it all over again.

That's what I was originally thinking, but wanted to run it by y'all first for some pearls of wisdom. Another thought, what would trimming the bucket do for the 2" spacer lift?

 

[Nissan4Life]

That's what I was originally thinking, but wanted to run it by y'all first for some pearls of wisdom. Another thought, what would trimming the bucket do for the 2" spacer lift?

Nothing. The stock UCA hits the bucket too far up to make a difference.

Add a bump stop, it will make you happier.

 

[Barricade]

Perfect! Thanks for the info!

 

[whistler]

Wrote a long reply but would not allow me post.it.
I hate to keep ssuoo Something about cookies,

 

[Frontier510]

Wrote a long reply but would not allow me post.it.
I hate to keep ssuoo Something about cookies,

Another advantage of the update. 👎🏼 And, as I just figured out, it’s now harder to quote people. Thank for trying @whistler

 

[Barricade]

Another advantage of the update. 👎🏼 And, as I just figured out, it’s now harder to quote people. Thank for trying @whistler

I've noticed some not too convenient things about this particular forum format, and @whistler I'd like to hear what you have to say if you don't mind re typing your reply.