[johnjwomack]

Im asking all you who have done a leaf sprung sas on their first gens.

What was your beginning budget? and more importantly, what did you end up spending in the end?

I don't see enough benefit for me to do a coilover setup for the extra cost, at least right now. i figured id just sas it now instead of waste money on a lift that will just eventually get taken off and replaced.

thanks for any help you guys give me, any suggestions on a setup would be great too. ive been looking around here and i've got a few ideas of what i want to do.

forgot to mention im getting an insurance check for 4600. how would that fit into a decent not half assed sas job?

 

[dubie2003]

Are you going to do the work yourself?

Also, are you looking for used axles or custom?

Lastly, what are you looking to do with the rear to match the lift?

These will all effect the amount of money you have to sink into the project.

 

[houdini]

there are a lot of variables. how big and how involved do you want to get? just a front d44 or swap both axles? what size tire you shooting for, etc.?

my original budget was in the 6k range, but once all said and done and all bugs worked out....it was an easy 8k before i was back on the trails. but that did include swapping both axles and new tires and wheels, steering upgrades, brake upgrades, etc.

 

[sexy6chick]

^As houdini said, there are a lot of variables. The original setup we had cost about $4500 - $5500 and that is with my husband doing 90% of the work himself. If you are going to have someone else do the majority of the labor plan on doubling that cost. We have added and changed a lot of things since the original setup and we are easily in the $8000 - $9000 range.

 

[roastbeef]

you can plan it the best you can, but there are still going to be unexpected costs that arise. i always say plan on spending $3-4k more then you think its going to cost you.

people have done it for as little as $2.5k, but they are very experienced builders and junkyard hunters.

 

[johnjwomack]

i was planning on it costing a bit more than i guessed. but im going to be doing 90% of the work myself (by myself i mean i have a friend that will do most while i watch) and i have some not so close friends that will do what we can't for next to nothing. im just going with the front d44 and i haven't really decided on what to do with the rear yet. im going to leave the stock axle for now. probably just regear it.

 

[Irongrave]

44 and an H233b with 4.9s is a good set up for mild use ie 35s any bigger you really should be in the one ton range (60s, 14 bolts and such) plan on spending at least 5k-10k depending on what you do and how you build it. At the end of the day its often cheeper to buy a solid axle rig (see jeep or IH scout) And build a trail rig from there. that 10k and build a very very capable rig (see Dr Phats truggy build)

 

[johnjwomack]

thats beginning to sound like a better idea. because with my minimum setup that i was looking at it would be a minimum 5k. then add 2k to that because you always spend more than you want. maybe i should just stick with the torsion bars and when im out of school i'll just get a wrangler. even though i dont know many people with a sas'd frontier besides on here

 

[penski61]

thats the reason we sas'd , everyone seems like they have a jeep
its kind of cool when people say wow ive never seen a sas'd frontier ,and some of the looks you get goin down the road are priceless
maybe it just me but i like having something different

 

[johnjwomack]

i love to be different. thats why i was wanting to. but then again there aren't many lifted frontiers around either.

hell if you want to see why i like to be different, my dad and i are working on a 48 chevy truck and were most likely going to be running a cummings under the hood. definetly going to turn some heads on the road

 

[Irongrave]

that sounds like fun. I only went with a Jeep because its cheep, though might go crazy at this point and its just a base for a pile of tube buggy.

 

[penski61]

thats one of the benefits to jeep or yota's because they are cheaper to build i guess it all depends on where you want to be for the same price

you could definatly build a more capable rig faster with a jeep or yota , i guess it all depends on total overall budget you have at the time

and also the other biggie is down time , can you afford to have a truck sitting for a month or even a couple of months

 

[roastbeef]

its a good feeling owning something unique.

 

[jaxon1023]

I'd like to add to this thread if thats ok, great thread by the way. I would like to get more lift out of my truck just for the sake of having a taller truck. Only way of course is to SAS. So if i wanted to run a 36 or 38" tire. I am sure i would need to replace both front and rear axles. Which axles would you suggest i use to keeping the stock 6 lug pattern. would i still be able to use my 3" rear lift (3 peice AAL) and just run a longer shackle (still running stock shackles) i would hope to get 6 - 8" of suspension lift to go with my 3" BL. That should give me enough room for the tires i am wanting to run.


I do know this isn't everyones taste in the ways of having a frontier so please refraine from any non helpful posts lol.

 

[Irongrave]

for 38s your looking at 1 tons 35-37 you can run a h233b and a waggy 44 with alloys and gears. if you want to wheel keep the rig as low as you can. a saws all is your friend.

 

[roastbeef]

I'd like to add to this thread if thats ok, great thread by the way. I would like to get more lift out of my truck just for the sake of having a taller truck. Only way of course is to SAS. So if i wanted to run a 36 or 38" tire. I am sure i would need to replace both front and rear axles. Which axles would you suggest i use to keeping the stock 6 lug pattern. would i still be able to use my 3" rear lift (3 peice AAL) and just run a longer shackle (still running stock shackles) i would hope to get 6 - 8" of suspension lift to go with my 3" BL. That should give me enough room for the tires i am wanting to run.


I do know this isn't everyones taste in the ways of having a frontier so please refraine from any non helpful posts lol.

you could just keep your stock rear and go with a full width 44 driver's drop up front. 38" tires are big (obviously). i'm sas'd and i couldn't run a 38 without some trimming up front- if that helps put it into perspective. you would have to spend thousands to run a 38, and then you would have little functionality.

 

[jaxon1023]

you could just keep your stock rear and go with a full width 44 driver's drop up front. 38" tires are big (obviously). i'm sas'd and i couldn't run a 38 without some trimming up front- if that helps put it into perspective. you would have to spend thousands to run a 38, and then you would have little functionality.

I was worried with the rear you couldn't gear it to match the 44. how much lift did you gain from your SAS? also keep in mind i will be keeping my 3" BL

 

[penski61]

anything over 35's you need lower than 5.13 so yeah you might want to swap the axle for a ford 9 or something similar

unless steeevo can locate 5.38's for the h233b

 

[johnjwomack]

if your not looking to wheel you can cut some cost by using the invisible driveshaft option. alot of tall trucks around my house are doing that.

 

[chainsaw]

for 38s your looking at 1 tons 35-37 you can run a h233b and a waggy 44 with alloys and gears. if you want to wheel keep the rig as low as you can. a saws all is your friend.

Its all based on the driver, there is no stead fats rule of the universe that says a 233 will break if you bolt even 39.5's. It s all up to your foot VS the skinny pedal but yes the likely hood will go up. Like penski said the biggest delema is gearing.

To the original poster, dont get a jeep, Ive known a few guys who went from nissans to heeps just for the cost but never were happy, have your driven a chrystler product lately? They suck. Any way enough of my opinion. If you want to run 35's you will need a set of stock grand wagoneer front springs (check out teamgrandwagoneer.com) for SOA, and for the rear I used a pair of mid 90s chevy burb rear leafs that are 60 inches long for lift. These are long enough that when you move the front mount forward it make a lift. I used 60 cause I have a bed bob and any thing longer wasnt feasable but you could go up to 63's. With 35's youll need 5:13 gearing. You can used stock shafts and open/stock diffs for now to keep cost down. There are alot of ways to save $$ if you do your research. Im out about $7k but I did some high zoot stuff like a rear ARB ($1000) with compressor, and a true track front diff ($450) as well as cromo shafts and high steer. Keep it simple and you will keep it cheap.