New spring pack for KMA owners

Schludwiller · 05-09-2001, 02:47 AM

Have any of you KMA owners given thought to a group purchase of heavier leaf springs from National Spring?

Seems like we would all have about the same weight distribution in the rear, and the need for better support now that we're adding another 150+lbs if you have the spare on.

If they are all built the same, perhaps we could get a group discount.

Any thoughts?

ChuckH · 05-09-2001, 04:09 AM

My only thought is that I can't afford anymore truck stuff for awhile, no matter how much I want it.

Infact, it may be a very long time before I buy anything else that expensive for my truck. I must not give in to temptation! So, unless my springs get really bad, I'll have to just sit back and watch everyone else buy stuff!

I may have to bail on GOX too, depending on how much progress I can make on the financial front this summer. Hmmm, maybe I should start thinking about a weekend job again...then again, maybe NOT!

Mobycat · 05-09-2001, 08:09 AM

Are you really adding that much more weight with the spare back there? I mean, really all you are doing is shifting the weight of the tire, and it's already behind the leaf springs.

Unless the 150# is just the KMA POS?

Synchro · 05-09-2001, 08:50 AM

i would be interested Ian.

the KMA bumper is approximately 120 or so addition pounds. since i have had the bumper the longest and thus the most testing, i will comment on my expereinces with the spring issue.

I am on my second spring pack, the first was giving out a little even before I put the bumper on. once i put it on there in early january, it only accelerated the process, and got bad. so i had that spring pack replaced under warranty. after that i added the SLR shackles. i have noticed that the space between the body and my rear tires getting smaller and smaller over the past month or so.

simply put, the stock spring pack is not meant to carry the weight of the KMA plus the weight of all our gear on an ongoing basis. i think we really are seeing a cumulative effect of the skid plates, rock sliders and rear bumper. i know how bad the front end got when i added the ARB and then the winch. the winch sent the front end sspension over the top and in 3 months time sagged a noticeable 2".

so again yes i would be interested in a group buy, depending on the price.

FSRBIKER · 05-09-2001, 09:38 AM

I am ordering an add a leaf today as I have seen in just two weeks my rear springs sag quite a bit. I would be interested in the group buy as well but my lift will take care of that very soon. If anyone else is interested in an add a leaf e-mail me and I will let you know the price.

Schludwiller · 05-09-2001, 01:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mobycat
Are you really adding that much more weight with the spare back there? I mean, really all you are doing is shifting the weight of the tire, and it's already behind the leaf springs.

Unless the 150# is just the KMA POS?

My spare SSR on a steel rim is 80+lbs. KMA will be another 120lbs. Gear when I go camping or offroading is even more weight.

The skids are another 80lbs or so, and my sliderz when they get here are even more weight. I have upgraded my torsion bars, but seeing everyone elses springs die, I know all that weight is going to drop the rear over the summer so I'm looking for solutions now.

I don't plan on doing a lift this year, but I'm thinking of getting the leafs before summer. I'll be looking into how a group price would compare to just going with the SLR pack.

wqbang · 05-09-2001, 01:51 PM

I am going to have 300 pounds of tongue weight on my hitch plus gear in the back for 3 weeks straight this fall. Am I going to have spring sag? I might go my local dealer with a tape measure and see what the height should be. I might be interested in an add-a leaf after all.

Any thoughts on the Fabtech leaf available at Xterraparts.com?

http://www.xterraparts.com/onlinesto...y_Code=OffRoad

Schludwiller · 05-09-2001, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by FSRBIKER
I am ordering an add a leaf today as I have seen in just two weeks my rear springs sag quite a bit. I would be interested in the group buy as well but my lift will take care of that very soon. If anyone else is interested in an add a leaf e-mail me and I will let you know the price.

Steve from Xterraparts was saying they didn't have much luck with Add-a-leafs. He wasn't very specific though. How did Carlton's work out?

FSRBIKER · 05-09-2001, 02:41 PM

Xterraparts is selling the add a leafs by Fabtech designed for 2wd Frontiers, I am getting Rancho add a leafs that are designed for the 4wd Xterra..they replace the overload spring on the X and will give 2-2.5" of lift over a stock X. I have a couple of sources for them and will have pricing tomorrow. I am not sure which ones Carlton has...but I can visually see the difference in 2 weeks of having the KMA on.

wqbang · 05-09-2001, 03:49 PM

Carlton was having trouble with another brand of add-a-leafs and is switching to the Fabtech ones.

Philosopher · 05-09-2001, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wqbang
Carlton was having trouble with another brand of add-a-leafs and is switching to the Fabtech ones.

Carlton's got the ProComp AAL and he has broken 2 of them already ...

I am interested in a spring pack of course but don't have the cash for them and won't for a while. Thus, I'm going with the AAL for the time being, with the shackles. I'll need them both to compensate for the Sway-Away t-bars I am installing next week.

xterrabull · 05-09-2001, 06:02 PM

I haven't heard of the sway-a-way t-bars (I searched XOC) and I'll be looking to replace mine soon (I can imagine that my ARB & winch are rapidly fatiguing the stock t-bars).
I'm wondering how the sway-a-ways would compare to the NissMo t-bars. All I know so far is that the NissMo's are thicker and probably a bit more expensive.
Any opinions?

Synchro · 05-09-2001, 07:16 PM

the nismo bars are made by sway away. i don't know if sway away makes a different one or what.

Schludwiller · 05-09-2001, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Synchro
the nismo bars are made by sway away. i don't know if sway away makes a different one or what.

I thought they were both made by Sway Away too.

xterrabull · 05-09-2001, 09:41 PM

Hmm...interesting.
The Sway-A-Way website shows some Nissan t-bars at 27.5 mm diameter but shows the Xterra t-bars at 26 mm. Xterraparts.com says their t-bars are 27.48mm
The 27.48mm being so close to 27.5mm makes me wonder if there's been a mix-up somewhere.
It's all a bit curious....

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