Nissan Armada & Infiniti QX56 Forums banner

Interested in 2 inch lift with upgraded front and rear shocks

94K views 142 replies 14 participants last post by  2015 Boy Toy 
#1 ·
My Armada is a 2009 LE 4WD with 113,000 miles with auto leveling.

I am very interested in getting a modest 2 inch lift. I would also like to change front and rear shocks while doing the lift.

Based on popular demand, I will probably be getting the 2 inch lift kit from PRG. Or the 1.5 inch lift.

Next is getting some new shocks to replace my old ones so I can install them along my lift at the same time.

Based on popular demand, I am sure I would go with bilsteins for the fronts and set them on the middle setting. So, I am thinking if I buy the 2 inch kit, I may end up with 3 inch lift on the front since when you set the bilstein on the middle setting it already raises the truck like an inch. Please, feel free to correct me if I am wrong on anything here.

Now my main problem is the rear since I hear it does not have a lot of options because of auto leveling.

I will appreciate any suggestions for the rear. I will already be buying either the 2 inch or 1.5 inch kit for the front and rear of my Armada. I really wish to go with the 2 inch kit. So now I am trying to find the best shock to support the the 2 inch rear lift I am planning to install.

My current plan;

FRONT: Bilstein with PRG 2 inch lift kit

REAR: ......... with PRG 2 inch lift kit

Any suggestions for the rears would be appreciated. Or any suggestions about the general setup I am planning to run would be appreciated.


Some random thoughts for the rear...
Ranchos? Which one?
PRG Radflo? Which one?
Should I replace the front springs? I read somewhere we can replace the front springs with that from the Titan which is a beefier spring
 
See less See more
#56 ·
All done now.

As of today, my Armada is still at 3.5 inch lift in the front and 3 inch lift in the rear.

I must say when I started this project I did not know it would cost me as much as it did. But my estimated cost from buying everything, installation and alignment, I have spent a total of $1,200. This should give people a good idea who want to do exactly what I did. If you can do the install yourself and do not wish to buy the springs and not getting lifetime alignment, I am sure this will be a lot cheaper.

CONCLUSION: This is my first time having a lifted car and for me I am trying to get used to it. I will say I feel safer on the stock platform than this lifted. I cannot push the Armada now the way I used to do. As of now, I think I would hate to have this as my daily driver. Thank God I have my Maxima as my daily driver. I will need some time to get used to. I really look forward to taking this offroad and seeing what kind of trails I can tackle now.

PROS:
- It looks good
- I like the lift. I thought I was going to get 2 inch lift with this setup, but here I am with 3.5 inch in the front and 3 inch in the rear.
- Firestone can align it. Well, the firestone that knows what they are doing.
- On straight roads it rides great and you do not feel bumps a lot
- The front has no problems and the new shocks are great.

CONS:
- The rear hates bumps as it is all over the place when you hit a bump
- I hate that we have to use the auto leveling to maintain this lift in the rear
- I take curves now with lesser speed than stock
- If you hit a bump going really fast, the rear feels as if you will lose control of the car. Now that is not safe.

AND THAT IS ALL, FOLKS. Feel free to ask any question or make any contribution.
 
#59 · (Edited)
PROS:
- It looks good
- I like the lift. I thought I was going to get 2 inch lift with this setup, but here I am with 3.5 inch in the front and 3 inch in the rear.
- Firestone can align it. Well, the firestone that knows what they are doing.
- On straight roads it rides great and you do not feel bumps a lot
- The front has no problems and the new shocks are great.

CONS:
- The rear hates bumps as it is all over the place when you hit a bump
- I hate that we have to use the auto leveling to maintain this lift in the rear
- I take curves now with lesser speed than stock
- If you hit a bump going really fast, the rear feels as if you will lose control of the car. Now that is not safe.
Looks great... It's making me want to lift mine again... I definitely know how you feel about cornering, but I also removed my sway bar so I just avoid corners in general haha. I believe that only 2004 models do not require new cam bolts, but every other year does.

I'm surprised how stiff the back end is, the air suspension on its own is enough to lift it to 39". With the spacer lifting the spring higher it should take the weight off the back so the air shocks don't have to work as hard.

Even though your sensor is adjusted higher, your shocks should not be at max pressure. As a test you could always adjust the sensor down slightly and see if it lowers or not.

I honestly have no clue what pressure the shocks actually hold or how much it would take to raise or lower them....

Let's call max pressure 500 psi, that is stilling still because going over a bump would compress the shock and raise the pressure. That's full lift, as high as the shock body allows which is around 39" fender height.

I had both my shocks blow out and not holding any pressure, I didn't measure the height but for arguments sake I'll say it was 34". So 0 psi would be 34".

To make life easy let's say stock height is 36" and it takes 200 psi with stock springs and no spacer.

Sssooo...
34" at 0 psi
36" at 200 psi
39" at 500 psi

If you add a 2" spacer then 0 psi should now be 36". Getting the fender to 39" should only take about 300 psi but if you set it to 500 psi it will still only be at 39".

With the spacer...
36" at 0 psi
39" at 300 psi
39" at 500 psi

My logic would suggest that your shocks at 100% pressure would provide the same lift as 60% with spacers. All that to say that you might be able to release a bit if pressure and increase the ride quality while maintaining your lift height.
 
#57 ·
I have read that after a lift, most people can't get the rear aligned back to factory specs, but close enough to be safe. I wonder if you can just take out the auto leveling or turn it off completely? Or does that require getting new shocks in the back? Looks good though! I will most likely stick with just spacers and Bilsteins up front when I do my lift, and keep it to 2 inches or less.
 
#64 ·
Technically you could disable the auto levelling by pulling the fuse (it's a 3in1 fuse on my truck, ask me how I know... Haha). Or by physically disconnecting the electrical harness on the compressor.

Doing either of these will stop the system from running. If you have any leak at all your shocks will slowly bleed the air out and eventually hit bottom. Going over even small bumps will cause the suspension to bottom out.

I drove mine for almost a month when I was tracking down the problem and my rear shocks were completely empty. Pulling into driveways or over uneven pavement would make a lovely bang in the back end.
 
#65 ·
I would hate to disable anything like that.

You know what I was thinking, even though the rear is more bumpy on bumps, I like that we can adjust the rear back to stock height.

Now, if the fronts were just like the rear, then that would be interesting. So, I could just adjust the rear to drop down to 1 inch lift or stock height, then I can adjust the front too to get to 1 inch or stock height. This is like stock and one can enjoy the plush ride.

Then if I need the lift for say offroading or whatever reason, I go out and adjust the rear to 3 inch lift and adjust the front to 3 inch lift. And go play offroad.

Now, if the front was adjustable, that would be great.
 
#66 ·
I just ordered the prg 2" kit for my 2013 4wd armada that doesn't have air shocks. I did the Rancho kit on my 2wd 2011 armada and didn't really like it.. So after reading your posts thought I would give the prg a try. Knowing what you know now, what would give better results? Going with stock springs?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#68 · (Edited)
Knowing what I know now, I honestly would not change a thing.

On the Jeep forum, the FJ Cruiser forum, the Land Cruiser forum and the Tacoma forums, I have seen that the most popular and common lifts are within the 2 to 4 inch lift. And it is the cheapest also. Anything more and you may be talking about spending $2,500 to $4,000 or more.

I started this with a goal of having a 2 inch lift. But who would have known the Armada would instead go to 3 inch lift? But I do like it that it is 3 inch. That is a good decent lift for offroading. Though seeing it at 3 inch, I am worried about coil bucket contact. I hope it does not happen though.

Knowing what I know now, these are some scenarios that I can share that I GUESS (I REPEAT, IT IS A GUESS OF MINE) may give you the following different lifts;

(1) ZERO LIFT; This may be a perfect replacement for oem setup and may not give you any lift, but a great new ride with the bilsteins shocks
FRONT: OEM springs, bilsteins set at zero.
REAR: OEM springs

(2) 1.5 INCH LIFT; I think this may be a GREAt super mini lift. This MAY come out to be a one inch or a true 1.5 inch
FRONT: OEM springs, bilsteins set on middle perch
REAR: OEM springs, PRG 1.5 spacer

(3) 2 INCH LIFT; I think this may be a possible 2 inch
FRONT: OEM springs, bilsteins set on top perch
REAR: OEM springs, prg 2 inch spacer (may have to adjust auto level if you have it)

(4) 3 INCH (actually 3.5 inch in the front and 3 inch in the rear); lol, this is what I did that I never knew would give me this 3 inch lift
FRONT; moog pro4x springs, bilsteins set on middle perch
REAR; OEM springs, prg 2 inch spacer (may have to adjust auto level if you have it)

Other scenarios that I think of, but I think it will be going overboard and may not be a wise choice. But I am guessing it may produce the following results. Another scenario that I feel may still give one a 3 inch lift would be;

(5) 3 INCH
FRONT; moog pro4x springs, bilsteins on middle perch
REAR; stiffer and taller Armada SE springs, prg 2 inch spacer

(6) 4 INCH??? I don't know if this is possible and would hate to see someone try this. But let me mention it.
FRONT: moog pro4x springs, bilsteins on top perch
REAR; stiffer and taller Armada SE springs, prg 2 inch spacer
 
#67 ·
Since this is my first time driving a car that is lifted, I find it important to share my thoughts and feelings about it. Information that may be useful to any other Armada owner looking to get a lift.

First of all, I believe stock setup and ride is definitely better than when lifted.

First-time lifted truck owners like me don't realize the ride penalty in going high. Once a car has been lifted, your Armada would never ride like it did when it was stock height. Its handling will vary dramatically from the way that it was before. There is pronounced swaying as it takes corners and an altered center of gravity that makes turnovers easier. Because these changes can increase the likelihood of wrecking a car, it is important to drive carefully and get a new feel for the vehicle immediately after it has been lifted. Essentially, it’s like driving a whole new car. And be prepared for increased cost in maintenance, parts and the itch to go higher.
 
#70 ·
There are so many variables when it comes to the Armada suspension. There is the cheap way, the right way and all sorts of ways in between. Petitfrere did it right ... A combination of shocks, springs and spacers.

The cheapest way is to just throw an eBay spacer up front and adjust the rear to get lift. If you don't bother getting an alignment (ya people do this...) then for $100 or so you can get a 2" lift.

Every way has its own positives and negatives. Some people need more up travel others need down travel and for some (like me) it doesn't matter.

Finding a balance of lift/ride quality/cost can take lots of research. Luckily more and more guys are sharing their experience for others to learn from.

Anyways... Thanks again for sharing your parts list, pricing and all your findings.
 
#72 ·
I understand that if you just add the 1.5 to 2" PRG spacer lift, ride quality is mostly unchanged from stock. Adding stiffer/taller springs like you did would certainly stiffen and worsen the ride quality for city driving. You'll have more off-road clearance though, but was the compromise worth it is what you have to decide in the end. Good thing is you can always go back to your stock springs, keep the Bilsteins and spacers and a ~2" lift.
"
 
#74 ·
Based on my experience so far on city driving, the front is awesome. I honestly have NO complaints. But the rear is a different story. I hate it. It is poor compared to the fronts. But again a lifted truck would perform poorer than when it was stock.

I look forward to taking this offroad soon. That is where I will conclude if it was worth it or not as I plan to do some hardcore stuffs and see. But I am glad I can easily go back to stock. If or when I decide to go back to stock, I will buy the oem replacement springs for the front and set the bilsteins on the low perch. Then for the rears, I will take off the prg 2 inch spacer. Then I will be back to stock.

As for the 1.5 lift or 2 lift, i just think the higher you go the worse the ride gets. So, I believe a mini lift of 1.5 would be closer to stock ride. And as you go to 2 inch, the ride gets worse. Then going to 3 it gets worst. Basically, the higher you go from stock platform, the worse your ride becomes. This is especially with some of us with auto leveling. My guess is going higher on your lift, those with no auto leveling may have a better ride than us with auto leveling who have to adjust auto leveling to get the lift.
 
#73 ·
I am thinking option 5 with the upgraded springs. I carry a bunch of kids and a trailer fairly often. One of the things I got from the Rancho kit was the rear sagged. Looked like a Baja pre-runner for a while and all but collapsed with anything on the bumper. Still concerned about the coil bucket issue, and rear ride. Need to look at what radflo shocks pops used maybe...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#75 ·
Like Mike said, if your worried about a stiff ride then you do not want Pro4x springs with 5100's on the middle. Since you do not have air suspension, then you most likely already have the taller springs in the back.

Pro4x springs = stiffer ride
5100's middle = stiffer ride

You could just put the spacer in the back and leave the front stock height. You will have a noticeable rake (kinda like stock titans), but when you tow it should stay closer to level.

If you want to lift the front with a spacer, you could use a 1.5". Anything higher will cause CB contact.
 
#76 · (Edited)
I currently have 5100's on the lowest setting with factory spec Moog Springs all around and removed the front sway bar... Corning is a joke, but I'm not the kind of guy to whip my SUV into corners so it doesn't bug me. Ride quality is awesome, the bilstiens are a much better shock than factory.

Anytime you raise the vehicle, you raise it's center of gravity. This will increase sway and body roll. Using a taller/stiffer spring or using the middle/top setting will raise the truck by increasing the compression of the spring and thus making it stiffer.

Using a spacer will just change the mounting point of the shock. It will not increase stiffness but you will still sway/roll more since the truck is taller.

Everyone's tastes are different, some guys love a super stiff ride while others like a more "cadillac" feel. If you think that stock is too stiff then adding a stiffer spring and increasing the compression by using the middle setting will make it more stiff.
 
#77 ·
I currently have 5100's on the lowest setting with factory spec Moog Springs all around and removed the front sway bar... Corning is a joke, but I'm not the kind of guy to whip my SUV into corners so it doesn't bug me. Ride quality is awesome, the bilstiens are a much better shock than factory.
LOL, that is funny. I bet cornering is a joke now. But why did you take out the front sway bar? What did you achieve by doing that?

I love to push my Armada. But at this current state, I am definitely way more conservative. I am learning to drive this vehicle the way it sits now. It will take some getting used to.

As for your stock setup now, that is exactly what I have been saying I will do whenever I decide to go back to stock. That is definitely the best setup, which is stock and you get your 'cadillac" feel. But I will keep my front sway bar.

Enlighten me on why you had to take yours off. I would say it is better on. But just like you said above, "Everyone's tastes are different".
 
#78 · (Edited)
2013 Armada Reserve 4x2

I just joined this forum and I to have spoken to Greg at PRG about my ride. I am really wanting to do the 5" PRG rear with Procomp front but I am concerned about the Auto ride. I only tow a 14' trailer and a Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 - will losing my air ride be a concern? I was thinking of doing the mini lift or 2" level kit to keep air ride but I do not know if I will be happy with the look - Also I have sent several Emails to PRG about tire sizes with both 5" and level kit but have received no response - Does anyone know what tire size and offset is best - I do not want to trim fenders maybe only frt bumper valance any advice would be appreciated - I am looking to order asap thanks
 

Attachments

#80 ·
I just joined this forum and I to have spoken to Greg at PRG about my ride. I am really wanting to do the 5" PRG rear with Procomp front but I am concerned about the Auto ride. I only tow a 14' trailer and a Arctic Cat Wildcat 1000 - will losing my air ride be a concern? I was thinking of doing the mini lift or 2" level kit to keep air ride but I do not know if I will be happy with the look - Also I have sent several Emails to PRG about tire sizes with both 5" and level kit but have received no response - Does anyone know what tire size and offset is best - I do not want to trim fenders maybe only frt bumper valance any advice would be appreciated - I am looking to order asap thanks
Welcome to the forum.

You are a 4X2. Doing the 5" PRG kid would be a lot. That thing would cost you the $2,199 price tag on PRg website and a lot more for installation and possibly other things. I think to go so high, it would have been great if you had 4X4. But whatever you want to do is fine.

I don't know how it is when you change from air shocks to gas shocks. But I think the mini lift or 2 inch may be a good way to go. A modest lift.

As for emailing Greg, I just know he is a very busy man and getting a hold of him is not easy. I have never heard if he emails people back. But I have heard a lot about people talking with him and I have talked with him too. Arm yourself with questions, call him and he will give you valuable info. I always got good info talking with him.

As for tire sizes, you can go to this thread below that has all the lifted Armadas on here posted there with the tire sizes they are running and more info about what tire sizes different people are running with what kind of lift.

This will help provide you the answer to your questions about tires...

http://www.clubarmada.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13644
 
#82 ·
Nice wheels u got. I like em. There is a website called custom offsets. U can look different wheel sizes and lift combos others have done there
 
#86 ·
My truck does sway a good bit, the most noticeable is actually around 35-40MPH. Any slower and there is not enough body roll to notice. Any faster, the road doesn't curve as quickly so you don't feel it. For anyone who drives at or near the speed limit, it should not be dangerous by any means.

While I don't slide corners or take them at crazy speeds I do drive pretty aggressively and I have changed lanes very quickly at higher speeds. I have pushed my truck to 110-115MPH on a road with slight bends and it felt very stable.

There has never been a time where I felt it was dangerous without the sway bar. Maybe it's just the way I drive, but I think that there is a big scare around removing these when there really shouldn't be.

If you are scared about rolling over in corners... Slow down...

Since I don't tow a heavy trailer, I can't comment on towing capabilities after that fact. But I would venture a guess that the sway bars are very important when your towing something heavy.

I dunno... That's just my 2 cents.
 
#88 ·
#91 ·
AMP powersteps really look cool, but truly expensive at $1,249.

I think taking off the side steps and the front lip makes the Armada have an illusion of being raised. I guess it gives it someone more ground clearance.

If I was sure I could sell mine when I take it off, then I may think about replacing them with something else. But till then, I am not too convinced to take them off yet.
 
#92 ·
Since auto leveling is maxed out on the rear and it rides truly horribly, I had to come up with some suggestions of what to fix this.

First of all when I started this project my goal was to end up with 2 inch lift in the front and 2 inch lift in the rear. But my Armada is sitting at 3.5 inch in the front and 3 inch in the rear (auto level maxed out). Who would have thought this would happen?

Well, I feel I want to "fix" this.

So, my first decision was call up the installer to have him do more work for me. I told him I would like to get my bilsteins to the lowest setting. Maybe just the pro4x springs would give me 1.5 inch to 2 inch in the front. (As I am guessing the bilsteins on the middle setting gave me 1 inch or 1.5 inch of lift on its own). So, if I set it to the lowest setting, the front of my Armada may drop down by 1 inch or 1.5 inch, leaving me at approximately 2 inch of lift in the front. Then I will adjust auto level back to stock height or say I can adjust it very slightly to maintain the 2 inch and I am sure the car would ride way better.

That was my first plan and I called and got an appointment set up.

Then I decided to just play with auto leveling to see if I can reduce it from being maxed out. Well I did adjust it and drove around and my Armada's rear went to 2.5 inch. The ride in the rear improved a lot. I tried and played with auto leveling again. My Armada went to 2.75 and that is where it is today. And I drove around, got on the freeway and pushed it a bit. I could feel an improvement from when the rear was 3 inch.

Well, the ride is good now in the rear and I have left it as is now. So, the Armada now is 3.5 inch in the front and 2.75 inch in the rear. And rides good. As far as looks, you may be able to tell the front is slightly higher. But it truly still looks good.

The 3.5 inch in the front truly looks good and rides good too. I really like the way it sits now.

Now I just wish I can get the bilsteins to the lowest setting to see how much lift I will end up with in the front. Then I will adjust auto leveling to match it. I believe the Armada may look its best with this setup and closest to stock (2 inch all around). Sadly for me to achieve this look so I can compare with my current setup needs me to invest more money. I will think about it.
 
#93 ·
I'm still surprised that you got so much lift from the Pro4x/middle perch combo. The 5100's are supposed to provide 0"-1"-2" lift depending on the setting. That would mean that you gained 2.5" just from the springs.

That would make more sense if you had an 04-06 2WD...But your 08+ 4WD already had quite stiff/tall springs. I guess you will find out when you drop to the lowest setting.

Technically you should only drop 1" by going to the bottom setting, that's what happened when I did it, but I don't have Pro4x springs.

So the effects might be multiplied... 5100's on the middle setting would give 1" by itself and the Pro4x springs would give 2" by itself. But together they give 3.5". That's my logic anyways... I could be way off.

I would venture a guess that you will still have a 2-2.5" lift after dropping the 5100's to the lowest. Which means you could leave the back end where it is or adjust it slightly to get the ride your looking for.

Anyways... Best of luck... Sucks that you have to go back to the garage, but hopefully this will get you where you want to be.
 
#96 ·
I knew it would be that expensive. I may not want to do that route.

I have had my Armada rear on 2.75 inch (more like 2.5 inch, I believe) for some days now. But because I like how the front is and the lift in the front, I bumped my Armada back to 3 inch in the rear by maxing out auto leveling. I will deal with the ugly ride for a bit and see.

I have an appointment for next week to take my Armada back so that the installer can help me lower the front from 3.5 inch to maybe 2 inch or 2.5 inch by putting the bilsteins on the lower setting. But I just decided I do not want to go down, I want to stay higher. So, I want to try one thing in the rear to see if I can maintain that 3 inch lift without maxing auto leveling.

So, I just ordered the Moog 81085 heavier SE springs. I will pay to have the rear switched with this and see if it helps raises the rear so I do not have to max auto leveling. If this works, I would like it as the 3 inch looks better on the Armada than 2 inch.

I guess I just got the bug to keep on going higher with the Armada.
 
#99 · (Edited)
I will just keep these 2 excellent threads here for now... I need them for reference evereuy now and then and will help any other person tremendously...,
@Pops
Maybe this addition would help improve my bumpy ride? Per post #1 on your thread below.
Timbren Bumpstops Part# NRARM

http://www.clubarmada.com/forums/showthread.php?t=23224

http://www.clubarmada.com/forums/showthread.php?t=22206

And if this setup was really cheap, I would probably be getting this, based on all good things I have heard about this company.

http://www.nsamanufacturing.ca/
 
#101 ·
#103 ·
Took my Armada on a 4 hours road trip to Hidden Falls Adventure Park to see how my bumpy rear will behave on long road trips and see how my auto leveling handles the bumps offroad. And also, I wanted to see how far I coupl push my Armada to do some hardcore stuffs and difficult level 4 or 5 trails. Well, I did push the Armada and had A TON of fun and definitely was rewarded with damage on my Armada. A huge dent. But it was all fun. It will be my reminder of what it means to take your rig for rock crawling.

The park was full of JEEPS only from www.jkfeaks.com.

I mean, these people were amazed at me. People asking me why I am wheeling in such a luxurious car. Asking if my Armada would make it. LOL and then asked if that was my daily driver. I said no and they asked what I had as my daily driver if I am using this to tear up on the trails. One guy said I bet it is a Nissan GTR. I said, no. It is a Nissan Maxima. It was really funny, but I had a great time, even though I dented my Armada, lol, on some tight level 4 trail that was in a stream with tons of rocks.
 
#104 · (Edited)
Lifted Armada getting into park

Met up with some guys and asked if I could wheel with them. They said sure.

Winching some rocks to make a road for a decent


Then they decided it was time for beer break. I don't drink, so I got a coke.

 
#105 · (Edited)
Then stopped to take some poser shot by a waterfall where it ended up being about 20 jeeps with atvs coming here for poser pics.
Down in the stream below is the trail we did which is a level 4. That is where I hurt my Armada bad with a dent. But it was a lot of fun





 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top