Where to buy Warrior Shackles

[ljungberg3]

So should i buy a 3" AAL if im looking for a 2" lift? or should I just go for 1 1/2" shackles seeing as they will at least stay at that height forever.

 

[techieman33]

So should i buy a 3" AAL if im looking for a 2" lift? or should I just go for 1 1/2" shackles seeing as they will at least stay at that height forever.

The shackles will cause your leaf springs to flatten out, losing you lift that way. The 2 probably work best together.

 

[b4rigger]

So what is the overall best option seeing as how both seem to not work. The shackles flatten out the springs, and the AAL end up sagging. So without going full out and doing a body/suspension lift which one would be the best option?

 

[ljungberg3]

agreed, b4rigger. What is the best option?

 

[ShadowRaven]

If you want my opinion, I say go all out and get all of it. But hey, that's just me.

 

[ljungberg3]

The problem with that is I dont want the rear of my car higher than the front, seeing as I can only max out my TT at about 2". I really just need a 2" lift in the back to match that..... I dont want to take a shot in the dark and possible have the shackles and AAL actually stay where they are and have the rear 4" in the air.

 

[ShadowRaven]

The problem with that is I dont want the rear of my car higher than the front, seeing as I can only max out my TT at about 2". I really just need a 2" lift in the back to match that..... I dont want to take a shot in the dark and possible have the shackles and AAL actually stay where they are and have the rear 4" in the air.

I'm assuming by the whole 2" comment, you're 4wd (which none of you guys have even breathed a word about what drive you're running, so we're all just guessing at this point). With that said, the best approach would be to do AAL, due to your ability to add extra leafs if they begin to sag more than you wanted. However, this mod is the biggest PITA mod I've done yet, and it sounds like theres little mechanical expertise in this thread (no offense, we all have to start somewhere), so I do caution you that this will take a lot of patience and determination to complete, rather than a few bolts to undo for the shackles.

 

[ljungberg3]

Yeah, I do have a 4x4 sorry. I myself have little mechanical expertise, but my stepdad has offered to do all the mods for me.... so he could easily AAL....or shackles, either one. So with that said, do you think the AAL is the best option....?

 

[ShadowRaven]

Yeah, I do have a 4x4 sorry. I myself have little mechanical expertise, but my stepdad has offered to do all the mods for me.... so he could easily AAL....or shackles, either one. So with that said, do you think the AAL is the best option....?

Yeah, it's all good man, obviously the 4x4 limits the TT to 2", so with that said, even though it is harder to do, I personally think the AAL is the better option to go with, due to the ability to add extra sets of leafs if needed. Also, you can buy ProComp 13120s from Summit for around $35 before shipping, which is a helluva deal (the Warriors will cost you around $70-80), so you end up spending one of two ways:
1. Less money and get the desired height or
2. About the same amount of money to get the desired result

I'd personally go with the AAL if I were you, but others may have a different opinion. Either way, your ride will be much stiffer than it was before, but hey, it's the price you pay to touch the sky. What size tires are you looking to fit under this, 31's I presume?

 

[Maniak]

IMHO... AAL or Shackle for a lift is like asking Synthetic Oil or Dino Oil as in it can get very passionate.

The philosophy I use is the following.

If the ride is how you like it now, the Shackle is the way to go. I'm not convinced that shackles cause springs to flatten out faster. We used War-153 shackles on a set of OME-36 (2" lift springs). Those springs start out soft and we put upwards of 200k miles on them before I had to do work to them. That includes 4 miles of dirt road every day (it was the DD for many years), lots of freeway miles and some good hard off-road.

Over time the springs did get flatter and the rear suspension was softer than I wanted. I then took a leaf from old f-150 spring packs I had around the house and replaced a leaf. (Its been a while, now, I'd have to "count" to see if I replaced or added).

The new/extra? leaf stiffened the ride a little and brought the back end up another inch so its right where we wanted.

Now, if you don't like how it rides now (too soft) and it is too short, the AAL is the way to go..

A full set of springs is around $400 (I think its actually less).. ARB USA (aka Old Man Emu or OME) makes a 2" set of springs for the rear of the X. They are softer than stock but for off-road that is better. For towing or sport type driving, that is not better.

~Mark

 

[ljungberg3]

I already run a set of 31" BFG All terrains, I heard that it is the biggest I can run without changing the gears.

 

[techieman33]

You can run bigger than a 31, but you would be getting out of the "sweet spot" and the explorer would feel down on power, and would be putting more strain on the transmission, transfer case, and axles.

 

[ljungberg3]

Yeah I think 31"s are big enough anyways, Im not in a position to buy new ones since mine are brand new. Would pro comp leafs be a good option? My dad wants me to have them made by some local machinist.....I dont think its a good idea

 

[techieman33]

I think most with add a leafs run the pro comp ones. There is nothing wrong with locally made springs. A local spring shop can actually be better, since they can customize the spring for exactly what you want.

 

[ljungberg3]

Oh thats good then, I will have that done.

 

[ljungberg3]

I was quoted a fairly high price by my local spring and overload shop, but I was wondering if these AAL's would do the trick. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SJA-R225/?image=large

 

[LBarr2002]

The Pro Comp ones were only about $30 from Summit a few years ago when I did mine...

 

[ljungberg3]

oh the pro comp AAL's say they add 1 1/2"-2 1/2".......why would that vary?

 

[ShadowRaven]

oh the pro comp AAL's say they add 1 1/2"-2 1/2".......why would that vary?

It's purely dependent on your loading on your rear. For instance, I have two 30lb subwoofers, a 40lb box, and 30lbs of amps in the back of mine, so mine is going to sag much more than someone without a system in their car. That's why they give the approximation, it's just to let you know that it can get you up to 2.5, but theres a possibility that you may only get 1-1.5. And yes, I purchased ProComp 13120 AALs from Summit for $34+shipping only 2 weeks ago, so I suggest going with those rather than Rough Country or Skyjacker AALs. The big name brands cost the big bucks for the same damn result, so why pay more when you don't have to.

 

[ljungberg3]

Thank you so much for the help. I ordered the pro comp AAL's last night, and I think I'll be getting 2-2 1/2" because I have no load in the back.