2001 Nissan Xterra - Project Xterra - Part I

Use a pair of C-clamps to hold the leaf springs together. Remove the center bolt and carefully loosen the C-clamps. Set the bottom helper spring aside and insert the new center bolt and add-a-leaf. Return the helper spring to the bottom of the spring. Loosely secure the entire assembly. Compress the C-clamps and tighten the center bolt to 25 lb-ft.

Attach the Rancho shackle to the frame bracket and loosely attach the leaf spring at the front and rear. You may have to loosen the spare tire to do this.

Because the supplied U-bolts are thicker, you'll need to enlarge the holes in the OE spring pad to 17/32-inch.

Once done, attach the axle to the leaf spring with the new U-bolts. Install your new shocks and reattach the antiroll bar to the rear axle. Shave the bolt down so that no more than ½ inch remains exposed.

Remove the original bumpstop attached to the framerail. Place the spacer against the framerail and attach the spacer and bumpstop with the provided bolts. Reinstall the rear wheels and lower the vehicle. Tighten the leaf springs' front pivot bolts and rear shackle bolts. When you're finished installing and tightening the components, drive the vehicle a block or so to let the lift kit settle. Adjust the torsion bars to level the vehicle. This will require patience and a bit of trial and error. Afterwards, have the front suspension realigned.

While at Rancho, we also installed the in-cab controller for the RS 9000s. Each shock has a plastic controller assembly that gets screwed onto it. Attach the lines to each shock and label them accordingly, then feed them to the engine compartment.