Hooligan wrote:If he goes from a 2" lift to a 3" lift he will be 1" closer to topping out. You're correct only if he adds a 3" spacer to the stock spring. If he adds a 1" spacer to the 2" lift springs then the topping out will get worse.
I'd like to try a weaker spring, maybe 1" lift with a 1" spacer above the upper spring retainer bearing.
Sorry, but that's where you're wrong.... unless you're talking about a spacer that goes between the coil and the top plate... This kind of spacer if very rare (i know only one guy that makes them and it's 1 inch only)...
If you install a spacer on top of the top plate (like the one I sell), you are not in any shape or form making the top out worse... That's because the front suspension of a pathfinder is a mcphersen strut type... If you look at it carefully, you will see that the height of the truck is solely determined by the compression rate of the springs...
So, the AC lift is achieved simply by installing new stiffer springs that actually prevent the body to as low as the oem spring rate.. This makes the truck 2" or so higher...Therefore <Stealing> 2" of uptravel of the strut.
Now all this system is <boxed> with the strut (the bottom coil plate and the top coil plate of the strut)
If you add a 1 or 2" spacer on TOP of the top plate of the strut, you are achieving a higher lift by actually <separating> the strut from the strut tower. The spring rate and amount of uptravel has not been changed or touched...
see here what I mean :
See .. the spring height and strut travel are below the spacer and not affected by this....