Second Generation Nissan Xterra Forums banner

Did the Shop Install My Helper Springs Correctly?

15K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  Lizardking 
#1 ·
Searched but can't find any pics of them installed. This doesn't seem right, are they supposed to sit on top of these clips or did they do them wrong?

Seems I'm getting a vibration under acceleration that wasn't there before. Also got new rims and tires so I don't know which one it is.



 
See less See more
2
#2 · (Edited)
When I bought my X, the previous owner had helper springs on and there were mounted to the bottom of the leaf pack. And well thats where they are supposed to be. Being directly under the axle wont help the leaf springs at all. They are to add extra support to the leafs, hence the upward curve and that bend in the middle of the helper spring is supposed to be pushing up on the leafs not the axle tube. I'd demand my money back because they probably raped you. This is why you do **** yourself.
 
#3 ·
The helper springs are meant to be on top. As far as the exact placement of them on top of the leaf pack I do not know, I never ran them. I can tell you for a fact they're meant to be on top.

It looks like those are running underneath the axle? I thought they were actually just installed behind the axle on top of the leaf packs...so just slid back from where yours are located.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Nevermind, my laptop wasn't loading the top picture, those are installed correctly.

Actual Add-A-Leafs go underneath the leaf pack and help to arch the leaf packs for more lift, these (while they do provide lift) are not the same set up. These are basically an aid for the stock leaf packs, most people use them to help carry extra weight or in the case of the Xterra to bolster the weak stock leaf packs.

As for your vibrations, I highly doubt this is the case as those helper springs shouldn't be giving enough lift to need this but I guess you might need axle shims. Are you running aftermarket shackles? Maybe the helper springs just bumped you up enough that the pinion angle is enough to be causing the vibrations.

I would lean more towards one of the tires not being balanced properly though. You said you had new rims and tires installed, I'd probably look into that first.
 
#7 ·
Mayo, yours could have been a different kind. Those look like the Hellwig ones in the pictures but if they arent then they work the same way. You can see the arch in them but they also have the "hooks" on each end, made to use the little mini "ubolts" that come with them to actually pull up on the leafs instead of to push up like the AALs do. These wouldn't work under the leaf pack, partly because they don't have the correct arch in them but also because you'd have to remove the huge overload leaf on the bottom.
 
#8 ·
Helpers almost always go on top, and you can increase the lift/capacity via tightening the ubolt each end of the helper spring.
AAL's go underneath.

I agree with other suggestion that you may now need a pinion shim. The rear ujoint is very temperamental in how little lift causes driveline vibes.
 
#9 ·
Hi, thanks everyone for the feedback. They are the Hellwig EZ550 ones. I printed the install instructions and gave it to them.

I had planned on doing it myself but I don't have a jack tall enough to fully extend the leafs which is what the directions call for (and using the jack under the seat takes forever). So I figured while they had it on the lift they could bolt it on since it takes < 5min

Anyway, I was just out again driving it and it definitely seems like the vibration is related to the driveline. I have no other suspension mods, it's completely stock other than the helper springs.
I can feel the vibration when letting off the clutch going into second. It's definitely from the rear and maybe it's just my imagination but I think I feel it through the clutch pedal as well.

So researching a bit more I found these pics in the first post
http://www.thenewx.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9431
Is that how they should be??

Overall the ride is definitely improved though. No more bottoming out going over big bumps. I might loosen it slightly, I'll have to see how it feels loaded full of gear.
 
#14 ·
Alright thanks, I appreciate it. I'll probably just leave them, I might loosen them a little and cut the U-bolts, I had no idea they'd stick down that far. Wish I'd know I could have put them in front of the axle but oh well.

As for the vibration I'm getting it seems to be heavily related to the clutch. I started in 2nd gear (which I normally don't) and it was much worse. I can feel it in other gears but I seem to get it most during engagement of the clutch.

What is the axle shim thing and how does it work and how do I know if I need it?
 
#15 ·
The axle shim is a small (usually a 3 degree shim in our case) shim that goes right under the axle, between it and the leaf springs and rolls the pinion up towards the transfer case slightly. It helps to correct the pinion angle. If you only have helper springs, I highly doubt that you need shims. The vibration caused by a bad driveline angle is usually between 30-45+ mph as you speed up, if you are only feeling it with something in the clutch then I don't really think the vibration is related to the helper springs.
 
#16 ·
Thanks for the explanation, I agree that doesn't seem like it would cause what I'm feeling. I'm really hoping some asshat at the shop didn't screw up my clutch or flywheel because it almost seems like that's what it is. I only feel it when the clutch is partially engaged and it seems to correlate with the engine RPMs. If it's a cracked flywheel and it gives out on my return trip to Alaska I'm completely screwed.
 
#17 ·
I bent the clips up on mine so the Hellwigs sat properly. And yes, they go on top, NOT on the bottom. AAL go on the bottom, as they can be seen in my pics as well. Here are mine:


Some pics:





 
#19 ·
I have mine installed like Surfs except I have the ubolts flipped so they are out of the way for off road trails.
 
#20 ·
I know this was 4-5 years ago... but do you by chance have any pics of this? I would like to see how the u-bolt plate fits into the grove on the top of Hellwig (and if it is at risk of sliding out).
 
#21 ·
I spent a few minutes looking and will look more later but they were pretty snug flipped. When I had them pointed down they got hung up a few times and caused the whole thing to slide up towards the shackle. That stopped happening when I flipped them. I would guess I ran them for a good year (or maybe two) that way until I got alcans. I was not easy on them.
 
#22 ·
I do have a good pic of my beat to hell stock leaf packs vs alcans. :)

I feel like the helwigs contributed to the warping but I don't think I used them as advertised...

 
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