ok gang, im going to be running some 35"s soon...picked up a set of 15x10s from tim b, 2 have BGF muds that are trail spare only, other two are supposed to be in decent, driveable shape....ill grab another 2 on ebay or something

my question(s) now:

1. i plan on having to trim a lot...a lot.....im okay with that, as long as it doesnt get too out of hand...i wont be putting them on until spring, so i will be able to spend time outside with the sawzall and wiz wheel and make it look proper....how much have those of you running 35"s had to trim? im on a 2"BL currently running 265x70x17, zero rubbing

2. gearing: i have 4.6 gearing now with a 5 speed mantran....will i be able to even turn these bad boys to get up to highway speeds? im not looking for 80+ mph, i usually travel right lane, 65 max....is this achievable? should i start looking for an old 4.9 ring and pinion to swap into my diff? if so, i have the following question:

3. if i swap to 4.9 in the rear, will the front diff even be useable? obviously i wouldnt want to use 4wd on dry grippy surfaces, but would the difference in gearing(4.6 stock in front and 4.9 in the rear) work on the trails? would i be busting driveshafts or cv axles? would it just be best to stick with 4.6 gears?

honestly, will the 4.6 gearing be ok?

4. i plan on having to beef up my steering big time...grassroots centerlink or something HD, stabilizer, new idler and pitman....i already have hd tie rod adjusters and an idler arm brace....would just a new HD centerlink be doable? or should i be looking for wholesale deals on steering boxes and p/s fluid pumps?

5. rear axle shafts: can the oem 33 spline junk hold up to the stress?
6. front axles....i undoubtedly will break one on the trail with 35"s...will i undoubtedly break two? should i be getting very friendly with my local parts place at this point?

i dont mind doing the extra work ahead of time in order to ensure my rig doesnt fail from the extra stress the 35"s would bring....i would rather spend an entire weekend installing a new steering system than having my centerlink fail at highway speeds and have to be towed to a shop or stealership.....the x IS my dd'er, so i would rather pony up the $$$ for stronger stuff than have it down while im hunting for replacements

anyone in the know, please give me your input....i've seen a few x's with 35's, IMHO they look stellar....

oh, i know how bad the gas mileage will be...believe me, if i was that concerned about mpg, i wouldnt be driving the x =)

daym, goin all out for some 35's. hope they fit well and good luck :D

thanks, im gonna keep my current set just in case it goes drastically wrong

If you go 4.9 in the rear you have to match it in the front to use 4wd. you'r gonna really be stressing your CV's without regearing to atleast 4.9. 5.14;s would be better. Regearing your Tcase wouldn't be a bad idea. I'd expect to have atleast 2 Cv's on hand at all times and expect to wear alot of parts prematurley.

Honestly I'd sai regear your diff's and Tcase before you go 35's. Kyle took his 35's off after 1 trip cause he had trouble turning them in 4lo with 5.14's in the diff and stock everything else. I really think your gonna destroy your drivetrain without regearing everything.

wow, couldnt turn them with 5.14s? shyt....

how about calmini/ac 4low crawler gears?

He could turn them in 4 hi adn 2wd but in 4lo his auto trans started to slip. the manual might do a little better but he wasnt gonna do 35's again until he oculd regear his t-case. Not to mention he trimmed ALOT. I think he was planning on doing AC crawler gears.

I'm sure dave will chime in too. he had 35's on his old X I dunno if it was regeared in the diffs but his tcase was.

1. i plan on having to trim a lot...a lot.....im okay with that, as long as it doesnt get too out of hand...i wont be putting them on until spring, so i will be able to spend time outside with the sawzall and wiz wheel and make it look proper....how much have those of you running 35"s had to trim? im on a 2"BL currently running 265x70x17, zero rubbing

You will more than likely have to get into the body some on the front wheel wells. This will allow clearance for offroad use. But be sure to seal up that area again because there is wiring in that section of the body you do not want water gettin in there.

2. gearing: i have 4.6 gearing now with a 5 speed mantran....will i be able to even turn these bad boys to get up to highway speeds? im not looking for 80+ mph, i usually travel right lane, 65 max....is this achievable? should i start looking for an old 4.9 ring and pinion to swap into my diff? if so, i have the following question:

You will get up to highway speeds but you will be wrapping the engine out. I would be looking for a SET of 4.9s

3. if i swap to 4.9 in the rear, will the front diff even be useable? obviously i wouldnt want to use 4wd on dry grippy surfaces, but would the difference in gearing(4.6 stock in front and 4.9 in the rear) work on the trails? would i be busting driveshafts or cv axles? would it just be best to stick with 4.6 gears?

honestly, will the 4.6 gearing be ok?

The problem with only replacing one is in 4wd your front tires will now be spinning slower than your rear... this will cause binding in your transfer case. You need to keep your differnce in gearing in the axles well within the 1% range. That difference is about 1% and eventually something WILL break could be the Tcase, could be a Joint in the axle, could be a diff.

4. i plan on having to beef up my steering big time...grassroots centerlink or something HD, stabilizer, new idler and pitman....i already have hd tie rod adjusters and an idler arm brace....would just a new HD centerlink be doable? or should i be looking for wholesale deals on steering boxes and p/s fluid pumps?

Get a centerlink and Idler arm Brace, as long as you dont have any play any where else you should do fine. I have been running 35s on my stock steering box for a couple years.

5. rear axle shafts: can the oem 33 spline junk hold up to the stress?

Yep...

6. front axles....i undoubtedly will break one on the trail with 35"s...will i undoubtedly break two? should i be getting very friendly with my local parts place at this point?

Depends on your driving style.. do you try to finesse over obstacles or power over them? If power is the answer... then you better start hitting junk yards and Napa right now.

i dont mind doing the extra work ahead of time in order to ensure my rig doesnt fail from the extra stress the 35"s would bring....i would rather spend an entire weekend installing a new steering system than having my centerlink fail at highway speeds and have to be towed to a shop or stealership.....the x IS my dd'er, so i would rather pony up the $$$ for stronger stuff than have it down while im hunting for replacements

anyone in the know, please give me your input....i've seen a few x's with 35's, IMHO they look stellar....

oh, i know how bad the gas mileage will be...believe me, if i was that concerned about mpg, i wouldnt be driving the x =)
Looks like you expect the mileage to be bad so you should be good to go.

thanks kevin

as for my driving style, its mostly finessing over things...i dont wheel my rig hard at all, anyone whos been out with me can attest to that...

im want the 35"s 85% for the absolute badass looks, the other 15% for wheeling...i stick mainly to greens and blues...i know, 35"s are overkill for greens and blues, i just think they look nuts....

so, the consensus is:

steering: new centerlink and i should be good to go
front shafts: depends on how hard i beat them
rear shafts: good to go
tcase gears: necessary if i want to run in 4low...what about 4hi?
diff gears: someone else with a 5spd n/a said he runs his 35"s with 4.6 gearing just fine, although 5th gear is more of an overdrive gear...i think i'll keep the 4.6 and put a few extra $100s aside and if it become unbearable, get a set of 4.9 or 5.14(i would rather 4.9 because they should be readily available in a salvage yard from a fronty or x that came with them)

anything else?

If 4lo gearing becomes an issue find an older TX10 case from a pathfinder to install your new gear into. They are cheap and easy to find at the yards, the Drive Chain is thicker than the Xs, you can install the gears and have less downtime when the time for the swap comes.

hmm i have 34 x 12.50 x 15's sitting in my dining room...lol waitin on the wheels.... am i going to run into the same problems? everyone said 33's were fine i didnt think 34's would make that much of a difference

so, the consensus is:

steering: new centerlink and i should be good to go
front shafts: depends on how hard i beat them
rear shafts: good to go
tcase gears: necessary if i want to run in 4low...what about 4hi?
diff gears: someone else with a 5spd n/a said he runs his 35"s with 4.6 gearing just fine, although 5th gear is more of an overdrive gear...i think i'll keep the 4.6 and put a few extra $100s aside and if it become unbearable, get a set of 4.9 or 5.14(i would rather 4.9 because they should be readily available in a salvage yard from a fronty or x that came with them)

anything else?

you will need a complete steering system!!!

your stock TRA's are going to be toast trying to move those 35's around. And make sure you have tons of front steering spares.

front shafts, keep 2-3 on hand as you will probally pop at least 1 per wheeling trip. You will also get good at changing them.

I absolutely recomend the t-case gears. I ran the 35's on one trip and it tore my tranny apart. I had a really hard time at Rausch in the rock gardens with the 35's.

And definitally try to get the 4.9's. Even with my 5.142's and an auto tranny, it kinda sucked on the highway and was always shifting between OD and 3rd.

And lastly, since you have my old AC UCA's make sure you keep upper ball joints on hand all the time. Every wheeling trip I go on with the X, I change at least 1-2 at some point in the day. I made it through 1/2 a day with the 35's before I changed 1 ball joint, and the other side was toasted before I went home.

Now I wheel a whole lot harder than you do and beat the piss out of my truck and I know a lot of that had to do with it, but its still 35's.

With the trimming I did, I was trimming into the passanger compartment in the front, and then just layed some bondo over it to seal it up. But prepare to trim a ton of sheet metal.

not to threadjack but baf......when you go to 35's ill take those 1.5 wheel adapters off your hands haha

I ran 35s on my last Xterra...with a 3" susp. lift and a 2" body lift there was still quite a bit of trimming to be done. I took about an inch out all around on each wheel well...a little more in the front. T-case gears are a must. You'll find yourself really suffering when it comes to trail time; particular in crawling situations when in rock gardens or getting up that tough obstacle. Like others have said; a complete steering system is the best route to go. Even if it has to be Calmini you're not screwed...you can get bronze idler arm bushings machined and replace the shitty Calmini ones with those. I have those now in my Calmini system; and they're great. I ran through 2 sets of Calmini IA bushings in just over 6 months running 35s.

If you're running a manual, be prepared to replace that clutch more than usual. Even if you have re-geared the diffs, the t-case, and have everything else straight, that clutch is going to burn. I went through one in short order on the old Xterra. It's not my driving style, it's just the nature of having to move those 35s around through 4lo situations. It happens. I was running the stock Nissan 4.9 gearing front and rear, and no issues with driving on highways, hills, etc...with those, the Calmini t-case gears, an ARB rear locker, and the 35s, there really wasn't anything I couldn't tackle in that rig...and it was a blast. Manners on the road and on trails were just fine.

Some shots of the old X on 35s:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/ShoeCreek10-10.jpg

This gives you somewhat of an idea on how much needs to be trimmed out...and yes, I had to trim about an inch off the ARB bumper wings on the side there as well:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/DSC02063.jpg

I had to basically trim right up to the back of the rear doors in the rear fender wells:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/DSC02066.jpg

More trimming shots of the front:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/TrimmingandBodyDamage001.jpg

ARB Trimming:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/TrimmingandBodyDamage002.jpg

...and rear trimming close ups:

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/TrimmingandBodyDamage004.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/TrimmingandBodyDamage005.jpg

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/TrimmingandBodyDamage003.jpg

It's going to be hell on your rig...but it's worth it if you like to get into the nasty stuff with the rest of them ;)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/Shackles002-1.jpg

What about 34"s ?

Is the 4.6 enough?

I ran 35s on my last Xterra...

It's going to be hell on your rig...but it's worth it if you like to get into the nasty stuff with the rest of them ;)

http://i108.photobucket.com/albums/n3/vaxcevents/Shackles002-1.jpg

Love the look of 35's!!!

I'm also getting into a set of 35's pretty soon (2-3 months max), and am contemplating three options.

Option 1) IROK ND (non directional) radial - I may have to wait until after the New Year (possibly February), but LA RANA may be sporting a set of these badd boyz next season. Today I spoke with my contact at Interco and he comfirmed that Interco will release them in a 315/70/R16 (aka 35X12.5), which is what I will be purchasing. My Interco contact is already running them on his rig and is very happy with the results, stating to me they are "smooth and quiet" on the highway and "great off road." They will be making the smaller sizes (starting w/ 245/75/R16 - 10 ply), and I thought you might like to know they will reportedly be available in a 285/75R 16 and a 305/70R16 application. Interco already had one trial/test preproduction run of 2000 245/75/R16 (about a year back) to see how they would sell and they went out the door like Tickle Me Elmo, but then they had an issue with their overseas fabricator, but now they are in process of rectifying that issue and the IROK ND should be in full production soon.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/rok3.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/irok3.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/irok2.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/irok.jpg

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/rok.jpg

Compare with the original directional tread IROK (available now) pic below
http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/530.jpg


Option 2) Super Swamper SSR 35X12.5 R16 (35.3x12.6") - these are available now, and are radials, real nice on and off road, nice but a HEAVY 87 lbs.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/585.jpg

Option 3) Super Swamper LTB 35X12.5 R16 (35.1"x12.2") - a bias application that is nice and light weight for the size at 68 lbs, but if I run these they will be for trail days only, as they suck for pavement and will wear quick. I'd have a second set of meats for the street. This size is not released yet they are overdue, and my contact stated they will be out in February.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/549.jpg

get the IROKs! They're sick!

Steeze...4.6s are not really enough. If you have lower t-case gears you "Might" be able to get away with it. Hell, 4.9s aren't even ideal..but they do if that's all you can get or all you have. I'd say upgrade to 4.9s for 34s at the very least.

I'd have to throw in a vote for the LTBs. Those are great tires, and the price they're offered at for 35s it's pretty good. Dana had been running 34x10.50s on his 2000 X forever, and he had nothing but good things to say about those tires off road. I'm not sure what he's running now after the SAS though.

He changed to something that looks more like an A/T. They're really wide though.

http://www.westpaxterraclub.com/ECXC2K8/images/DSC_2473.jpg

They still look to be the same 34x10.50 LTBs that he's been running. Maybe he's running something else for a street tire though...don't know. I'm sure he could explain it better lol.

Yeah. I think your right he does have a new set of street tires. He had some pics the other day of him in the woods so I was thinking he just used them but he wasn't wheeling hard. just on some light trails.

I'd have to throw in a vote for the LTBs. Those are great tires, and the price they're offered at for 35s it's pretty good. Dana had been running 34x10.50s on his 2000 X forever, and he had nothing but good things to say about those tires off road. I'm not sure what he's running now after the SAS though.


Yeah I just received some feedback that the IROK is great for the trail and rocks, but won't do as well in mud, and ultimately that will keep me away from them. Here is a post in response from another site: "my dads truck has 39.5 iroks on his truck and they do preform pretty well in everything except mud." It must be that they don't clean out well enough at each revolution. My installer has 25 years experience in building all kinds of rigs and his position is "if you want to drive offroad nothing perform like a Super Swamper, I don't care what any body says...V8 power and Super Swampers." I need a stronger mud tire, and great rock crawler.

I have to decide which Swamper, SSR or LTB. SSR will allow me to have a single set of tires/rim and not have to deal with the friggin pita of swapping meats, and they tested awesome in mud, but at 87 lbs the wear on components concerns me. LTB will be a pain to swap in/out, but will yield unbeatable performance in mud, are indestructable on the rocks, and they only weight 68lbs in the same size (19 lbs less each!).

If thats the case I'm recasting my vote for the LTBs

If thats the case I'm recasting my vote for the LTBs


Yeah thats the way I'm leaning too, but have to convince myself about swaping them in/out.

"What is the Super Swamper LTB? The Super Swamper LTBs are in the same basic Three Stage Lug design as the famous Super Swamper TSL’s but a little more aggressive. The large lug is offset more to the outside which gives the tire superb traction. It is in bias ply construction which allows for the more aggressive lugs and very strong sidewalls to better resist the rigors of hard off-roading. The bias construction reduces the chances of sidewall splitting when run off road at low air pressure. There are many sizes available that are not available in the regular TSL line."

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn86/XTERRADACTYL/pattern.gif

I love the LTB tread pattern :) The side lugs are massive, made for mud sliging, like a Bogger (but I don't like Boggers for rock crawling).

Hey, you can keep those LTBs on there full time...you just have to get used to the "Paint can shaker" ride until they round back out from sitting over night :mocking: ;)

Hey, you can keep those LTBs on there full time...you just have to get used to the "Paint can shaker" ride until they round back out from sitting over night :mocking: ;)


^^^That and I'll be buying another set every 18 months...lol. And without siping they are not real good for wet pavement or ice.

i had my ltb's on my X for about a week and i didnt have a problem other than the ride quality and the MPG.. LOL the trsction in the rain wasent bad.... i hit a few deep water puddles in the road and i didnt hydroplane.... just some food for thought...

ok, so 35s will be hell on my drivetrain all around when wheeling, not as bad when im daily driving...

i really dont wanna regear, im trying to avoid putting any money into the front axle since i will most definetly be sasing after its paid off and its not my dd'er.....

maybe ill find a set of 33's and be happy with those for a while....

damn

Sure, it's hell on a lot of things. If you're planning to SAS, then just go with 33s now, and save the 35s for after the SAS when you're able to build things for them, gear properly both in the diffs and the t-case, and lock it front and rear. I was planning to downgrade to 33s on that black Xterra had I kept it any longer. I just got sick of replacing things like Kyle was talking about (ball joints, bushings, etc...). But I sold it, and now it's the new owner's problem ;) He still has 35s on it...he just switched them from MTRs to BFG ATs is all.

i will swear by the LTBs offroad performance

im on my second set, though i have only owned them as a purely offroad tire

Brian (Baf6) Check your PM's.

lemme clarify that my first set of LTBs were 31x11.5 and my current set is 33x13.5, and they provide incredible traction in the nastiest mud

at this point, it looks like i will be splitting the difference and going with 305 or 315 70/17 on my current rims

i will keep the wheels and the 2 good tires in the garage, and do this when im SFA with bulletproof drivetrain and i dont give a crap if i break something

a 305 is gonna be a 33/12.50 and the 315 is is gonna be a 35/12.50. thats how they size the metric sizes

but good idea on going with 33's!!

a 305 is gonna be a 33/12.50 and the 315 is is gonna be a 35/12.50. thats how they size the metric sizes

but good idea on going with 33's!!

My Toyo Open County MT's are 305/70R16 radials, and they measure 33.0"x12.2", its a great tire, siped for wet and ice conditions, quietest MT I've ever run, smooth on pavement, great for the trail (especially crawling rocks), and they look sic. These Toyos were expensive over $240 each + shipping, but look great. They are in excellent shape, but I just want to have bigger tires and a little more aggresive mud tread design. If your interested Brian, they only have 4k miles and no patches or chucks missing... I was selling them at $600 ($150 per tire) but will part with them for $500 now ($125 each). Only one thing, I will need to keep them until my 35's are purchased/installed, and to lock in I'll need to receive a deposit (non-refundable). Send me a PM if your game.

tempting offer dude, very tempting....i dont have a set of 16"s though...

if i can pick up a set of cheap 16" black crawler wheels then im definetly interested

Baf,
I already responded to your posts on other boards.
I'll just summarize on this board.

35's with 4.63's are fine.
I've been running them for a while without changing tires for the street, etc..
I have a 5 speed with centerforce dual friction clutch.
No slipping clutch at all. Shifts nice through all gears, even reverse.

As others have said, you NEED a full steering replacement and plenty of spare adjusters, TRE's, CV's, etc..
I'm on my 3rd set of IA bushings. First time using the Bandit4x4 ones, which are f-in sweet.
I blew through 2 sets of SLR bushings in 3 years. Well, mainly because I never greased them.

IF you plan on wheeling with 35's, you NEED t-case gears in order to be able to do anything with 4.63's.
I've driven Pika's truck before at Rausch and he was running 36's with 4.63's and no crawler gears and an auto. It was pretty painful.

When I SAS my truck, I'll be sticking with the 4.63's out back since I have an ARB installed already, and I'll be doing 4.56's up front to match.
I'd rather put the money needed to regear into a front ARB locker since I'm used to driving my truck with the current gearing.

I did a lot of unneccesary trimming for my tires. But, they never rubbed even when flexed out. Also they key is to stick with stock backspacing and rim widths and that will keep the trimming down quite a bit.

Aftermarket rims will rub bad.

If you need any more info, let me know.
I have plenty of pix of how much I trimmed posted everywhere.

yeah ken, i've basically been scared away from the 35s idea until its not my daily driver...i just dont have the cash for tcase gears, and i like to wheel, albeit mostly mild trails...i usually wheel in 4low, even when i dont need it...it makes the trails easier for me, and it makes the whole experience more enjoyably to me...so until i get the crawler gear i wont be able to use 4lo, which i rather like having....

the idea of keeping a pallet of spare steering/suspension parts in my garage also doesnt thrill me...like i said, i NEED my rig to get me to school,work,and wherever else, every day...i really can't afford the time and the money to be changing parts every month...i dont drive hard and i dont wheel hard, but im smart enough to know that this is a bad idea for my X,in its current condition , especially as a DD'er..

my solution for now is this:

pick up a set of 295 or 305/70/17s and toss em on my current wheels...sell my 265/70/17s for whatever i can get for em, and by the time i wear out the 305s or 295s, it will be SAS time anyway, at which point i really could care less about how much i have to trim or how much i break...

not really the route i was hoping for, but it will have to do

Just put some new aggressive tires on the 17's you currently have and you'll have fun with it.
Don't get me wrong, I haven't broken anything while wheeling with the 35's.
Apparently I know when to back of the throttle while wheeling.
It is kinda nice to be able to just point the truck in a direction and just drive over stuff.
Can't wait to see what the truck is capable of after the SAS.

Like you said, do it if it's not your daily driver.
I have my mustang to drive every day. When the truck breaks, it just sits in my driveway until I get enough patience to fix it. lol

the 35"s were basically just for the killer looks....i can already tackle everything im comfortable with on the 32"s im sitting on now...i just wanted the 35"s because very few IFS X's are running them, and i think the stance of the truck with them on is seriously good looking....

one rig on here, username is MGBLANKE or something like that, is 3+3 on 35"s and it is amazing looking....just wanted the same thing...

and plus, now that tim is 2+3 on 33"s, i wanted the extra height to be 1 up on him :)

to be one up on me you would have to goof on and put down an entire club and then threaten physical violence against several of its members.....you want my pair of shoes to walk in? you can have em'....too old and too tired to deal with people's crap.

to be one up on me you would have to goof on and put down an entire club and then threaten physical violence against several of its members.....you want my pair of shoes to walk in? you can have em'....too old and too tired to deal with people's crap.

i dont play baseball yo

do your control arms yet?

crappy weather has delayed the install. but i did put in (4) 90 degree 1/8" zerks. i drilled through the delrin because i believe the sleeve needs greasing not the bushing to control arm connection. i just have to swap out ball joint bolts since they are prone to come out (thanks James) ;)

I know this thread is old but I have been thinking of jumping up to 35s. just not sure yet. Maybe locking up the front. BlueX is now a trail rig only.

What do you guys think??

No.

You would definitely want crawler gears or else its going to suck

He's already got tcase gears.

Hahah, man I just read through the OP thinking you were going for 35s now... wasn't until I saw "the x is my dd'er" that I got confused and checked the date...


I thought general consensus around here was that 35s = bad w/o SAS?

Lock ouys and steering would be the biggest concern. Hell i was destroying them at will with 33" ltbs. What are you running now for a tire? I personally wouldnt see a problem with going to 35s OR locking the front but both is going to make you want to punch babies.

Right now I have SLR steering kit, 33s MTRs, AC Crawler Gears, ARB rear locker.

Just have been thinking of jumping up to 35s or at least locking up the front. Also going up to 5.13s Or I just might keep as is.

Id slap a set of pitbull rocker 35"s on there if it were me but where i wheel alot of times ground clearence beats lockers here.

...I thought general consensus around here was that 35s = bad w/o SAS?

I agree with this^^^

What is the “weakest link” in our IFS set up?

I don’t know if Brian ever did this however the two guys I know who ran 35’s on their 1st gens back in the day never ran anything harder than “light” blues after they got them. Both of them now drive Jeeps and rarely wheel.

Is that your plan?

If I was going to trailer my rig I’d run it as is while saving up for an SAS with a locked full width front. Re-gear, SYE, spring over, wheel spacers for the rear and then run 37’s or maybe even 40’s.
…or sell my egg crate and build a buggy…

I agree with this^^^

What is the “weakest link” in our IFS set up?

I don’t know if Brian ever did this however the two guys I know who ran 35’s on their 1st gens back in the day never ran anything harder than “light” blues after they got them. Both of them now drive Jeeps and rarely wheel.

Is that your plan?

If I was going to trailer my rig I’d run it as is while saving up for an SAS with a locked full width front. Re-gear, SYE, spring over, wheel spacers for the rear and then run 37’s or maybe even 40’s.
…or sell my egg crate and build a buggy…

Yea after reading through all this I think I will just keep it as is w/ the MTRs 33s. I might lock up the front down the road.

If I was going to trailer my rig I’d run it as is while saving up for an SAS with a locked full width front. Re-gear, SYE, spring over, wheel spacers for the rear and then run 37’s or maybe even 40’s.
…or sell my egg crate and build a buggy…

This

I could see LOCKING the front, but to me 35's are a lot of stress for the IFS.

35's DO wheel better in of themselves, due to the gains in flotation and contact patch, terrain attack angles, ground clearance, etc...but our gearing means a lot of slippage to go slow.

You have the t-case gearing at least...which would help, but, you'd still have the IFS/steering parts to beef up.

If there's trails you can't run right now with your beast as is...because you need more traction, etc...maybe throw in an airlocker for less than what the 5 35's would have cost.

:D

Yea thinking the same thing TJ. Just keep as is and down the road throw in an ARB up front.

I've heard front lockers are hard on the cv joints/axles. Any truth to this?

Yes front lockers are just as hard on steering and axles as the 35s would be. Not to mention front lockers normally double your steering circle.

ARB lockers won't limit turning when the are off. They do stress the CV to the point that I hesitate to use mine. When I do I am always listening for the dreaded "snap" sound of my CV failing. It helped me out a few times but I'm not comfortable using it.
I'll sell you mine in a year or so...

'04 supercharged with 315/70/17s on 4.5" BS, 3"SL+2"BL, GR CL & HD TRA, ARB rear, 4.9 gears.

I've wheeled it about eight times since regearing/HD steering/ARB/Skids, thru mud, ruts, rocks, trails, everything basically.

The truck pretty idles over everything except mud in 4Lo with the rear ARB on.

I have flexed it out and it gets somewhere around 32-35" of travel with the F sway bar connected.

The majority of the rear of the front fender is gone, and the tub is banged back about 1.5"

I have busted three hubs, all three were low quality mile marker ones, all three were in situations where the truck had too much wheel spin and caught air, breaking the hub in the subsequent landing.

I have yet to break a CV, or bend a steering component.

However- I drive very calmly off road, only just enough wheel spin.

If you have experience and ability piloting a truck, you should be able to get thru everything the truck can physically go thru without breaking anything.

If you want to mash the throttle and force the steering and play tonka truck, you will break ANY axle.

Too lazy to post pics, just look them up on my older posts.

'04 supercharged with 315/70/17s on 4.5" BS, 3"SL+2"BL, GR CL & HD TRA, ARB rear, 4.9 gears.

I've wheeled it about eight times since regearing/HD steering/ARB/Skids, thru mud, ruts, rocks, trails, everything basically.

The truck pretty idles over everything except mud in 4Lo with the rear ARB on.

I have flexed it out and it gets somewhere around 32-35" of travel with the F sway bar connected.

The majority of the rear of the front fender is gone, and the tub is banged back about 1.5"

I have busted three hubs, all three were low quality mile marker ones, all three were in situations where the truck had too much wheel spin and caught air, breaking the hub in the subsequent landing.

I have yet to break a CV, or bend a steering component.

However- I drive very calmly off road, only just enough wheel spin.

If you have experience and ability piloting a truck, you should be able to get thru everything the truck can physically go thru without breaking anything.

If you want to mash the throttle and force the steering and play tonka truck, you will break ANY axle.

Too lazy to post pics, just look them up on my older posts.



What exactly does 32" - 35" of travel mean?

Are you adding up the total travel for both corners?

The IFS with aftermarket UCA seems to allow ~ 9" of front travel...the rear live axles are a lot flexier of course....


But I don't know anyone with a recognizable Xterra that has anywhere near 30" of rear travel....20" maybe, but 12-16" is closer to maxed out for most people.


What are you measuring when you get 30"+ travel?

(Most of us measure the hub at full stuffage, and full droop, and that distance between up/down is the travel.)

I saw a Toyota FJ ad that gave a crazy travel # though, so I'm wondering if you're using the same technique?


Describe?

- Thanks!

My bad, i should have been clearer, the displacement between the floor and the bottom of the tire on a ramp/obstacle before the other tire on the same side gets off the ground.

My bad, i should have been clearer, the displacement between the floor and the bottom of the tire on a ramp/obstacle before the other tire on the same side gets off the ground.

So the ramp height on an RTI ramp...gotcha.

That's very good though...on a 20º RTI ramp, that would be a score in the 900- 1000 range, really good.

That's very hard to get for an X with IFS too...figure we have 9" of front travel, and the front tire comes off the ground...so we need to lean it onto the non-ramped front tire to keep it on the ground.

To get the X up enough so the rear tire is about also against the ramp on the same side as the front ramp tire (RTI = ~1,000 at that point), you need the ramp side rear droop to allow the opposite front to stay on the ground...so body lean and rear wheel travel need to make up ~ 26".

:D

Which looks a lot like this:

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5229/5684864271_5a969fef6f_o.jpg


http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5102/5685437890_c5d55c8c3d_o.jpg