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Nissan Xterra Pro-4x Basic Lift vs. OME Style Lift ??

12K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  skynrd79 
#1 ·
Looking to pick up a 2011 - 2013 Nissan Xterra Pro-4x as a daily driver / adventure vehicle.
I will have a little extra money to throw at it and am hoping to improve the overall look and functionality of the SUV. I was thinking a nice set of 33” ATV tires and perhaps a 2” lift kit. I’ve read that the Gen 2 Xterra w/ stock suspension can handle most 33” tires and at worst you need to do the melt mod for them to fit. However if you want a little extra wheel travel a lift/leveling kit is recommended. I’ve also read that the Pro-4x come leveled from the factory and most puck/shackle kits will not work. After some digging around I found that PRG makes an adjustable basic lift kit with a 2” puck up front and a 1, 1.5, or 2” shackle in the back which should work with the Pro-4X line if the rear is set at 2”.

I’ve also seen some people using Old Man Emu style or coil over kits ( Rockyroad, Nisstec, PRG). PGR sells their Basic lift kit with Bilstein 5120 shocks for $427* and the OME style kits generally got for around $1200 - $1500**. I know this is a newbie question but is it worth spending the extra $1000+ for an OME or coil over kit vs a basic level kit? I head out to the north woods a few times a year and am looking forward to hitting some trails out at Badlands Indiana and just want to make sure I’m investing in the right kit and what the pros and cons are. Future plans for this X would be adding a aftermarket rear bumper w/ tire rack and some additional lighting.

There is so much info out there it helps having a little guidance when planning a build. Thank you in advance for any help!

*
http://www.prgproducts.com/shop/product/xterra_basic_lift_package/
**
http://www.prgproducts.com/shop/category/xterra/packages/
 
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#2 ·
I have a 2015 Pro-4X and installed the OME lift suspension about 6 months ago. Basically - with the OME versus the basic lift pkg that PRG or others sell is that in addition to lift you do get a noticeable change in how the vehicle rides and in particular how it hauls extra weight. The basic lifts (pucks up front and shackles in rear) don't do much to change the ride quality - it should ride pretty much like stock. The OME kit is much stiffer, so in addition to some lift you get a stiffer ride, less body roll when cornering, and it will carry weight much better than stock or lift pkg.
I installed a heavy front bumper and the stock suspension sagged quite a bit due to the extra weight. The OME carries it perfectly fine and gave me a 1" lift over stock (it lifted the front 1.5" total, but it was already sagging 0.5" due to the bumper, so if you have a stock front end you'd get 1.5" of total lift). As for the rear end, I got 1.5" of lift and it carries weight much, much better. Stock the rear would sag with the weight of a bike rack and a mountain bike. With the OME leafs I can tow my camper with almost no noticeable sag at 140lb tongue weight.

Now..with all of that said - if you like the stock ride and don't carry much extra weight than you probably don't want the OME kit. It is a stiffer ride, and some people don't like that. Plus - it is expensive and you don't get much height out of it (~1.5"). In fact, I have already installed PRG's lift shackle in the rear (on the 1" setting) to give me more lift and I just ordered a 1" lift spacer for the front end from Nisstec. So consider that extra cost as well.

Bottom line - I like the way the OME suspension performs, it enables me to carry lots of extra weight, and I think the ride is improved. But - I'm spending extra money on shackles and pucks to get me to a total of 2.5" of lift. So if you like the stock ride, don't carry lots of weight, and want at least 2" of lift - go with the less expensive basic lift from PRG.
Hope that helps a little in making your decision.
 
#3 ·
Thank you skynrd79 for your reply. You've basically answered all my questions. I did end up picking up a 2014 Xterra Pro-4x a couple weeks back and the stock ride height is a lot better then I thought. My X came with a heavy ARB front bumper and oddly enough my front end sits about .5 inch higher in the front then in the back. 21" Driver Side Front 20.5" Driver Side Rear (From hub to fender). I think the dealer replaced the OE Bilstien Stocks but That should not effect ride height. Have to dig into that more later. As for the lift, OEM style kits are very expensive, so I'll likely go for the Puck and shackle lift. Perhaps in the future even look into doing a Titan swap if I can get decent parts from the yard.
Thank you again for your reply.
 
#4 ·
The Titan swap does look good - if you can find all the parts for a decent price that would be a good way to go. A suggestion I'd make if you go the puck method for the front of your X: definitely install the camber bolt kit while you're in there. Nissan doesn't put camber adjustment on their trucks anymore, so when you take it to get aligned after doing your lift there is only so much a shop can do. PRG and Nisstec both sell them for I think $55. Another suggestion would be to change your upper control arms also. I did not - still have the stock one and there is some contact between the arms and coil bucket when the suspensions sags. So it's not all the time, when you go over the right terrain you get a pretty big bang when they contact. So - that project will go on my list, but it may be a bit before I get to it.
Otherwise - enjoy your new X and good luck with whatever you decide!
 
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