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Pepe` my little mule......(photo heavy)

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40K views 88 replies 44 participants last post by  MeToo  
C
#1 ·
I am not that active on the site, but figured I would post up a build thread one my X for those who haven’t seen it on other boards. I did lose some of my build photos when my laptop crashed last month, so I have been trying to take more as I need them. Now, on to Pepe` my little mule. My goal for this truck was to build an expedition class vehicle that could also handle rough trails like the Rubicon and Four Dice. I have to say I think I did it.

Vehicle = 2000 Nissan Xterra XE
Color = Silver Ice

He was stock when I bought him, plus a WAAG Brush Guard. This is the only photo I have of it then. (Also happens to be the trip that started it all, pushed the stock step-rail into the rear tire thus making me want sliders. That was the end of the beginning)


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Interior:
The dash has gone through a few changes over the years but I am happy with the current setup (for now) I have a standard Alpine head unit. This runs to an 800 watt Infinity amplifier running to 2 sets of Polk Audio speakers. Below the stereo is a small switch panel I made. The switches run various light, fans and such. To the right of those is a National Luna dual battery monitor and to the left is my Cobra 75 CB.

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Throughout the rest of the cab you can find a Sirius satellite radio, Scangauge II, fire extinguisher and mag-light all within reach.

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My first GPS was a Garmin iQue 3600. This unit was nice. It has a bigger color screen and a good size memory to hold lots of trails and maps. ( sorry, no photo of this one) However it is very hard to see in the sun, and although the screen is big for a GPS unit, it was still too small for my eyes.

Second GPS Compact Armada running Garmin GPS 18 with a USB puck antenna. I got this because I wanted a bigger screen to view the maps on. This is mounted on a homemade mount.

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This worked pretty well with two major drawbacks. First it takes up WAY too much space. I can’t have a passenger when it is in the cab. Second, while the big screen is nice it sucks in the sun. Thus I can't read it on bright days. I was going to mount it under the passenger seat and find a monitor to mount somewhere but I could not find the right size monitor at a good price. So, thanks to lots of web searching I found the perfect solution.

Third GPS: EEE pc by Asus running the above software. This is a much smaller designed “netbook”. Fits perfectly in the cab and still has a bigger screen then any hand help GPS units.

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I used a RAM mount to mount it to the dash. So far I love this setup. I may have to add a small plate to help support it, we shall see.

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More to come..............................

Casper
:bubblegum-big:
 
#4 ·
your rig is freakin nuts i saw it over on ronin too and that freaking trailer is sick too
 
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C
#5 ·
Interior continued:


Right behind the front seats is a Raingler Pet Net I installed. This is to keep Porthos from coming in the front.

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The rear seats have been completely removed to make way for a custom platform for Porthos. On top of the platform is a ¼ rubber matt that runs all the way to the rear on the X. On top of that is a 4-inch thick dog bed for Porthos.

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Under Pathos’s platform I have the main truck battery (Optima yellow top) and the auxiliary battery (Also Optima yellow top) They are wired through a National Luna Dual battery system. This system rocks, however if I had to do it again I would have bought the separate parts to this system minus the cable. I ended up not using much of it and instead used double O size cable because of the long run. (sorry, no photo yet)

I wired in a marine grade fuse block to run all of my accessories. This is wired directly to the battery. The good part is that I can run anything without the key being on, the bad part is that when the truck is parked between trips (which could be a few weeks0 there are a few things that still draw power. Thus I come back to a dead auxiliary battery. I fixed this with a simple battery disconnect switch. When I am parking between trips I just turn power off to the fuse panel.

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Behind Porthos is a second Raingler pet net. This is installed to both keep Porthos out of the tool storage area, and to keep tools out of Porthos’s area should something bad happen.

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Rear storage:

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I have a roof mounted Raingler net that holds some basic stuff I like to keep in the X “Just in case”. Blanket, spare cloths, sleeping bag, 100’ of rescue rope, and walking stick. To the side of this is a bungee with a roll of paper towels.

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I have an Engle 15 mounted on the left side for trail drinks and lunches. The right side has a 10lbs CO2 tank and 2nd fire extinguisher. In the center is a simple box I made to hold the ramp Porthos needs to get in and out of the X. Under the box I keep my tools, recovery gear and spare fluids. The fluids are kept in a plastic battery box incase they leak.

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I think that’s it for the inside.

Next post, Body and Armor.

Casper
:wink-big:
 
C
#7 ·
Body and Armor:

Roger Brown Sliderz.

I chose these for a few reasons. First, I just don’t like round tubes for sliders. At some point I will use them as a step and since I am not the most graceful I will end up falling on my ass. Second they stick out farther than most of the others I’ve seen. Third, for the price they can’t be beat.

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Gobi Ranger Rack. All I can say about this is “Hell Yea”. Build quality is perfect.

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I have the rear ladder option (it doesn’t normally have a license plate mounted to it. I will explain that a tad later)

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The shovel/axe mount.

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And the Highlift mount.

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Roof lights are Lightforce 140’s. I chose them because they are adjustable from flood to spot. Just spin the lens (like a mag-light)

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More to come, cause I'm really bored at work......

Casper
 
C
#9 ·
Here is the Calmini front bumper in its first faze.
I mounted a set of PIAA Ion Crystal fog lights and an old Warn winch I had from a previous truck. This setup worked well for a few years.


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I then decided to upgrade the winch to a T-Max 9000 with synthetic line. (Basically my old Warn gave up the ghost, and since it was older than me, it wasn’t worth keeping). I also decide to move the lights out of “harms way”, so I had some tabs welded to the bottom of the top tube.

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Once that was done I then removed everything and repainted with Dulpicolor spray on bedliner. It came out pretty god, but I think I should have practiced a tad more. Some areas are smooth and some have a ton of texture to them. All in all it looks a million times better than when it was rusty.

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Lastly I am sure someone noticed the big holes in the bumper and skid. I did this to increase airflow to the radiator. Behind some of those holes you might just see my next add on.

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Casper
:aufkopfhauen-big:
 
C
#12 ·
I have been chasing a running hot problem for the last few years. Pulling hills under load tends to heat the engine up above normal. I did all the normal stuff (t-stat, water pump, temp sending unit etc.) I then added an engine oil cooler with fan from flex-a-light.

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I mounted this just behind the front skid plate. The fan is wired to a switch in the dash. The lines run from an adapter that bolts to where the filter goes.

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This has defiantly helped keep the engine 15 to 20 degrees cooler. Next on the list is a tranny cooler. I will post up photos and stats of that once I do it.

On to the rear.

Rear bumper was a standard Calmini with a tire carrier.

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While this worked, it is the only Calmini product I have never been very happy with. First, because of the latch setup, second because it only holds a tire, third because with the trailer I tow (more on that later) I can’t open the swing arm when the trailer is attached. So it was time for a change.

I took the idea from a LC bumper I saw. First we moved the swing point out to under the taillights.

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We then mirrored this to the other side.

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Then we made two swings that meet in the center of the bumper and latch together.

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One side holds the spare tire. The other holds two scepter cans of fuel or water

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This now allows me to open the swings and rear hatch with the trailer attached.

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Next post, suspension...


Casper
:talk2much:
 
C
#15 ·
On to the suspension:

I have been running the Calmini 3 inch kit for quite a few years. I have been happy with it, for an IFS setup, but it was time to step it up a notch. This winter I bit the bullet and installed the Calmini SAS kit.

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I have to say this is one heck of a kit. Very well thought out and designed. Easy to install. It uses a D44 out of an 80 to 85 Jeep Wagoneer. I started the build with the goal of running a 35-inch tire without a body lift. With that in mind I had to beef up a few things. Steering was the first. The kit is designed to use the stock Waggy steering. I tossed that and got some 1-ton Chevy tierod ends. This is coupled with 1 ½ DOM tubing with weld in bungs.

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Next upgrade was the track bar mount on the axle. It was single sheer. A small gusset fixed that.

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That’s about it. The last upgrade I did because I thought it needed it. The swaybar that comes with the kit bolts on.

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This is fine if you don’t want to be able to remove them for better articulation, I wanted to do just that. So I purchase a few Hiem joints, some 1/2 inch bolts nuts and some 1/8 inch quick pins.

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Then I just rounded the heads of the bolts off, drilled a hole in each one for the pin and bolted them in place.

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Vala, quick disconnect sway bar ends.

O.K. Time for lunch (yes, most likely Taco Bell)
I will post more lator

Casper
:lutscher-big:
 
#16 ·
Nice work, Casper. Looks great.
 
C
#20 ·
Thanks guys. Just wait, there is more to come. Just might not get posted until tonight. Apparently I am suppose to get some work done today.

Dude, that's a sweet ride! Is it a trail truck only? Or do you do some highway time with it too?
Click to expand...
Although it is no longer my DD, it is not a trail only truck. I drive it out to goneMOAB every year(just over 900 miles one way, if I go straight there, which I don't) while towing a trailer (more on that lator). While building the X, my goal was to have a vehicle that was just as comfortable to drive on the road as off. Expidition stile some would say. Heck, after I finished the SAS I drove it every day for 2 months just because it was fun and cool. As you can expect, I get people coming up to the rig every time I stop and asking me question s about it. And I love it.

Casper
:wink-big:
 
C
#21 ·
Suspension continued:

The front axle is geared with 5.13’s and has an ARB locker.

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The rear was next. For this I just did a simple SOA.

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I still have the Calmini 3 inch lift setup with this. Eventually I will be getting a set of Alcan springs. I also moved my rear shock mounts last year. The stock ones got ripped off one to many times. The tops of the shocks are mounted in the center of the vehicle to a custom made tubular cross member.

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The bottoms of the shocks are mounted to the top of the axle tube.

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This setup makes for great articulation, but you give up a little rear stability. Not much, but you do notice it. The rear also has an ARB and 5.13 gears.
This setup works great. I have some very minor trimming to do at the back of the front wheel, but that’s it.

Tires and Wheels:

I origanaly wanted to run my stock wheels, however I can't do this. They will not clear the brakes or the steering, so I opted for a set of Craiger Soft 8's wrapped in BFG KM2's, 315-75-16.

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Casper
:talk2much:
 
#25 ·
Nice setup dude. I bet that trailer comes in handy.
Lets see a pic of Porthos.
 
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