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Silver dudes 2001 X

51K views 265 replies 62 participants last post by  BengbX 
#1 · (Edited)
Thought I should get around to creating some kind of on going rig story here. A lot of upgrades are coming in the mail.

Anyways current mods...

Interior
  • Scan gauge II
  • Lev o Gauges
  • Uniden CB radio
  • MV-40 Tire compressor
  • Husky Floor mats

Sound Entertainment
  • Second Skin audio Damplifier sound mat
  • Pioneer Head unit
  • Infinity components
  • Infinity subwoofer.
  • Starmate Sirius satellite radio
  • Custom Dash faceplate
  • MB quart speaker amp
  • Legacy sub amp

Engine Performance
  • Volant intake
  • NGK platinum plugs
  • Quest Alternator

Drive train Performance
  • ARB Air locker for the front

Lighting
  • X2 Hella 500 series with HID 4300K bulbs
  • Phillips night vision bulbs
  • LED corner bulbs
  • LED dome lamps

Steering suspension
  • Desert Runner wheels from a Frontier
  • 32X11.50X15 BFG A/t Ko's
  • SLR 3" Suspension lift
  • SLR Steering kit
  • 4x4parts HD adjusters
  • Rough Stuff Specialties shackles
  • Alcan leaf packs
  • Rough Country steering stabilizer
  • Removed rear sway bar
  • Bilstein 7100 Series with remote reservoirs for the back
  • Fox Emulsion remote reservoir shocks for the front

Armor
  • Receiver Hitch
  • Shrockworks sliders
  • Shrockworks Winch bumper
  • Custom skid plates




Stuff to come:
  • Full skids (once its warm I'll fab some up)
  • Repaint roof rack charcoal (once its warm)
  • Fab tire carrier and bumper (Before May)

Wanted:
  • Rear locker
  • Transfer case gears
  • 33X12.50X15's
  • Engine swap
Goal: Make a expedition type vehicle capable of long distance trips as well as being offroad capable and comfortable.

Pics

Stock


August 2009





Sept 12th 2008 (Moab trip)






 
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#6 ·
nice rig! same rims i want to put on my x also but in black. so u didnt add any lift for the 32's to fit?
 
#10 ·
nice rig! same rims i want to put on my x also but in black. so u didnt add any lift for the 32's to fit?
Right, no lift still rolling stock, tires don't rub. PML to come though just because. I love the way a 3 inch suspension lift looks but really see no reason to raise my center of gravity if I'm not clearing a bigger tire. Who knows though I might get the mod bug.

Loving the sliders!
Do they stick out far enough to be able to use it as stepbars?
If you open the door they still allow easy access to the roof. Maybe not as good as stock. But, they stiffen the frame up big time. The truck rides around with a little better tighter smoother handling. The sliders also help lower the center of gravity.

where can i get some rims like that? those are sick!
These are wheels off the Nissan frontiers. I see the 4x2 desert runner seems to have them the most however I've seen them on plain 4x4 frontiers as well. Believe it or not I bought mine from a local xterra guy who sold these off as he wanted 33's and steelies. I've got the 5th rim for the spare too, once it comes time for the tire carrier.
 
#18 ·
Sweet looking X man. Do you have wheel spacers with those DR wheels? They seem to stick out further than mine do (I have the same wheels and on the same exact tires). Maybe because mine has a 3" lift I notice it more...don't know.

Excellent looking Xterra though, you've put things together nicely on that one.
 
#19 · (Edited)
Looks good Silver Dude!
How long did the installation take you? Do it yourself?
6-8 hours I painted the rusty radiator lower bracket and all the front underbody so that when you look at the stuff under the bumper its all black no silver underbody here and there. Super rust proof paint, its been a whole week and I still have some on my hands the stuff just doesn't come off.

I also painted the gap in between the fender and bumper the same color as the bumper so that it is less noticeable and it blends better.

Removal was a breeze. I had it off in 30 minutes.

Installing the bumper was a bit of pest. I used my dad and brother to hold it up while I stuck the bolts in. I got 3 bolts in they went back to watching TV. I fought it with a jack until I could get all the holes to line up. Then I spent maybe 45 minutes or so getting it on there straight before I tightened it down. When I do my skids I plan to weld a little reinforcement to the frame horns then drill and install the rest of the bolts.

Out of all the mods I have done this is without doubt the most noticeable. Everyone at work loves the bumper I drove it into the lot on a Saturday and they just couldn't take their eyes or hands off of it. They were even crawling under the rig to see how it bolted on. My boss wants one for his dodge ram now. Heck event the janitor lady told me she liked it.

I like it though it does weigh the truck down more than I originally thought. The truck rides a little different and handles a little different. I was kind of suprized I wasn't thinking I would notice as much as I have. I guess I'm pretty sensitive to that kind of thing though. It is fun driving it though looking over the bars. It turns a lot more heads. I don't pass replica Xterras on the way to work anymore either. Horn is bit more muffled with all the steel in the way. I don't worry about damage half as much anymore either you just feel solid and protected when driving. I used to slam on the brakes when I would see a deer now I just slow down.



Sweet looking X man. Do you have wheel spacers with those DR wheels? They seem to stick out further than mine do (I have the same wheels and on the same exact tires). Maybe because mine has a 3" lift I notice it more...don't know.

Excellent looking Xterra though, you've put things together nicely on that one.
Yeah no wheel spacers. With the X if the lift goes higher the track width gets narrower. When I comes time to get a lift I'm going to be considering it. Though I've heard mixed reviews on them. It just prevents the really tall and skinny look. But, the front should always be wider or equal to the back in order for the vehicle to handle it's best. But, I don't really want to stress those front end components either.
 
#20 ·
Just a parts update...

Well I've got SLR UCA's and a SLR Steering kit on the way. Can't wait though I still need to collect parts for the rear. Thinking Bandit4x4 leaf packs.

I bought the Rough Country Steering stabilizer designed for the frontier. It was only $40 with all the brackets and the shock is pretty massively beef. I had the same stabilizer on my Hardbody truck, it worked great for that. But, since it was designed for the frontier with the 4cyl engine the oil filter gets in the way. However, I plan fab a new frame bracket to clear once the SLR kit arrives.

Bilstein is running a promotion for shocks buy 3 get 1 free. www.1freeshock.com
Really thinking about it though I'm still unsure if I should splurge get the higher model up shocks with reservoirs. The winch bumper has beat my current shocks to pulp. The short front struts have always seemed ineffective to me. Considering maybe fabbing something like a SLR stage 4 setup.

Bought a HID kit for my Hella 500 series on my shrock. Should be 3X's brighter when done. Didn't want the legality issues with the headlights so I figured with fogs I can switch them off for city driving. I bought a mad awesome looking switch for the dash as well.

A friend of mine offered up his uncles huge bending break to help with my skids when it comes time. Thinking about a 1/4 thick aluminum skid with a bunch of sexy holes. The Shrock skids seem nice though expensive.
 
#21 ·
Nice Job!

As long as you're getting the SLR UCA's...get the diff drop kit too. The bushings are available for ~$65-70 IIRC, and its just diff mounts with offset holes to lower the diff w/in the factory mount, so your clearance is the same, but you have a less acute CV angle, etc.

I swapped in the SLR UCA's and sold my Calmini UCA's, and gained about 2" of extra wheel travel....too bad they went out of business...now all you can do is scrounge up used ones.

sigh

If you are getting Bilstein 5100's, they are monotube shocks that don't over heat easily like the old fashioned twin tube ones...so unless you are doing some really hard core dessert racing, they should be fine (No reservoir needed)

If you do a longer travel rear suspension, and don't want uptravel robbing (evil) bump stops, going to a short body monotube with a reservoir makes more sense, to preserve your compressed length/prevent over compression of the longer travel shock.

The 16" - 26" travel rear 5100's I had were great when I had a conventional 3" lift (Calmini AAL/Shackle)....and ALMOST long enough when I swapped in the Revolver Shackles...but, to get full travel on the revolvers, I needed more like 29" extended length, with no more than 17" compressed length....and to get that, I had to go to the short body/reservoir 7100's....which are AMAZING.

:D

I also had to reshape the cross member the rear drive shaft passes over, to make a gully for the shaft to clear the cross member, and extend the brake lines and diff breather, to make enough slack as well.

:wink-big:
 
#23 ·
Here are some inside pics.

Scan gauge II


Pioneer deck


Husky liners yeah they are dirty but they hold slop perfect. The old mats are responsible for that run of sludge on the carpet near the rocker. Don't get in the way of the pedals or add extra thickness which is nice.


Infinity 12" in a custom box that fit the angle of the seat.


Stock cargo cover


After the trim piece I added (piece of gutter from home depot)


You might say why didn't you go the width of the seat with the box? Well with the length I made the box I can still access my tools from the rear seat.


Installed a fire extinguisher today.


Stabilizer


HID's (Installing tonight hopefully)
 
#24 ·
Nice Job!

As long as you're getting the SLR UCA's...get the diff drop kit too. The bushings are available for ~$65-70 IIRC, and its just diff mounts with offset holes to lower the diff w/in the factory mount, so your clearance is the same, but you have a less acute CV angle, etc.
I've considered it the only thing that turns me off is I know it would be a major pain to install. I used to tear up CV's on my Pickup on a 3 month basis. Especially in winter. It's not a bad idea then I guess. Can't you still get them direct from energy suspension? or was that just a group buy thing.

I swapped in the SLR UCA's and sold my Calmini UCA's, and gained about 2" of extra wheel travel....too bad they went out of business...now all you can do is scrounge up used ones.
Good to know, I just sort of assumed all UCA's increased travel. That was my main goal of getting them to begin with. They still use the standard length shocks right? I got my stuff brand new, Spenser was closing out some of the left over unsold stuff in his shop last week. My UCA's are not power coated. But the steering is, he also tossed in a few extras engine mount braces ect. Made me a deal I couldn't refuse.

If you are getting Bilstein 5100's, they are monotube shocks that don't over heat easily like the old fashioned twin tube ones...so unless you are doing some really hard core dessert racing, they should be fine (No reservoir needed)

If you do a longer travel rear suspension, and don't want uptravel robbing (evil) bump stops, going to a short body monotube with a reservoir makes more sense, to preserve your compressed length/prevent over compression of the longer travel shock.

The 16" - 26" travel rear 5100's I had were great when I had a conventional 3" lift (Calmini AAL/Shackle)....and ALMOST long enough when I swapped in the Revolver Shackles...but, to get full travel on the revolvers, I needed more like 29" extended length, with no more than 17" compressed length....and to get that, I had to go to the short body/reservoir 7100's....which are AMAZING.

:D

I also had to reshape the cross member the rear drive shaft passes over, to make a gully for the shaft to clear the cross member, and extend the brake lines and diff breather, to make enough slack as well.

:wink-big:
Yeah my useage is mostly daily driving. However, I make one trip every year to Utah. I really like ripping through the sand washes and gravel roads. I'm building my X as a expedition type vehicle. Does everything off road with ease while remaining road worthy. I don't want the X to accel at any one terrain but show equal capabilty in all. Eventually once its lifted and ready I'll start visiting offroad parks again.

I'm mostly looking to increase suspension travel a little. I figure if I get some lift leaf packs that will increase my travel a bit if I don't lower the bump stops.

Leaf packs will keep the rear end soft and flexy.

I'm considering just getting the lifted Bilstien 5100 HD's in a 20% stiffer configuration as the price is just so dang good with that sale they have going.

But, the 5150's for the rear have my eye as well I just wonder if they would be worth the additional coin.

Shocks are pretty important to me the local roads are very rough.

Still thinking I'll need the torsion bars to get the suspension up front back to normal.
 
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