GrandpaX

Leaf Spring = High steer Coil spring = normal steering works fine. Full Hydro = heims for sure Heim vs One Ton.... I have used both. Went away from Heim and never looked back. The one tons have held up perfectly on 38's and hydro assist for 4 years now. Heim joints were a yearly change out.

Let it set in the hot sun for a couple days... let the vinyl find its home.

Sweet!

Maybe we can make a new thread on this subject. It could go on and on....

There are many ways to skin a cat when it comes to an SaS. Leaf springs, three link, four link, radius arms... there are many ways! All these setups have their advantages and disadvantages. Automotive manufactures have used most of these setups throughout the years. So looking at what they have done to get a vehicle safely on the road is always a good way to research what style a builder may want to tackle. The more I build rigs the less I want to tell a person what direction to go.. It is obvious I lean towards the radius arm setup for coils and I beat the life out of a Hard Body on leaf springs. However the way my rigs tend to be built is not the way everyone needs to setup their junk. The one thing to filter while researching a built is the person who basically demands their way of building is the shizzle! "Mine is this way and it is the best!" There is no best way.. There is a way that is works best for what you are after. This is not an easy path to get through. Thus why "built/lift kits" are the way most folks go! The problem.. who out there builds a complete Nissan kit with a proven track record.. Nobody!

New molded vinyl flooring...

I don't see why a guy couldn't. I wonder if the backrest padding could be removed. The backs to those seats would make a sweet lid to the area you are trying to gain. Heck the hinges etc.. are already there. I imagine those seats are not a big seller for the junk yards. Some sacrificial units could be picked up for possibly the cost of making something else.

Who should SaS.. I have seen some crazy stuff out there. Normally it is the fella bragging how his build cost 1200 bucks... Cutting corners is just that. I respect a guy trying to save some cash here and there. However one should never buy into the cheapest build game. Corners are normally cut that put innocent folks that are sharing the road with you in danger. There are numerous parts that if fail would send into oncoming traffic. Research... research.. research! A good start would be looking at builds from folks who have done more than a rig or two. Maybe take an introduction to welding class. Welding is fun! However one should probably take a class if it is new to them.

Why is there not a kit.... Sorry fellas... but we are the few and the proud. There is enough interest.. however.. not enough money. When I go wheeling in Colorado, the trails are owned by Jeeps. It is unbelievable how many 65 year old men dump a chunk of their nest-egg into this childhood fantasy. Not that it is wrong in any way, but they all dream of Jeeps! Someone would be hard pressed to find an retired guy with a burning desire to dump 20K worth of modifications into an 87 Pathfinder. It is just not there! Do these guys bicker over shipping on a $99 part? No, they can't wait to bolt it on to their prize. So manufactures like these folks. Calmini. ya they tried to help us out... however we required a lot more customer support than a Jeep dude with the same parts his whole club has installed. As far as I know they have lost interest in Nissan... basically living out the life of the few parts they still manufacture. Who knows... hopefully I am wrong! But nothing indicates anything new coming out there door anytime soon. (Fingers crossed I am wrong!) Future SAS setups... I know Steevo is working on a few ideas. It is not a small task making a setup that the normal Joe can understand and install. If/when he does produce something! We need to be a big part of his customer support system. Producing, supporting, selling, this stuff takes a ton of time! Unlike me, this is his only income! I do need to say this!!! I like this thread so far! We need to be constructive in nature. Sometimes forums get caught up with "Who is right" not "What is right". If we keep our heads pointed at common goal, we could possibly make this experience better for the next guy. We will be and have been there.. all of us!

OK... so we have a few pics of busted up oem parts... It is obvious some folks have problems with these parts. Probably the best setup for a fella wanting to modify the ifs setup is to leave the suspension alone. Throw on a 2 or 3 inch body lift and run 32's or small 33's. This keeps the steering system at the angles it was designed to handle and allows the suspension to have a nice amount of up and down travel. Cranking the torsion bars increases the up travel but takes away from the down travel. It also increases the angle on the CV axle/boots causing some havoc there. However cranking the tbars is a cheap and easy way to get a little lift. If an owner is wanting to fit one size bigger meats and has a couple hours on the weekend to crank it up and get it aligned... hey I can't say it is wrong in any way. Ok... something we have not brought up yet is wear and tear... How much can someone drop into replacing the worn out IFS. To really do it correctly new Tbars, joints, steering, bushings, etc... Here is the strut rod off my blue pathfinder... anything alarming????? The rod was hammered and the hole in the frame-side mount looked like an egg. YIKES! The point here being... the cost of fixing this stuff is not cheap. This money could go towards a big chunk of an SaS conversion.

I grew up in the Midwest... D44's on the old farm trucks were fine. Never enough traction to hurt anything. Can you say MUD! In snow I have found the VG30 to work awesome! They never overheat (like the V8's) and they can be wound up all day long... Put it to the floor and leave it there..

This thread is open to whoever... the more info the better! More damaged IFS pics are welcome.... Bring it on!

Does someone have a pic of their IFS bent and wheels pointed in or tires worn out on the inside edge..

Reasons to convert your rig to solid axle. To be cool? Need more than 2.5 inches of suspension lift.. Tired of fixing the factory steering setup.. Have a burning desire to be champ of the RTI ramp... This list could go on and on and on! Thinking back to what drove me into this madness this biggest factor was probably the OEM steering setup. This system holds up fairly well until the front control arms get changed from the factory angles. Then all hell breaks loose! There are a ton of "patches" for this system to be purchased. However they don't fix the problem as much as make the system hold up for a little longer. --------------------------------------------------------- Another problem is the ball joint on the upper control arm wears prematurely. Our Xterra is IFS lifted with the 3 inch arms (honestly about 2 1/2 inches of lift) so I still have to deal with this. It ends up scrubbing the inside edge of the front tires. Being nice tires are not cheap to replace, I end up changing these upper joints out about once every six months with daily use. --------------------------------------------------------- I need to collect some pics... work on this more later.

This will be a thread in progress.

OK... I guess there needs to be a why SAS thread?

The engine/tranny/tcase adapter are behind my house under a tarp.... It is going in my buggy project down the road.. I have done the same thing with a couple rigs throughout the years. Ya get about half way done and realize what you learned and what you want to change because of the learning process... it is easier to just start over. This is thinking like a fabricator... not a person who just wants to go wheel. A fabricator wheels to see if his contraption works well... then rips it apart again to make it better. Like said before.. it gets to a point where it is easier to just start over. This is also why, for me, I say "buggy project"... This time all the parts will be here (at least 20-30K worth) before it gets started. There will not be any "good enough for now"...parts on the rig. Then it gets built correctly the first time... no half (_i_)..

Ya.. she doesn't fall for that anymore... LOL!

I liked the old single swing bench seat that came in this rig... However 29 bucks for newer rear seats and carpet was hard to say no to! Guess the kids like them... Also ordered Molded Vinyl for the front floor area.. it normally takes for few weeks to deliver.. however at least someone has it for us.

Hmmmm.... Getting used to this new cutter... does purdy good with one inch thick stuff...

I didn't realize that the old system worked so well with the 134a. Was always told the seals in the newer systems were designed for the smaller molecules of the new refrigerant. My problem is the relocated radiator and the inter-cooler placement. Dammit... more fab work! Hmm... A newer mo betta bumper in the works... who knows. I also like the newer Dash style and how the heater-A/C ducts are routed under the front seats for the back seats. For a short time they made the newer dash in blue... Not that I like blue.. however it would be kinda unique..

Ya, the kids are the major players with the interior of this rig. Obviously it is getting modified to have the amenities of a newer vehicle. Somehow I need to get a 134a A/C system in it. There will most likely be a sacrificial Pathy (94/95) coming along in the near future. Newer Dash, A/C, double din, lights on the rear view mirror... etc

Fidanza makes a Al unit.

Did these awhile back... License Plate light... simple simple Just for the kids... Dim enough that it doesn't bother me driving, bright enough for looking. Controlled by the blue lit switch on the plate.