AK9849cy

The frame is purdy much the same on both. One has frame horns.. and the other doesn't. Have hacked both up multiple times.. The biggest problem with the Xterra's is the gas tank. That Pathy tank rules!

Who said it was going to have factory running gear?

It is just tacked in with that pic. I have yet to get out there and fine tune it all. There is a measurement that has to be matched via the 4 link calculator in which 1/4 inch makes a huge difference. Ya now... it may be twisted just a bit down by looking at it in that view.. On the first rig I was after as much flex as possible. It was made for a total different purpose. This one is for DD/camping/trail usage. It will have limited slips front and rear.. etc. I am totally after it being a DD first thus why you still see the sway bar/ factory springs/geometry. This rig does however have the solid axle swap up front. I am not a fan of the ruggedness of the factory IFS. I wish it was a better setup! When done with this rig you will see it driven for a number of months. And yes you will see some type of feedback. Ya may even see some of the mounting hardware that is used up front available for folks that are interested. Trent and I were just talking the other day on how I want a rig my wife would love to drive... This is the Guinea pig, being her Xterra is next! Other than the crazy power plant, the rest of the build is focused more bang for the buck. It would be nice for someone to not have a fear of spending 5 grand trying to put a solid axle under their rig. For a number of reasons my fingers are crossed that this rig is what I hope it to be! A prototype of some maybe future parts...

I will be working on this in the morning... 12 inch travel shocks and see how far these stock springs will go before falling out. May need to capture the top and bottom of the spring so they have to stretch in order to flex beyond the normal unloaded static length. I prefer this way for the most part anyway.. makes side hilling not such a test of nerve.

It is not as tight with that cross-member gone.

I was going to do this later.. however needed room for the 3 inch tailpipe.. The original cross-member that was cut out was in the way. This is the routing now...

Go flex out your rig and watch those short upper arms... they limit how far the axle can move. They also tilt the axle into angles that put the u joint at risk and cause the rear axle to come forward on the drooping side.. This will not by any means eliminate these problems... it just allows a person to flex that much more before it becomes a problem again. If a person isn't running longer than stock shocks... this probably will not be that noticeable. Setbacks... if using a big muffler.. it may need to be replaced with a thinner unit and maybe the exhaust will need rerouted in general.

tacked in..

Roll the tube around 180 deg and check for true... I used a yard stick. Once it is tapped true tack that plane. Then check 90 deg from that tack and do the same. Then burn in home... VIOLA! About 30-50 bucks into this project using scrap.

Other side of cross member. Hack it off.. The upper links are mounted at an angle to the frame. Thus the longer links will be closer to the frame than the stock links were. The end of the cross-member needs to be cut to length to position the mounts to where the link needs to be. Cut out cross-member.. About 3 inches from the side/base of the mount... a line was drawn. Hack it off at that line.. Trim the other side.. Grind tube down so it can be pounded in a little.. Once a nice fitment/length is reached.. lay it flat to make sure the base of the mounts are not twisted around on the new cross-member. Check for the correct length.. then tack on the plane that was measured..

Ok, there may be a few mods that work for anyone including the folks that are a little tight with cash. These type of modifications may not be the best way to go... however they may be 90% cheaper. Over the next 24 hours I will be replacing those pesky short rear upper control arms. Today I went to the junkyard and picked up a set of tubular lower arms off the later 4 door Pathys. A person could also use a set of the old "dog bone" lowers for this, however they are probably a bit on the overkill side of strong for the job. The tubular units look exactly like the stock uppers only longer. Next, off to the scrap yard and picked up a chunk of 2 inch 1/4 wall tubing. It needs to be around 27 inches or so! Some folks use the lower arms as uppers then fab up new extend the lowers. It makes a cheap long arm kit being only two arms need to be fabricated to make the system work. What I am trying to do with this mod is use an extra set of extra lower arms as uppers and leave the lowers the same length. This would create a system with all the arms being the same length. Is it perfect? No It is a better setup than the factory links? Yep! Who would this mod work best for? While executing this project, the numbers were punched in a 4 link calculator. The rig using factory springs with the suspension at factory height would benefit the most. So.. a rig with a body lift and no suspension lift would be perfect. This really works for the broke owner that doesn't want to deal with steering/alignment problems that a suspension lift tends to cause. However (If I remember correctly from years back) a three inch body lift will allow for 32 or small 33 inch tires. Tubular uppers and lowers side by side. I went to the local pull your own parts yard.. picked two of the longer arms up for 30 bucks/ 15 each. First things first.. Cut one side of the OEM crossmember out. This way the other side keeps the axle upright and with the factory angles with being measured. Then I cut the stock cross-member so the OEM mount could be reused. Then the 2 inch scrap tubing had to be grown down just a little to fit into the metric tubing. More later..

The finder is getting there.. still a little numb and healing where the skin got scalped.

:o) How ya going to mount it up? Do you have a welder for mounts like I am going to make?

I have always wondered how involved that was.

You are absolutely correct! A/C used to have those plates on hand for those who want the tire carrier.

testing...

Nothing is perfect.. we can only try to do the best we can. A good analogy one of my friends who builds cages uses.. "I don't want to be rolling down a hill wondering if I should have used DOM tubing." Like I pointed out before, the main reason I made that first handle was to place that thing where I would want to grab. So I closed my eyes and grabbed for the handle. I am an average size guy and I am sure everyone grabs a little different, but it is honestly the best guess for placement I could come up with. I thought about making the top of the handle like the bottom.. but it would crack a skull in one blow. Too bad because it looked like a tomahawk stuck in the pillar! Was kinda neat in a way. (If wearing a seatbelt the head doesn't come close!) I also found myself pulling on the upper arch of the handle rather than centered. Must be a different muscle group with the knuckles pointed that way.

Thanks! I wonder if a "offroad use only" sticker needs to be applied? I am not much for wheeling and drinking.. however it would be good for a laugh.

Ask all the question ya want bro.. To answer what I think you where trying to ask. I made a rib type structure that spans the area between the clip holes that the plastic mounts to. This rib was made from 1/8 steel.. I have not shown pics of the ribs being they are tacked on with boogerish quicky mock up stabs. This makes them easy to remove if something needs to be changed. However when I get the shapes of these to where I want them, and cleaned it all up for some nice stitch welds.. I will post them up. Promise! I guess it doesn't show in the pic.. but the handle also uses 4 bolts, not two. How Nissan normally deals with thin steel is place a backing plate behind the thin material in order spread out the forces of the bolt being used. They even use this type setup on your upper control arm mounts. Those two holes thread into a thick backing plate behind the skin of the frame. It is not all the big.. just made out of some thick hard stuff! It is maybe the size of an almond joy candy bar. Ruined many sawsall blades on that little sucker!

LOL, I made that one so I could study the whole deal while setting in the seat. Placement, hand/knuckle clearance, odd ideas to make it better. I have to admit the engraving was kinda clever! One of my good buds told me to call it that.

We are talking about the thickness of the steel.. are you fishing for a way out?

So what is that plastic crushed against... hmm... You are free to your opinion, if you don't want handles there.. don't put any there. OH, and make sure the bolts on your overhead handle are tight and not stripped.. they are known for that. I have seen a few pull off in someones hand... I will go out and drill a hole in the A pillar my 2000 Xterra in the morning. Really see if the metal is any different.. I would hate to assume...

Who said all that was behind there is a thin piece of steel? Assume away brotha! So, if that handle is so wonderful? Why do all the new Nissan rigs come with the handle on the A pillar.. I guess Nissan should remove those being folks don't use or need them make these rigs cheaper for us.

Nobody ever grabs there in tippy situations. Thus, their hands end up grabbing the door jam with fingers prime for a crushing! They see the A pillar handles and tend to use them in split second situations.