XPLORx4

FYI, here's some pics of the R50 bumper.

Did they say it would be the same price as the Xterra bumper?

You shouldn't need the SFD brace if you get the "missing link". It looks like they do the same thing, they're just bolted to slightly different places.

Got some new lighting. Woot!

Toyota Tacoma and 4Runner wheels also fit.

Rocky2,Please don't mix opinion with fact. Your statement that the Koni insert mod can be done by a 10 year old is condescending, and your advocation of a solution that involves machining parts, while rewarding for you, is not something the average backyard mechanic can do. I would probably guess that many, if not most, R50 owners on this forum have neither the means to machine their own parts, nor do they have the knowledge to do so. Also, how did you tighten the bolts to the factory studs on your 2" SFD brackets? The angle of the pic you took makes it look really hard to get a socket or wrench in there. By the way, here's the link to the photos of the Calmini coilover strut I mentioned earlier. http://www.flickr.co...57629989182681/ It would cool to see someone develop a different strut top mount that allows for easier adjustment of caster and camber, sort of like this:

Hi Rocky2, Please note that I never mentioned combining longer struts with a subframe drop. I only commented that longer struts will allow the suspension to drop too far, thereby exceeding the operating range of the CV axles. This is still true even if no other changes are made to the suspension components. In the summer of 2002, I visited Calmini Manufacturing (www.purenissan.com), a company that had enjoyed success building suspension lift kits for WD21's and was starting to get a lot of traction in the Xterra aftermarket. For the SEMA 2002 show, they built a custom one-off set of mods for the R50, including front and rear bumpers, and a lift using modified coilovers (either King or Fox Racing, I don't recall). I spoke with them about the potential market for their products, but unfortunately they could not justify the expense of putting parts into production for the meager demand for R50 off-road parts. They were looking for volumes of approximately 10-15 lift kit sales per month, and at over $1000 (estimated), I knew there wasn't a market for it. So, for the past 10 years, as the price of pre-owned R50's has become more affordable, more and more people are finding ways to mod them. Some stick with the AC 2" lift, some go for KRFabs' SFD, others (like you) build their own, and others go for the full monty and swap out the front axle. For a 2" lift, the most affordable option for most backyard mechanics continues to be installing different coil springs, which as almost everyone who has chosen this option knows, has the much-discussed side effects of topping out and altering the alignment characteristics, notably camber and toe. An alternative method for obtaining increased clearance between the ground and the pinch seam of the body is to use a subframe drop, paired with equivalent spacers that are installed between the body and the strut mount. This method has none of the side-effects of the coil spring lift, because no suspension geometry is changed. The primary disadvantage of this is that you get none of the performance/handling benefits of aftermarket springs. Add to that the extra complexity involved with installing the subframe drop, and the expense of the brackets and hardware, and it quickly becomes a less affordable option. Some people achieve lift using strut spacers alone. However, this strategy allows the suspension to droop too low and exceed the safe operating angles of the CV joints. In fact, any suspension alteration that increases the angle of the lower A-arm while the vehicle's wheels are off the ground will cause this. This includes longer struts. The approach that you have taken is a very creative solution to address the side-effects of the 2" coil spring lift, but I believe it is more complicated than it needs to be. A complete 2" subframe drop (with 2" strut spacers) achieves exactly the same thing with less effort. No need to buy different springs, nor disassemble the strut, no need to attach strut rod lengtheners. What is the advantage of advocating a solution to a problem that is solved more easily?

LOL, he also did some major cutting on his fenders. I shudder to think about the massive rubbing he'll have when his rear suspension articulates!

LOL, it's still not in the states. It's in Canada.

You do realize that getting longer struts will cause your CV joints to fail when the wheels are off the ground, right? There's a reason why the strut only extends so far. A coil spring lift is the least expensive way to increase the ride height of the R50. Although one side-effect is "topping-out", the advantage is that you increase the ground clearance beneath the front suspension crossmember. A subframe drop alone won't do that.

255/65R16 is: 255mm (tread width) x 65% (sidewall aspect ratio) * 2 (# of sidewalls) / 25.4mm/inch + 16 (wheel diameter) = 29.05" total tire diameter A 33" tire would be more like a 285/75R16 (32.83") or a 255/85R16 (33.07") However, in order to fit a 33" tire, you generally need wheels with a different offset in order to clear the front strut and a suspension lift to minimize rubbing on the wheelwells, splash guards, etc.

Looks nice! Great deal on it, too!

I meant these:

My "website" has been inoperative for quite a few years. I gave up on maintaining it. I have the 2" AC lift on my ride and I've driven some pretty gnarly trails up here in NorCal and out in Utah. My sig indicates, among other things, that my powertrain has the 4-speed automatic tranny and the TX10 transfer case with 3.7:1 crawler gears installed. I've been pondering whether to get the SFD. I already have extended brake lines, so all I really need are the subframe blocks and strut spacers, panhard bracket, steering link, rear springs and shocks. I haven't really "needed" the extra lift for the type of trails I've been running, though. What I've got has been working pretty well for the last 10+ years. Besides, the lack of ground clearance forces me to become a better driver.

32's will only get you another 1/2" of ground clearance from what you've got now, and the whole reason you get sliders is because you don't have enough ground clearance anyway. If you had gobs of ground clearance, sliders would be less of a necessity!

I would keep them. They look great on your rig, and you definitely want to keep your rig looking as clean as it is. They aren't really that noticeable, and you're actually not really losing any ground clearance anyway, since parts of the undercarriage, including the transmission crossmember and the trailing arm mounts, are lower than the sliders. The sliders are helpful in situations where you are trying to steer around a tree stump or rock and you need to force the slider into the rock to pivot around it. Without the slider, you would be crunching up your rocker panel, or being forced to take a wider line which might cause other issues with successfully negotiating the obstacle.

I installed some really bright LEDs from Oznium.

Hey LetitSnow- Your Pathy looks great! Nice taste in wheels! I have the same ones!

Dirty MAF sensor?

Yes, they did change things between the VG33 and VQ35. My 97 has cats bolted directly to the manifolds, but the parts diagram above shows the cats on the exhaust pipes.

I'm confused. I understand that your goal was to prevent the banging sound caused when the factory struts hit the limit of their extension, but I can't figure out how installing strut inserts, which increases the length of the strut, will prevent the CV angles from being excessive when the tires are in the air. How are you able to limit the maximum downtravel to keep the CV angles within their operating range?

Well, sorry to steer you in the wrong direction, then. My bad. I thought you had an auto tranny. It looks like there is a fluid seal between the MT and the t-case. You should drain the tranny (if it hasn't self-drained by the time you get home tonight.) MT fluid (75W90 GL-4) is golden in color. AT fluid is red.

Do you have a manual or auto tranny? What color is the fluid and what does it smell like? It looks like perhaps the t-case mating surface may be sealed on a manual transmission, but not on the auto transmission. I've been basing my statements on the assumption you had an auto tranny.

You use RTV silicone sealant between the front and back halves of the transfer case (to keep the fluid inside the case), but there is no fluid seal between the transmission and the transfer case, so you don't need any sealant there. If you're uncertain, go pick up a tube of RTV silicone anyway. It's only a few bucks.

From what I recall, there is no seal between the t-case and tranny.