RainGoat

It’s served me well. In addition to the obvious, it also keeps your feet planted when standing on the bumper. It’s from a company called WAAG industries in CA. I bought it and a similar front runner 17 years ago. That company now only makes airplane parts. (Wheeled Aircraft Access Gear Part#16702)

The likelihood of needing to cut out the lower bolts is VERY high. Even my truck, which only has 106K & spent most of its life garaged, possibly no salt ever & a third of its life in the desert, needed to have the lower bolts cut out.

Ha, I haven’t seen those either - I’ll have to keep an eye out.

As an FYI - I believe@R50JR had problems with light scatter from those aftermarket headlights. There is a plethora of aftermarket rears on eBay. I believe I’ve heard of at least one person saying that they didn’t quite fit right though.

My God, that’s incredible!

That’s a nice lineup! Looks like you guys had fun. Southern MO?

Yeah, I’m from KC. Southern MO & Northern AK are beautiful, plus there is NF. I’ll bet there’s something down there. I know Overland Bound has a Central KS Konza Overland group. Check out the Overland Bound Midwest regional group.

Southern Missouri/ Ozarks are probably your closest best bet. While there’s stuff in Southern IL & Kentucky, at that distance, CO is a better bet.

While not a bad idea to upgrade, it’s worth noting I ran 750w of forward lighting with a stock alternator & an Optima Red Top for over a decade with no problems. (I would, however, recommend a deep cycle AGM battery like an Odyssey or Northstar/X2 Power - avoid Optima these days - just not the battery they used to be).

Yep, that sounds like what I remember. Probably worth it if you have to replace your alternator anyway as I imagine it’s about the same price & at least half, if not a third, of those other options.

I only knew of the RRO one above but I think I’ve heard of using other Nissan Alternators as well, I just don’t recall it being a sizeable increase in power.

They make USB outlets with voltage readers that simply plug into your U-Plug. Just one of dozens of examples; https://www.amazon.com/Palumma-Charger-Adapter-Display-Battery/dp/B0773BYS6P

Correct - I looked but couldn’t find your transmission

I wonder if the ticking might have been a loose power valve. They diagnosed that as lifters in mine.

The directions are for you to remove your bump stops - that said, I did not as I wanted them to still be there in the case of failure.

Great write up! Pretty much my process but I have a question regarding the metal on metal contact. I’ve typically used the silicone brake grease that I use on my pins for this - mainly because it’s convenient since I already have it out. Doing my wife’s MDX recently, I noticed the Power Stop brake pads came with a silicone grease - though it was much more viscous & tacky than my silicone grease. I’ve also heard of using Anti-Seize on these metal-metal contacts though I’ve worried about the temps. I have molybdenum grease that I use on my trailer ball hitch (but it is a synthetic designed for calipers, CV joints, etc). I would be interested in your input on these 3 different lubrications as you clearly have alot of experience & have dedicated a fair amount of thought to the process.

I can’t speak to deer impacts - other than a steel bumper is likely better than an OEM bumper. I would also consider the full grill protection option on that bumper if I was thinking deer. The real Achille’s heel is side pull snatches - best avoided.

Oops, I have no doubt you are correct. I was thinking VQ. Ignore my advice. I most definitely defer to@XPLORx4.

I would echo[mention=36148]hawairish[/mention] completely. Good tires are #1 but decide if you’re going to lift first as you may want a bigger size. Personally I think sliders are the most important body protection as damage in your rocker panel is tough & expensive to repair. The OEM low profile running boards are pretty hardy though and offer some protection. You’ll find all the young guys take them off, while we older/family guys keep them for roof access - I don’t know of anybody with body damage who had them on, but I can think of 3-4 current members with damage that occurs while having them off). Finally, I agree that you will likely find auxiliary lighting to be a useful mod. Luckily, there are countless ways to do that & most are easy & inexpensive.

You’ve got to be careful following@TowndawgR50 Especially when he lets the dogs drive!

You should search & review the lift threads. I think virtually everyone would agree on Landrover Springs for the rear (2 heights & 2 spring rates). Most people use Bilstein shocks for the rear, either 5100s or 5160/65s. The front has essentially 2 options: AC or ARB OME. The AC give you a full 2” lift but at the cost of a harsh ride. The OME are a superb ride but don’t lift as much (you’ll likely want a 1” spacer) & cost more. For struts, the leaders are KYB & OME. Unfortunately, the OME cost 3x the KYB so it’s very reasonable to go with the KYB - no real complaints. For the strut bearing, use Nissan OME - too many problems with other brands. Make sure you read about & understand the top hat issues. I’d just reuse the OEM but if you go aftermarket, be sure you have the top hat spacer properly placed - history of many errors & failures there.

Definitely get the rear bypass while you’re at it - far too many people have had to deal with leaks there & it’s nearly impossible to do (only @02_Pathy has been able to do it in place)

I have the Coastal Offroad bumper. I would agree you have identified its weak point. Frankly, it’s the weak point of all aftermarket bumpers on the R50.[mention=36148]hawairish[/mention] has been working on some brackets to bolster this attachment & ultimately I will switch to a bumper based on his &[mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] bumper design for exactly these reasons. Personally, I also think the Coastal Offroad design is a little too focused on “high clearance “. Another 2cm of lip would have been useful for mounting forward lights on top. Also, it should have had Hi-Lift jack points cut into the design. All that said, I think it’s probably the best currently available bumper. If you get one, keep in touch as we can discuss mods to the design & how to work around some of its limitations. Also, as an FYI, you may decide you’ll want to rework your windshield washer fluid reservoir & air intake resonators as they show (common with most aftermarket bumpers). Look at my IG account & you’ll see. I plan to paint mine black for the interim but will ultimately rework.

Ha, that’s my feeling - though only 17 years. I only put the Coastal on because I ran across it second hand & my front end had been messed up from a collision for 2 1/2 years.

Hanging with@TowndawgR50