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BCBrian's 2015 Xterra PRO4X

75K views 253 replies 40 participants last post by  RyanD1966 
#1 ·
After totaling my Frontier, I decided to buy an Xterra. Since my friend's are all here on Club Frontier, I am starting this thread to document the upgrades to my new ride.

Here she is bone stock on the day I brought her home.
 

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#2 · (Edited)
Here she is with the rebuilt 2.5" Radflo's and PRG UCA's installed along with the OME leaf spring packs.

I have also removed all the mud flaps, including the small one's in front of the rear wheels. I believe those were installed to increase MPG and I have to believe that because this rig get's way less MPG than the Frontier did.
 

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#3 · (Edited)
Additional modifications

I purchased and installed a set of Weathertec Floor Liners front and rear.

I pulled the Hefty skid plate set from the Frontier and have installed the radiator, engine and transmission skids so far. I found the final bracket needed to install the gas tank skid and repainted it today. Good thing Hefty Fab shipped me the wrong bracket 5 years ago or I would have to buy this one!! The transfer case skid is going to take extensive modification but I need to have the gas tank tank skid installed to determine where to cut, bend and re-weld it.

I have all the parts to do the axle vent mod soon and I also have a set of White Knuckle sliders coming in mid dec.

I will also be installing my radio along with a new antenna before the end of the year.
 
#5 ·
Thanks Jen. I'm looking forward to getting back in the dirt as well.... maybe even in your neck of the woods for it's maiden voyage!

I stopped by a local 4X4 shop in Santa Cruz today to inquire about some help for a common issue the X has after a lift install. I have been noticing a vibration coming from the drive line at 30-35 mph. The shop manager suggested that I drive it for a while and see if the rear springs settle enough to resolve this. If the vibration continues, angled shim's can be placed between the springs and spring perches to rotate the differential up slightly. They have the shim's in stock and have a lot of experience dealing with drive line issues.

We also talked about installing shackles, which would correct the vibration issue since the X is a spring under design. This would mean more lift but may create an issue up front. He thinks the front should not be lifted further because the bump stops on the UCA's are already pretty close to the coil buckets.... maybe 1.25"s away. I am considering my option's while I wait for the OME leaf packs to settle a bit. Adjustable shackle's along with a small spacer on top of the C/O's might be in the works.....

This shop has been in business for 20+ years and does everything to 4X4's including maintenance, suspension, tire installation and alignments. They are willing to install parts purchased by the customer as well. Looks like I have found a good local shop if I ever need work done.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Hitch mod

I pulled the stock hitch off the X last week to cut off the plug bracket and make some more room for the rear spring install.

I bought a Makita grinder kit a while back that has a cut off wheel included. It made quick work of the bracket and after switching back to a grinding wheel, I removed the remaining material and the welds. After a little clean up with a file and scuff pad, I touched it up with a rattle can and you can hardly tell it was ever there. My rear recovery point is ready to be re installed.

Since I do not tow anything currently, I just sealed the plug on the end of the harness up with some duct tape and zip tied it up out of harms way. Eventually I will drill the hole in the bumper and re install the plug if I need to tow something but after buying this rig and getting the mod bug again, I sure cannot afford a trailer!!
 
#15 ·
Very nice! Good to see it getting some attention so soon. Looking forward to seeing on the trail in the future.

BTW, I'd be happy to trade MPGs with ya for a while ::grin::
 
#16 ·
The truck didn't get the lift until about 12000 miles but this one got lifted at 1300!! I'm really hoping to get on the trail soon but first I need to fix the drive shaft misalignment. Greg is shipping me the shims, so I'm hoping to have them installed next week.

I imagine those heavy 35" tires drag your MPG way down! The X guys are saying that adding 33"s make a huge impact on these rigs.... like 4 MPG. I would really like to up size but I am trying really hard not to spend ALL my $$$ at once! Since my tires are brand new and work pretty well in the dirt, it is hard to justify replacing them.

Since one of my friends from the NorCal crew is moving to LV, I may be coming down there to wheel with your crew at some point. Since I've never been down there, it's about time!!
 
#21 ·
I originally did not want the leather seats... but after thinking about how dirty the cloth seats got in my Frontier, I realized that these would be much easier to keep clean. I also wasn't too excited about heated seats but now that winter has come, I love that option!

These seats are super comfortable and are getting better and better as they break in.
 
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#24 ·
Sliders are on the way

My White Knuckle Sliders are scheduled to be delivered on tuesday! WOOHOO! They were ordered 11/5, so they are ahead of the 6 wk estimate.

The shims to correct the drive shaft vibration should be here tomorrow or monday. It seems like the vibration is getting less noticeable by the day but I am still going to install the shims to correct the pinion angle.

Tomorrow I am going to mount the gas tank skid and plot out the modifications needed to make the transfer case skid fit. Once that is finished the last piece of armor that I need to decide on is the differential cover. There are a lot more options for the M226 than the C200K. It can wait and will not stop me from getting back on the horse and onto the trails!

I turned over 1700 miles tonight on my way home from seeing Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience. What a great show that was.... if you are a LZ fan don't miss the chance to see them. This was the 1st show of a short 10 date US tour so check it out on Ticketmaster.

The mod's are coming fast and furious for my new X and I can't hardly wait to get it off the pavement and engage 4 wheel drive!! It looks like we are going to get quite a bit of rain leading up to next w/e, which will dampen (ha,ha!) the need to get on the trail as I am not interested in a maiden voyage that involves mud...
 
#26 ·
I had 2 sets of Hankook Atm's on my Frontier and absolutely loved them. They worked well in every condition except heavy mud. I ran the E rated LT version and really liked how well they handled the twisting mountain roads where I live. I only had them in snow a couple times and they did pretty well but I don't have a lot of experience driving in snow.

The X came with the P version of the same tread pattern and on the road they ride great but I still have my anti roll bars attached. I removed the front anti roll bar on the truck and with the Radflo's and 650 lb springs, you could barely tell that the bar was removed.

I am considering a change to 285's and a more aggressive tread pattern but I may wait a while. My local tire shop (Skip's) run's a yearly sale in summer where you buy 2 and get 2 tires free with road hazard and alignment purchased.
 
#29 · (Edited)
More time under the X

I test fit the gas tank skid yesterday and modified the outer rear bracket and drilled the skid to add the mounting holes for that bracket. Today I got back underneath the rig and managed to get it mounted. The multiple mounting locations, involving 3 different brackets and 11 fasteners, really make it a challenge!

Next I put the transfer case skid on the jack and rolled it under there to check my planned modifications. Boy was I WAY off! So glad I checked it out before cutting the skid as it will now fit a lot better once it gets finished. I did pull out my grinder and use the cutting wheel to shorten the overall length. After spending about 30 minutes making a 10 inch cut through the 3/16" steel, I am going to try and find someone who has a heavy duty band saw to make the remaining cuts. They will be a lot cleaner and help with alignment when the time comes to weld it back together.

I also dropped the spare and re installed the hitch which I modified to remove the plug bracket. It looks great and you cannot tell that bracket was ever there.

4 of the 5 skids are now installed and my rear recovery point is back in place. Next up will be the axle vent mod and installation of the sliders. Once the transfer case skid modification is completed and the radio gets installed, I'll be ready for some dirt!
 
#34 · (Edited)
One more mod

I did the axle vent mod today. I reused the fitting and hose from my Frontier and a K&N crankcase filter. I ran it up to the body support above the gas tank and zip tied into the channel right under the floor.

I also dropped off my transfer case skid at a friends machine shop to finish cutting and welding it into something that will fit my X. He said it would be ready in a couple days.

Tomorrow my White Knuckle Sliders are arriving, so hopefully I will have them installed soon.

My new rig on has 1750 miles on it but it will soon be in the same trail ready condition that my truck was in after 3 years of upgrades. I've only had the X since Oct 26th!
 
#35 ·
I received my sliders and they were very well packed to avoid shipping damage. Once I got them unpacked and tried to fit the drivers up, I noticed a couple things that have me concerned and have stopped the install.

First off, the square tube on the bottom is at an angle. This means that in a hard hit on a rock the corner of the tube is going to hit. After looking at the White Knuckle website photo's, I see that I had missed this design (IMHO) error until now. I believe that tube should be flat to the ground to help support the vehicle when it contacts an obstacle, allowing it to slide on the bottom surface.

Secondly, and this is not their fault, the Hefty gas tank skid that I struggled with for several hours to install, interferes with the center mount where it wraps under the frame. Now I have to remove that skid and modify it (again) in order to mount the sliders.
 
#36 · (Edited)
I pulled the gas tank skid, modified it and reinstalled before it got dark. After considering my options on the sliders, I have decided to just go ahead and install them and see how they handle the rocks.

These are the thoughts that came to mind as I was modifying the skid...

How often do you land flat on a rock anyway? If you are trying to go around a rock, this design will help keep the vehicle away from it. In reality, the corner of the tube is probably the strongest point.

We will see. Tomorrow I'm getting the transfer case skid back and will test fit it to be sure there are not any issues. Then I need to paint the bare area's after removing any remaining sharp edges.

Lucky for me Patrick has offered to help me with the slider install on thursday. Since he has already installed these on his Frontier, his experience and an extra set of capable hands will be a huge help! Thank you my friend!
 
#39 · (Edited)
All Armor'd up!

I installed the White Knuckle Off Road sliders today with the help of my friend Patrick. When he arrived I already had the drivers side bolted up, then we quickly got the passenger side mounted and center punched the frame on both sides so we could drill the holes for the self tapping screws.

These sliders are very well made and although the welds are not sloppy, they are not as nice as Shrockworks welds but look to be every bit as strong. The 4 backing plates and 2 nut plates are also well made and help to ensure that the sliders mount very securely. The mounting points on the sliders as well as the large holes in the frame allow them to be adjusted fore and aft, helping to center and level them before tightening the bolts.

I also installed the transfer case skid, which was the final one to be mounted. Until my rear diff cover starts leaking or get's damaged, this complete's the armor needed to run trails.

After I went to lunch, I took a quick drive up to Big Basin State Park, which is the oldest in Calif. Here are some pictures. Redwoods are some of the largest living organism's on the planet and several have fallen in the park recently. Ever wonder what the BC in my screen name stands for? Now you know!
 

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#41 ·
I'm really looking forward to that trip! I thought about finding some local dirt while I was out today but then I remembered our pact and I didn't want to violate that!! Ha,Ha,Ha! :angel:

The weather for Hollister is looking dry after monday morning but with high's only getting into the low 50's, I kinda doubt the trails are going to dry very much after several day's of steady rain.
 
#45 · (Edited)
Alignment and Storage

I decided to go ahead and get the X aligned today as I am planning on staying with the stock tires for a while and do not want to mess them up. Greg got it incredibly close when he did the suspension install just with his knowledge of the rig and accurate setup of the UCA's. He did a quick tape measure check when he finished and said 'perfect'... he wasn't wrong! It drove great and tracked perfectly straight.

For you local folks (Patrick) who may need an alignment, I found a screaming deal at the place that both local shops use. Santa Cruz Auto Repair and Tire has a $10 off coupon on their website and on top of that only charges $89.95 for alignments on lifted vehicles. My local tire shop, Skips in Scotts Valley and Lloyd's tire in Santa Cruz wanted $140 and $145! With the coupon, I paid $79.95.

I confirmed that the alignment would not be affected by the rear spring shim install and decided to wait to do that because the vibration is getting less and less noticeable as I put more miles on the springs. Since I am staying on the stock tires for now, I also decided to skip the LCA cam bolt install. Before I get 285's installed, I will have the cam bolts installed per Brutal's instructions to move the wheels forward and get the rig re aligned. This saved me over $200.

I made a trip to Sears to pick up some 'Truck Tool Boxes' that I had seen in a thread on The New X. I am amazed at how much each of these hold and was able to fit all the tools and misc. stuff from a lg toolbox into 2 of these small boxes. The kicker is, they fit under the rear seats! At $8.99 ea, these are an excellent way to maximize space in the X.

They are also having a sale on tools right now and I picked up a 108 pc. Mechanics Tool Kit for under $50! I really like having tools in the hard case boxes for organization and ease of storage. I left Sears and went to Orchard Supply and picked up 2, small 8 gal 'Action Packers' for my recovery and camping gear. These fit perfectly between the utilitrac rails in the back of the X with the new tool set placed in between them. While I was there, I couldn't resist a great deal on a 19.2V 3/8" Drive Lithium Ion Drill/Driver kit for $60 (normally $89.95). I had just seen the exact same kit at Sears for $70 on sale. Now I just need to find another battery and I'll be set...

The X also has a storage area under the rear floor where I was able to put my high lift base, the ARB tire repair kit, a set of jumper cables, my lg lug wrench and the container of spare fasteners that are part of my tool kit.

Here are some better pictures of the sliders and how they fit as well as the small tool boxes and their hiding place.
 

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#46 ·
Here are a few more pic's I shot today after washing the X....
 

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