[jan]

Specs: Blue 2012 PRO-4X Crew Cab automatic

MODS
Gears and Axles:
M205 front diff
Cardone (Titan) CV axles 666238HD
Rear axle vent/diff breather mod

Drivetrain
XTP Intake Manifold Spacer (IMS)
Timken SP450701 Wheel Bearing and Hub Assembly
Fumoto F103SX M12-1.25 SX Series Drain Valve

Suspension and Tires:
Goodyear Wrangler Duratracs 265/75R16
Sway bar removed

Titan Swap

SPC Titan UCA's
PRG Radflo IFS 2.5's with 650# springs
Titan LCA's
PRG Heim steering
OME Dakar CS150R leaf springs
PRG Bilstein 5165 rear shocks with piggy-back reservoir
Spidertrax 1.5" wheel spacers
2" 2-degree steel lift blocks in the rear from HeavyMetal Suspension

Armor:

Rocky Road Outfitter's steel rock sliders
Hefty Fabworks aluminum skid plate full set
Hefty Fabworks aluminum front bumper
Shrockworks rear steel bumper
ARB rear differential cover

Exterior
Mile Marker SEC95 - 9500 lb. winch with synthetic rope

Century fiberglass canopy
Firestik Firefly CB antenna
Rally Armor mud flaps
CravenSpeed 4" Stubby antenna
Katana 9007 LED Headlight bulbs

Interior
JVC KW-V20BT DVD Receiver
Backup camera with infrared LEDs
President Johnny III CB radio
Front hood gas strut damper lift
Blue Sea System 6-circuit fuse block
USB 2.4A charging ports (front and back seats)

 

[jan]

A few notes on how I installed the front USB 2.4A charger/voltmeter are in this post.

 

[erturne]

Sounds like you have some nice upgrades in the works!

 

[jan]

I am itching to start doing the upgrades, everything has been ordered and boxes with parts are piling up but a few things are still being built. Hoping that I can start installing within the next couple of weeks.

 

[raine]

Is it me, or are there no pics?

 

[jan]

No pictures in this thread yet so it's not you, it's me

Here is one

 

[Frontier510]

No pictures in this thread yet so it's not you, it's me

Here is one View attachment 306905

That’s what she said. Lol. Good looking truck.

 

[jan]

A year ago, I have installed the sound deadening insulation into the doors, rear floor and wall following Raine's description. It took me two days of 4-6 hours each, first all the doors and then the rear floor and walls. In the front, I did install the mat only where the passenger's and driver's feet are because I did not feel like removing the front seats. A few pictures taken during the installation:

Like Raine, I did measure the noise level in the cabin albeit less precisely then he did. I used a phone with a sound level measuring app and placed it on the console arm rest - in the center of the cabin. Then I drove at a constant speed of 75 mph on the same stretch of a road during low traffic time before and after the installation. There was a clear reduction in noise by approximately 3 dB (this actually matches well with Raine's results). Subjectively, the quality of the noise in the cabin has changed after the installation and I now adjust the volume level on my stereo lower than before when listening to the same songs.

 

[mxtreme30]

How did you mount the winch or is it waiting for the Hefty Fab bumper?

 

[jan]

Yes, the winch is waiting for the bumper, which should arrive in two weeks. Correction, it should arrive from powdercoating to Hefty and then they will send it to me. The waiting sucks, I have placed the order mid March when they told me that they had a quicker turn-around of only 10-12 weeks. And here we are at 15 weeks and counting.

 

[jan]

So the Titan Swap is (almost) finished, new bumpers installed (front Hefty Fabworks aluminum bumper and rear steel Shrockworks bumper), Hefty's aluminum skid plates, winch and a bunch of other 'little' things like replacing a driver-side catalyst. A few pictures from the process:

The parts:

Comparison of the stock and Old Men Emu Dakar leaf springs:

Hefty's front bumper with the Mile Marker winch:

Skid plates drying after spray painting:

This is how I mounted the winch control box. I have made a bracket from a piece of aluminum to hold it in the desired location:

The disassembly was an ordeal and involved lots of cutting (and cussing):

On the other hand, I have had a great helper:

The rear suspension:

 

[jan]

I have also decided to change the grill for an aluminum diamond mesh with smaller holes than stock.

 

[jan]

Here is the current look:

 

[Hovenator]

Drool.......sweet looking rig! How do you like the Radflo/Bilstein set up?

 

[MiniDuti]

Looks really good!

 

[jan]

Drool.......sweet looking rig! How do you like the Radflo/Bilstein set up?

Thank you! I love the setup even though there was no chance to try it on anything more than light off-roading. On road, I am practically ignoring speed bumps, pot holes, etc. The body sway is much reduced (I didn't mind it before without the sway bar) and the steering is precise with the right amount of feedback while not extremely sensitive.

 

[jan]

I have installed the Harbor Freight self-adhesive rubber safety mats with tread surface on the Shrockworks rear bumper. This should help me stand on the bumper when it is wet or icy.

 

[MiniDuti]

1. Safety mats look like their just part of the steel bumper., nice touch!

 

[xanthosis9]

Going to do about a titan swap with basically the same parts. Were there any unforeseen challenges during the titan swap? Anything you would have done differently to make the job easier?

 

[jan]

Going to do about a titan swap with basically the same parts. Were there any unforeseen challenges during the titan swap? Anything you would have done differently to make the job easier?

The biggest challenge was removing the control arm bolts. Basically, I had to cut the arms into pieces to be able to cut all the bolts (except one, which I managed to get out) even after repeated soaking in PB1. A grinder with a quality cutoff wheel worked best for me.

I have done the whole install by myself and everything, especially the disassembly, took much longer than expected. Luckily, I was able to use a different car for my daily driving until it was finished. I had to make a number of runs for OEM nuts and bolts or getting some extra tools.

Another challenge has been getting all the parts. I have specifically ordered everything from a single company, PRG, was promised that everything will arrive within 4-6 weeks. The reality was that after 3 months I have finally got parts to complete the swap although with too short shocks in the rear. Since then, it has been additional 6 weeks (so far) of waiting on and calling PRG to get the correct size with blocks. Greg from PRG is extremely knowledgeable if you can reach him but contacting him is a nightmare and all delivery promises are absolutely unreliable.

Together with the Titan Swap, I have planned installations of new offroad front and rear bumpers, which allowed me better access to the suspension after the old bumpers were stripped off. It also allowed me to clean, rust-proof and paint large sections of the frame in the front and rear. All these tasks extended the time on this project but I felt that it was the right time to do them.