2004 Nissan Xterra adventure build/Idea's

[vonguido]

Hello all!!

I normally lurk the Jeep side of these forums because I used to have a 98' Jeep XJ Limited but had to get rid of it in Sept 14'....I was intending on getting a JKU or an LJ/XJ down the road, however, life loves to throw curveballs....Soooooo with that being said I have acquired a 2004 Nissan Xterra w/ 180,000miles on it from my girlfriend. I traded in my 2015 Honda Accord(which I regret buying 2 weeks after I bought it) for a 2016 Honda Odyssey Touring.....

Her and I both have sons from previous relationships and just found out we are having a baby...I should say babies....we are having twins:Wow1::Wow1: ..... So any pipe dreams I had of getting a JKU are now permanently on the back burner for a while..

Just like Jon Snow "knows nothing" about the world of Westeros. I "know nothing" about Nissan's and in particular the Xterra. I intend on making it a part time job reading the boards here and a few other places, to learn as much as I can about the Xterra and the must do's and the must don'ts. I will gladly accept any important knowledge bombs that can be dropped on me here in the forums. Now for the good stuff....

What I want it to be able to do:
I want to be able to explore RELIABLY, no real rock crawling like Moab or boulder areas at off-road parks. Its about the fun of getting there for me. Make lasting memories with my family and friendships with fellow like minded individuals...

What I'm thinking is running a tire size around the 33" range(gives me the right amount of ground clearance without it being ridiculous), nothing bigger than that.
Armor; Winch bumper front, tire carrier rear, sliders, skids as needed.
LCOG is a must because from what I gather these Xterra's are a bit top heavy.
Radios; CB, 2M radios for fun and safety
Lift; combination of Body lift and suspension lift -- any and all input would be huge, I want the most reliable setup
Electrical upgrades; Alternator, dual battery setup(who does the best?), etc
Fridge for out back
Maybe a Roof Top Tent....however this kinda goes against the whole LCOG thing
Mechanical upgrades to make the motor/drivetrain stout and RELIABLE, cooling upgrades as needed, snorkel...because I can.
Recovery gear; winch, straps, etc
Lighting; nothing crazy here, 2-3 LED bars max

Finally what you have been waiting for pics of the rig.
Here she is down in Florida when the gf's dad drove it down last year

Present day


At this point I'm in the idea stage, nothing has been done.... I want to get my ducks in a row as best I can before I start throwing money at it. So any and all input is greatly appreciated. I pick up the girlfriends new mini-van friday:sombrero:

 

[dennismc]

Making your Xterra expedition ready

I have had a 2001 for the last 12 or 13 years and have done just about everything you've listed so I can give you my insight into things.
Pretty capable in stock form for what you've listed as your future plans but can certainly be improved. Probly start with armor, stock sliders are worthless as are stock skids. Until you do suspension and body lift these will protect till you get more ground clearance. 4x4 parts out of Florida have a great suspension kit, about 1100.00 and they have a nice 2" body lift kit, about 200.00 or so. Another choice for suspension and steering upgrades is SLR if he's still willing to build, he both built and installed mine about 4 years ago. You'll want to do a differential drop to keep your cv angles good. Shrockworks offers front and rear bumpers to accommodate a body lift and also offers skids and sliders, all top notch quality. If you have an automatic trans you'll want to put in an additional cooler for it and maybe a radiator from the supercharged X, about twice as thick and a direct fit. No issues with the stock alternator, if it wears out put in a mean green. Not a lot of room for dual batteries, I use a large Odyssey battery in the truck and a National Luna portable power pack when camping for the ARB fridge. I have an Eezi-Awn Xklusive 1600 mounted to a Baja rack roof rack and really like it but as you stated the c of g is affected. If you mount it to the stock roof rack it will be worse as it is higher to start with. I really like the Baja but last year at Expo they said they weren't producing it for the Xterra any longer so your choice is Gobi which is a great rack but a lot more money. Not much to do for the motor except an exhaust and intake kit, I use Gibson exhaust and Volant intake which is nicely sealed, much nicer than K & N. Cb's and radios no experience, I carry a Delorme Inreach. Lighting I had a custom pair of projector HID headlights built from Black Flame custom and they are great supplemented by a pair of Lightforce Lance on the bumper. Hopefully this will give you a start to figure things out.

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

No issues with the stock alternator, if it wears out put in a mean green. Not a lot of room for dual batteries

Dual battery is pretty easy, but depends on the batteries. Here's a (old) pic I have on hand of my setup. We cut down the old plate and put in a new one that was the length of the two batteries, with a spot for the tie down. They fit in tight, but fit in well. I ended up replacing them in the winter since both of them were on their way (one was completely dead and I was self-booting myself boosting every morning), but the Yellow Tops are just a tad smaller then regular Group 34/35 batteries, and the new Motomaster batteries were too big for my liking for that spot. One of the new Motomasters ended up going, and they wouldn't replace it under warranty cause one of the posts were bent (no idea how honestly, if it was even me), so I'm back to a single Yellow top as of last month, and will get another in the next while.

As for the alternator, the factory alternator couldn't keep up to winching. I'm running a GM marine 165 amp alternator and I've had no problem since.

 

[Kerensky97]

I knew the owner of Calmini so most of the suspension mods I had were from them. Loved it and never had a problem.
The #1 first things I would do is replace the step bars with good rock sliders and put quick disconnects for the swaybars. Both are relatively cheap mods and go a long way to improving off pavement capabilities. When I tried running 33" mud terrain tires I had issues with rubbing in the wheel wells. 32" rubbed as well but the plastic could be trimmed, 33" rubbed in areas that couldn't easily be modified.

I just off-lined my old Xterra page half a year ago after having it online (and neglected) since 2000, but have tried to copy/paste it into a cheapo wordpress page in case anybody ever wanted to revisit it. There are pages for interior and exterior mods if you want some ideas. The link is in my signature.

 

[vonguido]

I have had a 2001 for the last 12 or 13 years and have done just about everything you've listed so I can give you my insight into things.
Pretty capable in stock form for what you've listed as your future plans but can certainly be improved. Probly start with armor, stock sliders are worthless as are stock skids. Until you do suspension and body lift these will protect till you get more ground clearance. 4x4 parts out of Florida have a great suspension kit, about 1100.00 and they have a nice 2" body lift kit, about 200.00 or so. Another choice for suspension and steering upgrades is SLR if he's still willing to build, he both built and installed mine about 4 years ago. You'll want to do a differential drop to keep your cv angles good. Shrockworks offers front and rear bumpers to accommodate a body lift and also offers skids and sliders, all top notch quality. If you have an automatic trans you'll want to put in an additional cooler for it and maybe a radiator from the supercharged X, about twice as thick and a direct fit. No issues with the stock alternator, if it wears out put in a mean green. Not a lot of room for dual batteries, I use a large Odyssey battery in the truck and a National Luna portable power pack when camping for the ARB fridge. I have an Eezi-Awn Xklusive 1600 mounted to a Baja rack roof rack and really like it but as you stated the c of g is affected. If you mount it to the stock roof rack it will be worse as it is higher to start with. I really like the Baja but last year at Expo they said they weren't producing it for the Xterra any longer so your choice is Gobi which is a great rack but a lot more money. Not much to do for the motor except an exhaust and intake kit, I use Gibson exhaust and Volant intake which is nicely sealed, much nicer than K & N. Cb's and radios no experience, I carry a Delorme Inreach. Lighting I had a custom pair of projector HID headlights built from Black Flame custom and they are great supplemented by a pair of Lightforce Lance on the bumper. Hopefully this will give you a start to figure things out.

Thanks for all the info, the insight from more seasoned Xterra owners is a huge help. I have been doing a lot of research over the last week or two

 

[vonguido]

Dual battery is pretty easy, but depends on the batteries. Here's a (old) pic I have on hand of my setup. We cut down the old plate and put in a new one that was the length of the two batteries, with a spot for the tie down. They fit in tight, but fit in well. I ended up replacing them in the winter since both of them were on their way (one was completely dead and I was self-booting myself boosting every morning), but the Yellow Tops are just a tad smaller then regular Group 34/35 batteries, and the new Motomaster batteries were too big for my liking for that spot. One of the new Motomasters ended up going, and they wouldn't replace it under warranty cause one of the posts were bent (no idea how honestly, if it was even me), so I'm back to a single Yellow top as of last month, and will get another in the next while.

As for the alternator, the factory alternator couldn't keep up to winching. I'm running a GM marine 165 amp alternator and I've had no problem since.

Thanks for the input, I more than likely will end up with an AGM style battery like one from Sears....I had one in my Jeep XJ and it was awesome...the alternator will definitely be a needed upgrade

 

[vonguido]

I knew the owner of Calmini so most of the suspension mods I had were from them. Loved it and never had a problem.
The #1 first things I would do is replace the step bars with good rock sliders and put quick disconnects for the swaybars. Both are relatively cheap mods and go a long way to improving off pavement capabilities. When I tried running 33" mud terrain tires I had issues with rubbing in the wheel wells. 32" rubbed as well but the plastic could be trimmed, 33" rubbed in areas that couldn't easily be modified.

I just off-lined my old Xterra page half a year ago after having it online (and neglected) since 2000, but have tried to copy/paste it into a cheapo wordpress page in case anybody ever wanted to revisit it. There are pages for interior and exterior mods if you want some ideas. The link is in my signature.

What size suspension lift/body lift were you running when you had issues with the rubbing of the 33's and 32's?
when I get some time I will have to check out your old build thats on wordpress

 

[vonguido]

Ok,
So after doing a lot of reading builds on here as well as elsewhere. I have a rough idea of what I want to do and in the order I want to do it....now with that being said we all know how the best laid out plans usually go, so changes as needed. But for now;

*do something to make the front headlights better lol...LED cubes on the front somewhere
*Removal of step bars and addition of Shrock or similar sliders
*Installation of larger AGM battery, w/ National Luna monitoring kit
*Removal of rear bumper and replaced with Shrockworks tire carrier(new/used)
*Dephep type roof rack
*Blue sea fuse management/ w/ relay box.....or making a Spod system work
*1-2" body lift to accommodate larger tires
*ARB/Engel/national luna type fridge/freezer for the trunk area...45L minimum
*50" LED light bar, plus flush mount rear bumper LED lights and maybe a couple cube LED's for the rack.
*Front bumper replaced with either ARB/Shrock/Calmini....I'm open to suggestions here
*Winch....open to suggestions on weight and brand.
*Suspension replacement w/ a radflo type setup from PRG....Emulsion shocks in the rear w/ Alcan leafs...with radflo 2.0 coilovers in the front w/ new UCA....open to suggestions from those that have been there....I'd rather buy once cry once. I want a ride thats going to be nice but hold up to the much heavier weight.
*finally a RTT...I'd love to buy a trailer and go that route, however its not in the cards anytime soon.

Obviously Im sure I missed something so this list will probably change frequently to add and subtract things as they come along.
Let me know what you think, as I said I would much rather buy once, cry once..ultimately its about getting to the destination and having fun doing it and having fun while at the destination. There will be lots of trips from Ohio to Durbin,WV and also Ohio to the Carolinas and occasionally Florida, along with a trip to Drumond Island in the UP of *ichigan(yes I'm a Buckeyes fan sorry)

 

[dennismc]

Gonna have to rethink a couple of things. Your thoughts on suspension products are for 2nd gen, yours is a first gen. Look at the 4X4 parts website, it's got a wealth of parts. Do a 2" body lift for clearance after you figure out your suspension, I run 33's with no issues. You can do a PML and easily fit 31/10.5's which is where I first started. Alcans are nice springs, almost went that way until I talked to a local spring shop and they built a set of springs, installed them and readjusted my front torsion bars all for the cost of Alcans and they were done in a day. If you do a body lift Calmini doesn't offer an option for a body lift so you'll have a huge gap at the front bumper, same with ARB. Go with Shrock or a company that builds to accommodate a body lift. You'll definitely want to beef up steering with bigger tires and off road use otherwise things will break or bend. Another major source of info is Club Xterra, probably the most active of the sites, lots of 1st gen info. Do more home work before you start spending any money and doing any mods.

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

XterraNation.org had a good gen1 section as well.

Indeed dennismc is right, the gen1 uses torsion bars, it's the gen2 that uses a coil spring suspension setup up front.

A 50" lightbar would be good large for a gen1, you'd need a 42"

A body lift is actually pretty cheap and easy. Before you start anything, you can do a BL anytime while you sort your suspension out. I can 32's with a 2" BL and a PML for years until I got my SL lift done. Do a 2". A 1" doesn't really exist, and there's no real benefit to going only 1, you save no extra work, so why do it all for just 1" with little benefit. Also watch out for the heater core hoses. It's the 3" BL that's a job.

For an aftermarket bumper and a body lift, I'd say it depends on what you pay for the bumper. If you save a few hundred getting a bumper for a non-body lift, but it costs you <$100 to bring it to a fab shop to get the brackets extended, and you prefer that bumper, then go that route IMO.

RTT's are nice. I ran one on the truck for several years, but went the trailer route last year. Regardless, I love the RTT

 

[Kerensky97]

What size suspension lift/body lift were you running when you had issues with the rubbing of the 33's and 32's?
when I get some time I will have to check out your old build thats on wordpress

The Calmini 3" with the new A-Arms and add-a-leaf and new shackles in the rear.
The rubbing occurs when you turn the wheel and have any wheel stuff-age in the front wheel wells. I was able to trim enough that you didn't notice it until you hit a bump while turning or did any offroading where the suspension is moving. Basically if you turn while going over a gutter or curb into a driveway the loud *BRAAAP-BRAAAP!* of the lugs hitting will make everybody in earshot look in your direction.

 

[vonguido]

Well crap, I got so into my research I just started looking at everything and combining them. Can I still run the Radflo emulsion shocks in the rear?
I have looked at local spring shops around here but they don't have the best ratings for service.....The torsion bars are a lot cheaper thats for sure...and the fact I will be doing a body lift narrows my bumper choices to Shrock front and rear.
In terms of the steering what all would I want to replace and who is the best recommended upgrade for steering products?
I will check out club xterra shortly

Gonna have to rethink a couple of things. Your thoughts on suspension products are for 2nd gen, yours is a first gen. Look at the 4X4 parts website, it's got a wealth of parts. Do a 2" body lift for clearance after you figure out your suspension, I run 33's with no issues. You can do a PML and easily fit 31/10.5's which is where I first started. Alcans are nice springs, almost went that way until I talked to a local spring shop and they built a set of springs, installed them and readjusted my front torsion bars all for the cost of Alcans and they were done in a day. If you do a body lift Calmini doesn't offer an option for a body lift so you'll have a huge gap at the front bumper, same with ARB. Go with Shrock or a company that builds to accommodate a body lift. You'll definitely want to beef up steering with bigger tires and off road use otherwise things will break or bend. Another major source of info is Club Xterra, probably the most active of the sites, lots of 1st gen info. Do more home work before you start spending any money and doing any mods.

 

[dennismc]

Bilsteins are pretty much your main choice, several different versions, the 5100's are what you'll want, they fit stock or if you do any suspension upgrades with longer arms and they're not terribly expensive, roughly 80.00 ea. As far as other steering and suspension pieces you have quite a few different ways to go. Really recommend calling the guys at 4X4 parts, discuss what you plan to do with the vehicle and see what they recommend<954 971 3510>.

 

[Nd4SpdSe]

Say far, FAR away from the Rancho 9000's, especially for the rear. For the steering, there's a few options. I'm running just a Grassroots 4x4 center link, idler arm brace from 4x4parts, as well as their HD tie rod adjusters.

 

[Kerensky97]

Bilsteins are pretty much your main choice, several different versions, the 5100's are what you'll want, they fit stock or if you do any suspension upgrades with longer arms and they're not terribly expensive, roughly 80.00 ea.

It's funny, when I was pricing out Bilsteins I didn't want to spring for the higher end 5100s since the 4600 were OEM replacement and I knew they were good enough for my application. A friend said to price them both out anyway.
The 5100's were cheaper than the 4600s anyway due to demand or over production or something. I searched online and got mine for about $65 a piece. A nice upgrade that actually saves you money.