Is the Pro 4x Worth it?

wreckdiver1321

Overlander
I see a lot of moderate speed washboard roads (Death Valley and Hole in the Rock), coupled with a smaller number of low speed rougher stuff (Coyote Flats in the Sierras). What is your typical terrain?

I can forgive the failure of one shock, as it could just be a fluke, but not two. Any idea what model Bilstein shocks Nissan uses, or are they one-offs?

My truck has 124k on the clock, but I've only put on about 12k. Mountain roads and FS fire roads out here. Moderate speed washboards and rocks, low speed technical terrain. And the worst, most potholed roads in Montana just getting out of my neighborhood :D

If I recall correctly, Nissan uses the Bilstein 4600 series for the Nismo/Off-Road/Pro-4x trucks.
 

DesertFront

CONFUSED!
I see a lot of moderate speed washboard roads (Death Valley and Hole in the Rock), coupled with a smaller number of low speed rougher stuff (Coyote Flats in the Sierras). What is your typical terrain?

I can forgive the failure of one shock, as it could just be a fluke, but not two. Any idea what model Bilstein shocks Nissan uses, or are they one-offs?

I don't care for billies because of that and when I got my new truck, I instantly yanked them off and put Radflo coilover front and radflo emulsions in the rear. The extra expense was worth it as they are rebuildable and the ride is better.
 

702krawler

Adventurer
I hope you like the Radflos. I just finished installing an Old Man Emu rear leaf pack last week, along with Radflo Coilovers. I was planning to stick with the OEM Bilsteins in the rear, but during the leaf pack install I discovered a leak in one of the rear shocks, so I ordered some Radflo emulsions for the rear which should arrive tomorrow. The whole thing was probably $1700 or so, so I have high expectations. I'm waiting to get everything changed out before assessing the improvements.
 

702krawler

Adventurer
According to various web sources, the 4600s are pretty much identical to the 5100s (stock height vs. lifted, respectively) which someone suggested to me. I'm glad I picked Radflos instead.
 

702krawler

Adventurer
My truck has 124k on the clock, but I've only put on about 12k. Mountain roads and FS fire roads out here. Moderate speed washboards and rocks, low speed technical terrain. And the worst, most potholed roads in Montana just getting out of my neighborhood :D

If I recall correctly, Nissan uses the Bilstein 4600 series for the Nismo/Off-Road/Pro-4x trucks.
If you remember when the time comes to replace your OEM Bilsteins, please let us know how long they lasted for you. I wonder if the previous owner didn't off road much, or if I just got extremely unlucky? I think washboard roads eat shocks for lunch.
 
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wreckdiver1321

Overlander
If you remember when the times come to replace your OEM Bilsteins, please let us know how long they lasted for you. I wonder if the previous owner didn't off road much, or if I just got extremely unlucky? I think washboard roads eat shocks for lunch.

I'm pretty sure the PO didn't take this truck off road much. Where I got it from, there wasn't much "off road" to be had. It will be sooner than later, since I'm planning on replacing the rear suspension in the near future. OME leafs and Bilstein 5100s.

In reference to the 4600 vs. the 5100, the 5100 is a larger diameter shock, which would help with damping, especially over washboards.
 

jingram

Adventurer
This is another guy with a 2011 Pro-4x with the 6spd. I've had a lot of vehicles in my past (83 Toyota 4x4, 89 Hardbody Ext Cab 4x4, 87 Trooper 4x4, 97 Land Cruiser 4x4 Anniv. Edition, 2004 Xterra 4x4, etc). The last one before the current Xterra was the 2004 which I bought used. In some ways it was a far superior vehicle from a complexity standpoint. Bulletproof drivetrain. That V6 and that H233b were great. Cheap "budget lift" by cranking the torsion bars, etc. However, that motor was really low on power, poor on mileage, and there were limited aftermarket parts available for it. It took me a lot of great places, but was certainly no crawler, and was definitely more grand tourer for the back country, which is what EP is really about in some ways. Other downsides were the rear seats didn't lay flat, plastics faded, and it was just outclassed by the current generation that came after it from Toyota, Nissan, and Jeep. I waited a number of years and eventually scored a screaming deal on the new Pro-4x. So far I am around 34k miles with a solid mix of on and offroad. This is my take:

Suspension is terribly soft in the rear. Really bad. You will literally bounce off the stock bump stops going over speeds bumps in the home depot parking lot. I quickly replaced those with timbrens. While that helped, it needs stiffer leafs even unloaded. The stock Bilsteins are nothing to write home about. I think they are poorly valved for the truck. I've ran Bilstein for years on sports cars and have had nothing but fantastic experiences with them. Not so on the X. The stock tires are like any OE tire in this class. Toyota is no better here. The Rugged Trails are garbage. I literally replaced the tires the day after purchasing the vehicle. America's Tire gave me a $200 credit for them. Other than that the vehicle has treated me well. The motor is a gem, the transmission is a decent 6 speed. The clutch while not great has held up, although I have a persistant squeak. The locker gets used a fair amount out on my farm and works well. The ABLS works fantastically well. The rear seats lay flat and I can store a fair amount, haul things like my kayaks on the rack, and do it for a reasonable amount of change compared to its peers.

All in all, it tows a fair amount, looks conservatively good, and is a solid choice. The axles are weaker than the 1st gen and the choice to use a hybrid D44 and aluminum housings compared to the H233b/C200 combo in the previous gen is beyond me. Its not like it is a standard D44 and was wide open to the aftermarket from the get go. Instead it had Nissan's special sauce.

I paid 26,800 with a fair amount of goodies including tow package, rear cargo cover, and factory rubber floor mats. I also bought it at the end of that model year. I felt like I was getting good bang for the buck. That being said, I wish it was a Jeep Rubicon. Not because the Rubicon suits my needs any better (it doesn't), has a broader aftermarket (it does), but simply because I love how they look and perform out of the gate. However, I wasn't willing to pay their insane prices and the build quality really was disappointing.

If you are looking for a solid overlander for a family with out of the gate financing and warranty coverage, do yourselves a favor and get the Pro-4x. If you are planning on turning this into a crawler or something to tackle more extreme trails. Save yourself some dollars and simply buy yourself a Jeep. If you must have an X, buy an S model and build it up. For me, the Pro-4x made the most sense and was a good fit for the kind of things I do.
 

SnowedIn

Observer
I just had to make a similar decision on Pro-4x vs. not - with the pickup, not the Xterra.

- The locker was a really big deal for me, and by itself amounted to a decision between ~3 grand for that vs. the cost of an aftermarket one plus installation.

- The suspension I could take or leave - if I need more capacity or a mild lift, I'll upgrade it, if not, I won't.

- Stock skid plates were sort of a non-issue. I intend to put on a set of aluminum ones regardless, but the stock skids will serve until then. The additional Pro-4x ones can be sold or given away on Craigslist.

- Starting with 2015, they're offering a new tire on them. The Hankooks seem like much more useful tires out of the box than the Rugged Trails (?) they used to offer.

Deciding factor ended up, surprisingly, being the significant other declaring that leather seats and the sunroof were mandatory.


I'm thrilled with the purchase so far and feel fine about the added cost vs. intended life of the vehicle. I like the stock (Bilstein) suspension and use the locker every time I hit up some of my common destinations.
 

Viggen

Just here...
Still undecided. Not too sure if I want to build something older and have more fun with it or get something new.
 

steve c

Adventurer
Still undecided. Not too sure if I want to build something older and have more fun with it or get something new.

If the Xterra is still on your list, they've been virtually the same truck since 2005. I'm not sure if that's the kind of older you were talking about, but you could probably get one fairly cheap and use the saved monies to mod it to your liking.
 

Viggen

Just here...
If the Xterra is still on your list, they've been virtually the same truck since 2005. I'm not sure if that's the kind of older you were talking about, but you could probably get one fairly cheap and use the saved monies to mod it to your liking.

It is on the list but by older, I am meaning late 80s/ early 90s. Something pre OBDII.
 

702krawler

Adventurer
Pre-ODB II makes it sounds like you want to do engine performance mods. Nothing wrong with that if you enjoy those types of projects, but I'd argue that a more modern vehicle like the Xterra doesn't need them. Instead, you could focus your time and money on suspension, armor, and tires.

In the end, you need to get the vehicle YOU want, not the one I or anyone else thinks you should get. That being said, based on your stated "overlanding" purpose, something like the Xterra should work perfectly.
 

Viggen

Just here...
Pre-ODB II makes it sounds like you want to do engine performance mods. Nothing wrong with that if you enjoy those types of projects, but I'd argue that a more modern vehicle like the Xterra doesn't need them. Instead, you could focus your time and money on suspension, armor, and tires.

In the end, you need to get the vehicle YOU want, not the one I or anyone else thinks you should get. That being said, based on your stated "overlanding" purpose, something like the Xterra should work perfectly.

No, I like to wheel before I go "overlanding". The tent gets set up when I am done wheeling. I do not carry a bunch of stuff with me. The reason for wanting a pre- OBDII truck is precisely to be able to do mods.
 

chmura

Adventurer
No, I like to wheel before I go "overlanding". The tent gets set up when I am done wheeling. I do not carry a bunch of stuff with me. The reason for wanting a pre- OBDII truck is precisely to be able to do mods.

For a dedicated overland vehicle engine mods reduce liability that can fail in the field. Not sure what you will use the vehicle for but for remote long overland adventures I would seriously think of keeping the engine stock as possible. If it were me I would buy the newest vehicle I can afford with adequate power and leave the engine stock. In your post above looks like you do more local stuff than long range overlanding.

1) Complexity is the enemy: Keep the vehicle as simple and reliable as possible, minimizing the number of systems and variables that can fail in the field. Adapt only as required for the vehicle to perform in the environments and conditions expected in your route, for example, 44″ tires on a vehicle used to cross a glacier. Consider the engineering performed by the OEM manufacturer, and how all of the factory systems interrelate. The vast majority of failures we see to 4wds are aftermarket modifications, and of those, electrical and engine system modifications are the most prone to failure.

http://expeditionportal.com/the-10-commandments-of-modifying-an-overland-vehicle/
 

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