Newb's X Build Thread

Newb

Bought an X
Username: Newb

Make: Xterra
Year: 2014
Trim: S
Color: White
Code name: Newb's X

Mods:

SPC Upper Control Arms
Nisstec 2" front spacers
Bilstein 5100 adjustable front shocks (set at 0")
All Dogs Cam Bolt Delete Kit
Nisstec adjustable shackles
Bilstein 5100 rear shocks
Rear Diff Breather
Cooper STMax Tires (255/85/16)
ARB Front Bumper
Warn EVO 10S winch
Maxterra Roof Rack
White Knuckle Sliders
Maxterra Rear Bumper with tire carrier and dual gas can carrier
Auxbeam 7” lights
Front sway bar removed

53EB079C-547D-4028-BEF8-88CF40491855.jpeg
 
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Newb

Bought an X
F99BBE9D-E653-4718-B916-1AFE064315BA.jpeg The shackles went off without a hitch.... well actually there were two. Had to do the passenger side over. The first time l put in using the shortest lift option (hole #1) but the rear was still lower than the front, so I redid it on the second hole. Ended up 3/4” higher than the front...something still not quite right...
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
Nice, I was going to run the same setup but ended up going with All Dogs Offroad 2" lift coils @ ~500# vs the 2" spacers. Still running 0 lift on 5100s and shackles are on the highest hole. Mine sits about level with a little higher ass end, which I like and is about the same dangle as stock rake.. The ride, after a few unforseen hiccups, is way better than worn out stock. I need to drop the rear sway bar for sure and get out on trail to see how it does flexing..
 

Newb

Bought an X
Nice, I was going to run the same setup but ended up going with All Dogs Offroad 2" lift coils @ ~500# vs the 2" spacers. Still running 0 lift on 5100s and shackles are on the highest hole. Mine sits about level with a little higher ass end, which I like and is about the same dangle as stock rake.. The ride, after a few unforseen hiccups, is way better than worn out stock. I need to drop the rear sway bar for sure and get out on trail to see how it does flexing..
I'll bet you made the right call with the 2" coils. The weakness in my setup is that the lift comes at a cost of downward travel. There's now about 1/2" between the UCA and the coil bucket.

On the rear end, I think if you take off the sway bar you may need longer brake lines. I was looking at mine, and at full droop, the sway bar seems to be keeping the axle from hanging on the brake lines. I'm a complete newb, but that was the way it seemed to me. Also, after the shackle install I was able to visualize what people were saying about spring inversion. My springs are flatter now with less room to compress before being completely flat. I may consider add-a-leaf, or an upgraded bumper.
 

Xterrorista

Charcoal Briquette
Supporting Member
Location
Denton, TX
I was able to visualize what people were saying about spring inversion. My springs are flatter now with less room to compress before being completely flat. I may consider add-a-leaf, or an upgraded bumper.
Hmm, I'll definitely check droop b4 I disconnect. My leaves are damn near flattened out. A full set of Alcans are in my future but have other goodies in line first. With the new 5100s and shackles out back it isn't bottoming out anymore tho so I'm happy for now.

The guys started a thread about the + & -'s of the 5100s. @TerryD & @General_Tarfun I believe, had some good points and descriptions of travel that might be enlightening. I'll try to find a link..

EDIT: https://www.xterranation.org/index.php?threads/the-strengths-and-pitfalls-of-bilstein-5100s.9427/
 
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General_Tarfun

Sliders
Location
Atlanta, GA
Hmm, I'll definitely check droop b4 I disconnect. My leaves are damn near flattened out. A full set of Alcans are in my future but have other goodies in line first. With the new 5100s and shackles out back it isn't bottoming out anymore tho so I'm happy for now.

The guys started a thread about the + & -'s of the 5100s. @TerryD & @General_Tarfun I believe, had some good points and descriptions of travel that might be enlightening. I'll try to find a link..

I just finished redoing the 5100 setup I had and the ride is a lot better than before. I got rid of the moog coils (they were binding really bad) for OE Nissan coils, changed the preload to 0 and used a spacer to get the lift back. I have the SPC UCA's which helps regain lost some downtravel but I no longer hate the 5100's as much anymore.
 

Newb

Bought an X
Hmm, I'll definitely check droop b4 I disconnect. My leaves are damn near flattened out. A full set of Alcans are in my future but have other goodies in line first. With the new 5100s and shackles out back it isn't bottoming out anymore tho so I'm happy for now.

The guys started a thread about the + & -'s of the 5100s. @TerryD & @General_Tarfun I believe, had some good points and descriptions of travel that might be enlightening. I'll try to find a link..

EDIT: https://www.xterranation.org/index.php?threads/the-strengths-and-pitfalls-of-bilstein-5100s.9427/
I had read that thread, but i just reread it. Tons of great info! Thanks for linking it.
 

Newb

Bought an X
I just finished redoing the 5100 setup I had and the ride is a lot better than before. I got rid of the moog coils (they were binding really bad) for OE Nissan coils, changed the preload to 0 and used a spacer to get the lift back. I have the SPC UCA's which helps regain lost some downtravel but I no longer hate the 5100's as much anymore.
I followed your moog saga. Glad you're riding better now. Did you need extended brake lines with your new UCA's?
 

General_Tarfun

Sliders
Location
Atlanta, GA
I followed your moog saga. Glad you're riding better now. Did you need extended brake lines with your new UCA's?

Wasn't required but when I replace them for preventative maintenance reasons I'm going with extended for sure because I'd prefer they had more slack on droop. On this most recent install I used a pair of vice-grips to gently adjust the mounting brackets where the upper rubber hose meets the hard line to have a less harsh angle on droop and also downward a little which helped. On the rear axle I just built a squared bracket 1" or 1.5" tall to give more slack to those hoses but I haven't extended those either yet. Next project probably since I'm due for a flush anyway.
 

Newb

Bought an X
Wasn't required but when I replace them for preventative maintenance reasons I'm going with extended for sure because I'd prefer they had more slack on droop. On this most recent install I used a pair of vice-grips to gently adjust the mounting brackets where the upper rubber hose meets the hard line to have a less harsh angle on droop and also downward a little which helped. On the rear axle I just built a squared bracket 1" or 1.5" tall to give more slack to those hoses but I haven't extended those either yet. Next project probably since I'm due for a flush anyway.
Thanks for the info, I'll plan to do something like that when the time comes.
 

Newb

Bought an X
FC11D870-7AFA-41CE-9A75-AB6E75D6A0E2.jpeg 5108CCE7-DF34-4683-AF75-A3C34D485D15.jpeg Installed SPC upper control arms. Had to grind about 1/4” off the coil buckets. Now they’re moving freely and riding well. Also sanded and painted the frame (trying to prevent rust). Next step is to apply some CRC corrosion inhibitor.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
No, I just put on the hugely-expensive-for-what-they-are SPC Xterra UCA’s. The new design looks like the Titan SPCs. I thought a lot about doing a swap, but the budget wouldn't support it.
Oh! I didn't know they redesigned them!

FWIW I really like my SPCs. No complaints for the last 30k+ miles. Just be sure to grease them regularly. I usually give them a couple pumps at each oil change or after washing up after a trip.
 

Newb

Bought an X
Finished winterizing the underside of the X today. Completed painting the frame a few days ago, and today I sprayed the underside with CRC Corrosion Inhibitor. Finished just in time because snow is in the forecast (with the salt that goes with it in these parts). 6856C325-33DA-4F51-9C97-BF299C94AA37.jpeg
 

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TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Not a bad idea ! I had to get an alignment after the last Peter's Mill run , of course I got a little brutul on the frozen mud at the big open rest/stop spot on the trail and at the little hill climb area I went up the side hill backward's:confused: Aren't Xterra's meant to take a hammering . If I can't push Odo to his limit's I may as well just drive it to the Mall/grocery store and hang out with the rest of the house wive's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Newb

Bought an X
They're square blocks instead of round so they can't slip and your alignment change.

You can force a brutal alignment with no chance of it changing.
Yep- What Terry said. It comes with two sets of square washers one set with the hole in the middle and one set with the hole offset to one side. The washers with offset holes can be flipped either way to give you min or max camber. Then the rest of the alignment is adjusted on the SPC UCAs. I set the UCAs in the middle of their range, according to the instructions. I used the offset cam bolt washers with the holes farthest outboard (someone here said that worked for them). That seemed to do the trick. According to the alignment sheet, the X was within specks except for toe, which the shop adjusted. Here’s a link:
https://www.alldogsoffroad.com/ado-...ockout-kit-for-2nd-gen-nissan-frontier-xterra
 

Newb

Bought an X
New bumper arrived in the mail. I went with an ARB. Since the X is my daily driver and still a family car, I wanted something engineered with crumple structure and airbag compliant. And because I‘ve been watching a lot of Aussie FWD utube channels and have come to appreciate the ARB esthetic (or lack of:).C925BEFB-50DF-4343-BD46-4C91AE65FB68.jpeg
 
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Newb

Bought an X
Getting it up on the vehicle is tricky by yourself. used some ropes to hoist it up and then drove up to it. Fiddled with the winch quite a bit to get it on the right way. Ordered some longer cables to relocate the contol box. They should be here soon. I still need to finish up the lights and the winch. So far, I probably have at least a 6 pack and about as many hours in it. With a partner, it probably wouldn't have taken as long. I debated asking the wife to help, but that may have complicated the whole process- and I may have had to share the beer…. So decided to go it alone:) Here’s a glamor naked-radiator-shot.3937F382-83A8-4E8D-B7B3-7C63CF27C831.jpeg
 

Newb

Bought an X
Finished the winch install and the bumper lights. Had to do the lights several times because the plastic splicers that came with the kit didn’t get good connection, which caused the blinkers to work intermittently. It was a bugger getting in there - especially on the battery side— until I realized I could pop out the headlight assemblies and get at the wires that way. Also bought some inline connectors with the heat shrink stuff— more secure now.E96127FD-A954-4CBF-BDFE-26E51A29A7CC.jpeg
 

Newb

Bought an X
Mounted new White Knuckle sliders. Little more involved than I had planned, but not too bad. The instructions said to mount them up, then remove them to drill the holes. What? Why would I do that I was thinking. Souded like an unnecessary step. “I’ll just drill the holes with the sliders mounted.… “. And it could have been done, but the drill would need to be at an angle for some of them because the slider itself gets in the way of the drill…. So off they came so I could drill the holes, and back on they went for final mounting. All secure now. Here are some photos (even though I know you know what sliders look like).
 

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Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Mounted new White Knuckle sliders. Little more involved than I had planned, but not too bad. The instructions said to mount them up, then remove them to drill the holes. What? Why would I do that I was thinking. Souded like an unnecessary step. “I’ll just drill the holes with the sliders mounted.… “. And it could have been done, but the drill would need to be at an angle for some of them because the slider itself gets in the way of the drill…. So off they came so I could drill the holes, and back on they went for final mounting. All secure now. Here are some photos (even though I know you know what sliders look like).
I only put in the ones that didn't need a funny angle. I have never had an issue. And I still have a bag of those self tapping bolts.
 

Newb

Bought an X
I only put in the ones that didn't need a funny angle. I have never had an issue. And I still have a bag of those self tapping bolts.
Funny thing is, I thought about asking if folks thought those self tappers were really necessary. It seemed pretty secure without them. But then I decided it’d be a newb thing to ask, so I just went with the instructions. :)
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Funny thing is, I thought about asking if folks thought those self tappers were really necessary. It seemed pretty secure without them. But then I decided it’d be a newb thing to ask, so I just went with the instructions. :)
@xterraography still hasn't put his self-tapping bolts on yet either and it seems fine, but I'm with you I'd rather have them in there.
 
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