Lizardking's Minivan...

Fromfrontier2Xterra

I bought a Taco
Super Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
All over PA
Updated first page.


Installing a used t-case from a 2012 manual in the near future. Hopefully, after this, I can take advantage of my front locker again!

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Very nice.
 

lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
The current theory is I stretched the transfer case chain. I won't know for sure until I open up the old case. There were not many metal shavings in the fluid.

The symptoms are a loud popping noise under heavy front drive load. It has been progressively worse over about a year. Early on the pop would happen only in extreme situations.

For a while, I thought it was the Lokka front locker. Apparently, the r180 and Lokka are still good. However, I believe the Lokka contributed to the early transfer chain case failure due to the added front drive stress. I would tend not to flip on the rear locker simply because the front pulled so well. In hindsight, it probably makes more sense to rely more heavily on the rear locker in tough situations.

I don't think I would have taken a different path if I knew about the transfer case early. I just might have staggered the repairs differently.
 

lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
The noise is gone! Finally. Transfer case worked well. The truck is a beast again!!

Love the titan swap. I feel like I was able to accomplish what I wanted to with my stock width setup and I think it is still a capable build. However, the Titan swap really changes the confidence and comfort level. Plus it is more stable in sketchy areas. A huge plus for me. Beyond that, it keeps the tires on the ground better. Forgot how much of beast this thing is even without lockers. Tho, I did get to use those this weekend too.

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thanks [MENTION=11149]jsexton[/MENTION] for the pics

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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
I blew a 2.5 extended length radflo so I decided to do tundra coils instead of rebuilding. I may sell the radflos. Not sure yet.


I have titan SPCs, custom top hat, FJ springs, 2inch bump stops, and the newer part number 5100s. I punished the setup at Rausch Creek this weekend and put a few around town and highway miles on them.

A few observations:
* The FJ springs feel about the same as the 600 springs on the 2.5 radflos. Body roll is similar. I think compression dampening feels about the same and rebound dampening feels lighter. It's hard to put a finger on. Whatever it is, it isn't crashing down and it handles small road imperfections much better. Large imperfections feel a bit less controlled but it quickly recovers. The highway, around town, and wheeling ride is much more comfortable overall.
* I measured ~19 1/2" from top hat to eye with the stock top hat setup. IMHO if you are running this way (stock top), you are binding something or have CBC. I have Moog outer tie rods and they bind shortly after 18 1/2" even with my radflo setup. I ran a 2" spacer on top of the extended length radflos and the measure 18 1/2" from top of the spacer to eye. With the custom top hats I am running the extended length measures out to just a bit over 18 1/2" from tophat base to center eye.
* This setup doesn't look like it will coil bind even without the bumpstops.



A few pics from this weekend:


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pic by [MENTION=270]jeffnjm3[/MENTION]
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Bklyn.X

Skid Plates
Moderator
Supporting Member
Founding Member
Location
Brooklyn, NY
Yes, I can't remember when (or if) we were on a trail together bro.

I've been wanting to wheel the Black section at the end of "13" but always end up there at the end of the day or with the wrong crew. I've only seen trucks on it once in all these years and they were "buggy’s" coming down it (the easy way).

When I was there last it was late in the day. That section was over grown; hard to tell what was the trail, so we took the "easy way" through the stream where I proceeded to pop the bead on my driver’s side front tire...in the stream.
 

lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
No body lift 35s. Still need some door molding to cover up the cut line.

Mickey Thompson MTZ P3.

Will get some better pictures. The light was crappy for the phone.
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Dismounting and mounting your own tires is a serious pain in the ass. It was much easier on the 4-5 tire since I had figured out what worked by then. Glad I did it. Not sure I will do it again.
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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
So... No body lift 35s. Not 100% sure I made the right choice. I do like that I am low(er) but there are a few gotchas so far.

1) I trimmed 1.8". I mostly chose that number because I followed the stock lines and the guide I used to draw the line was 1.8". I think I could have got away with a little less but I currently have big front bump stops limiting my travel so, it could be that it isn't enough if I want full travel.

2) Just trimming and putting molding on adds a bit of flex to the front fender. May follow jeffnjm3's example and add some bend to put some strength back in. The main issue with the bend is you will crack the paint. That and I think it takes some skill and patience to do it right.

3) Do your driver side first. If your line isn't straight, you don't have to stare at it every time you get in the rig! :D Dremel with a cutting wheel worked best. It was slow and I blew through blades but it gave me lots of control. The jigsaw left marks when it grabbed the metal and bounced. Your experience may vary.

4) If you trim or remove the liners, you will spray into your intake area. This seems particularly bad with the Volant in there.

5) Passenger side the washer fluid pump and reservoir is very close to the 1.8" opening I cut. Need to cover it or paint it somehow unless you have a white X. It is obvious. I guess you could remove it but it personally would drive me crazy to not have window washer fluid...

6) If you have Alcans, the center pin hole further back than stock. This creates clearance issues for the rear wheel. Still sorting this out. I bent some more metal and trimmed some platic. OME and stock + AAL should be ok.

washer pump sticking out. And dremel side of the cut.
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Some trimmed metal and plastic in the rear well.
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volant spray
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Getting ready for some trail time
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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
A bit. Maybe a 1" BL. But its sort of too late now. I do really like a lower center of gravity and most of the this is correctable. I do wish I uncovered the Alcans thing beforehand. Now I am ready for BL and 37s though. :)
 

lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
35s are great on the trail. Not as great on the road. The Xterra sure looks pretty with them. This weekend I ran one of the harder trails I haven't run since I went 35s. 4.56-33 vs 4.56-35: The 33s on this setup were very nice. Street and trail. Much less stalling on the trail. More control overall. 35s on the other hand just floated over areas that I struggled through before. The extra clearance and grip just make a noticeable difference that is hard to explain without experiencing it. I wouldn't go 35s if it is still your daily driver. 33s, 4.56, and titan swap are an awesome upgrade for 6 speeds. Pretty hefty price tag but worth it if you are into wheeling. Not decided on the front locker. I really wish there was a lokka for the m205 because I really liked the lokka in my r180. It is nice not having to worry about the lokka in the snow though. Arb in the M205 works fine. It's just a big ticket item that I don't use all that often... Maybe when I start running some harder stuff.

A few pics from the recent trip:

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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
Another ECXC under my belt. A great time with great people.

Some quick updates on the wheeling since I committed to 35s.

Last time I was out, I think I thought I was Superman because of my new(ish) setup. I went pretty hard and took some good hits. 35s don't make you superman. They do increase the capability and ground clearance but they are not magic. The past 3 days I took my time and picked my lines and tried to remember that I need to drive it home. That seems to have worked out much better.

Semi-related to the 35s, I am not sure the investment into the arb locker was worth it. It seems to be a surefire way to pop a CV. I have yet to break one but I saw another one die in agony while the front was locked. If you are just using it as another tool to get past an obstacle and you are easy on the skinny pedal, it seems ok but too much steering and/or too much pedal and that is all she wrote. Or, at least that is how it seems to me. I don't know if a lunchbox would be better but that doesn't matter I guess since there isn't one out there. Maybe the ones I saw pop were just bad luck. They were taking a lot of stress and every time it was a hard obstacle... but isn't that the point? Anyway, just noting that if you really feel like taking an hour "break" on the trail, flip on the front locker and give her some gas! :D

On the positive side, I absolutely love the setup otherwise. The tundra coils and fj springs work great. Titan swap is way worth it. The gears and 35s are working well.

Some ECXC 2018 pics:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/kK13cWsW9Z43k8eg9
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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
A few updates.

I hit 100K. This is the first vehicle that I bought off the showroom floor and maybe it to 100k with. I have had 100k+ vehicles just not ones that I had since new. Honestly, I never loved a car long enough to keep it this long. Well, there was one other car but it was in an accident so its life was cut short. I would say I hope to get another 100K out of it but it has been taken off DD duty so hopefully, the mileage stays low but it continues to make me smile for a long time to come.

Steering Rack. Effing steering rack. They told me when I went 35s I would blow the steering rack. Well... they were right. But it had 100K hard miles on it so I think it did ok.

A few tricks if you are trying to get the steering rack out with the m205 and don't really want to drop the diff.
1) Take the passenger side shock off.
2) Take the two from bolts out of the m205 and let it hang. Leave the CVs on.
3) Unbolt and disconnect the power steering lines from the rack. Have something to catch the oil. It is going to get messy.
4) Turn your wheel to the right so that the rack extends out of the passenger side.
5) Getting the steering column off was a pain. I used a some PB blaster, a hammer and a very long socket extension to pound upward on the knuckle.
6) Unbolt the rack. You are going to need a serious impact or a big breaker bar. 24mm bolt head and 22mm nut (it might have been 21mm nut). You are going to need an open-end wrench because you are going to get anything else in there one of them. 22mm or 21mm. Can't remember and I am too lazy to check right now.
7) move the rack to the passenger side. Wiggle. Curse. Curse some more. Wiggle some more. It will come out. It sticks out the passenger side and then the bulky end can drop down in the middle.

Pics:
JY low mileage rack
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the start of the madness
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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
So, I have realized that I am coming up on having the 35s for a year. This is not normal. They are a huge heavy tire on a small(ish) IFS SUV. Things are not as happy. I had to bend and cut metal. I had to replace a steering rack and a pump. I am not entirely confident my new rack and pump are sure they found a good home. I sense they are suspicious.

This was a stupid stupid thing to do... I love it. It looks so good. I was always happy when I came out to see the Xterra in the parking lot but NOW! So good. I look past al the bent metal. All the weird ass cuts I made in the fenders to fit these dumb tires. All the deep scratches in the paint from dragging it on some branch on some stupid trail. All the rust spots from the northeast salt belt. It's glorious! But so so so stupid. So stupid that I bought another truck. Another truck to tow it. Another truck so that I didn't wear out this beat to hell, 100k mile+, worthless pile of spare parts. There is something wrong with me. Yet, it is so so right.

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Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
Hahahaha! Well said. I know when we did Anthracite the last time I wheeled with you guys that was the slogan of the weekend. This is a stupid ufcking hobby. But damnit it's ufcking glorious.
 

lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
Yup. I am still beating the hell out of this thing. I just haven't posted in a while.

There haven't been any major changes. I did get a new head unit this spring because I was tired of not being able to stream music.

I wish there was a "next step" that made sense but without going crazy, my current build is the pinnacle IMHO. SAS or drop bracket or long travel all sound fun but each has its own set of issues. And, it still drives pretty well in this setup. Going down those rabbit holes may change that. I love this thing but I really wish the aftermarket was stronger. Upgraded steering rack would be awesome. Doubler or Crawler gears would be great. SAS kit. IFS CV and/or other upgrade options.

I have thought hard about saving up and finding a shop to SAS it. It does feel crazy to put so much money into something that will make it unsellable to the common person. If I am going to blow all that money on something stupid, I feel like maybe its time to switch platforms. But maybe, it would be smarter to find a new hobby.

ECXC was a blast as usual. Thank you NEXttera for continuing to do all the hard work to put this together. Some ECXC pics:

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lizardking

Bought an X
Location
wilkes-barre, PA
On today's episode of Keith tries to destroy his Nissan:

Uh. Slurry diff fluid. Chucks of something on the magnet.
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Yummy.
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Thats not right.
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Thought I heard some slipping early in the day on a trail. Thought maybe it was a bad axle. Later in the day a loud pop on a flat surface exiting a trail. Then some loud poping and grinding while diagnosing. Pulled the axles and drove it home (one of the really great things about the m205 and our wheel bearing configuration). I guess I am getting a new rebuild kit and some gears.
 
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