Novice Off-roader Looking to Improve

justaskier

Test Drive
Location
Rhode Island
Hey guys, just found this group and am pretty psyched to see such a sweet group focused on Xterra's. I have a 2006 Xterra and I am just looking to improve its off-road capabilities. I already installed overhead lights but need advice with body/suspension lifts, tire size, and push bar for the front. This is also a daily driver for me so I'm not looking to go insane and make it a complete rock crawler but bigger tires never hurt anyone. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
 

mudchet

Got Mud?<br><img src="http://i164.photobucket.com/
Founding Member
Location
Brentwood, TN
Welcome to the Nation! If you browse some of the threads you will find lots of discussion on tires, lifts, etc. Regarding the push bar I would look at front bumpers from ARB, Insain Fab, P&P Engineering among others. I believe Insain and P&P are forum sponsors. Glad to have you.
 

granitex

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
Columbus OH
avoid the push bar if at all possable, all it will do is add problems. the rest of the list all depends on what you really want at the end of the day.
 

TheFauxFox

Titan Swapped / SAS'd
Founding Member
Location
Huntsville, AL
Thanks for the recommendation but if you don't mind me asking, why do you say to avoid the push bar. Just curious

This is the favorite picture to post in reply to your question. Westin Bull Bars have similar results:
6qfr6s.jpg


The common nickname for these are "Damage Multipliers."
 

nottmbantam

Test Drive
Location
A, A
I'd suggest that you review the requirement for a lift - do you really need one? As the current owner of a Jeep JK, I bought it with a 3.5" lift already fitted, Coupled with some 315/70/17 tyres, all its done ( apart from added height) is to complicate the steering geometry. You'd need to make sure all steering components are correctly re-configured to accommodate the lift. This in turn brings about additional expense.

If you want bigger tyres, I'd suggest stick with stock rims and and go as large as you can without having to lift / modify, bearing in mind this is your D/D. More often than not, a change in tyres can create a big difference.

If you really want to lift, suspension lift is the way to go as opposed to body lift, but then ultimately more expensive. All depends on how mad you want to go. I'm in the market for an Xterra, and would probably keep it as stock as possible, considering it will also be my daily driver. Good luck though with whichever route you take, and personally, would love to see some "before and after " pics.
 

metzican

Suspension Lift
Location
Lafaytte, la
1: Have you or a previous owner done one of the following things. Replaced radiator, Switched coolent fluid type, Replaced the transmission, or done the bypass? This is all for the SMOD (strawberry milk shake of death) If you google search SMOD + Xterra. You will find a tone of info about it.

Tires; You can fit 33" tires without a lift or any issues as long as you have stock wheel backspacing. You may require to do the "melt mod" which is just pushing in the wheel well plastic behind the front tires. If you look you will see what i'm talking about. But in reality tire size helps but tire type helps more. Depending on the type of offroading your looking at doing depends on the type of tire I would recommend. Increase in tires size or change in type can lower your mpg. So depending on drive distance things to consider.

You can do a 2" Suspension lift no problem on your vehicle without ****ing up the steering. You will need to get an alignment done afterwords though. You can do anything form coil spacers and add a leafs to extended coils and aftermarket leaf packs or just add shackles. check out http://www.nissteclifts.com, Give them a call if you have any questions.
 

justaskier

Test Drive
Location
Rhode Island
I'm unsure if any of the previous 3 owners have done anything of the sorts, the truck was in really good condition when I got it and decently low mileage for 3 owners. After reading up on it I am not too concerned since mine still has low-ish miles but is it something I should be worried about when doing a lift?
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
As a starting point, its typically better to clarify your objectives for a build path...as it saves a lot of do-overs and mis-steps, etc.

For example, if ALL you want are larger tires, and you're not actually going to go off road (Off road like places a stock rig can't go...)....you can actually just fit 33's as mentioned, with no lift or other mods except the melt mod, and call it a day.

If you also want to just be higher, a 3" Body Lift would avoid messing up anything to do with steering, etc...and, has the advantage of adding even more tire room (Its typically TO add tire room).


If you ARE going to venture out where a stock truck can't...after that, its all a question of degree...HOW off road capable did you want to get?

For example, you might need skid plates and sliders more than a lift...as you'd never lift high enough to never hit, etc.


And so forth.


For off road as in fire trails and dirt roads, etc...the X is already more than capable, and is quite a beast right off the showroom floor. Its when you want to do more than that, that you start to up the ante.


What are your plans for her young man?

:D
 

justaskier

Test Drive
Location
Rhode Island
As a starting point, its typically better to clarify your objectives for a build path...as it saves a lot of do-overs and mis-steps, etc.

For example, if ALL you want are larger tires, and you're not actually going to go off road (Off road like places a stock rig can't go...)....you can actually just fit 33's as mentioned, with no lift or other mods except the melt mod, and call it a day.

If you also want to just be higher, a 3" Body Lift would avoid messing up anything to do with steering, etc...and, has the advantage of adding even more tire room (Its typically TO add tire room).


If you ARE going to venture out where a stock truck can't...after that, its all a question of degree...HOW off road capable did you want to get?

For example, you might need skid plates and sliders more than a lift...as you'd never lift high enough to never hit, etc.


And so forth.


For off road as in fire trails and dirt roads, etc...the X is already more than capable, and is quite a beast right off the showroom floor. Its when you want to do more than that, that you start to up the ante.


What are your plans for her young man?

:D

TJTJ, my plans are exactly as you stated. I have taken my X off roading already and she did beautifully. I am just looking for a bit more capabilities and wouldn't mind some more height and some bigger tires. As far as how off road capable, enough where I can confidently take her through some rocks and some mud without having to worry. Any personal suggestions about tires or lift kits would be nice, I did some research and have ideas but information from you fine X owners here is always appreciated.
 

C3po

Bought an X
Location
Boston
Welcome,

Dont forget to check out our local club Nexterra.org

Great for checking out other people's builds and how youll want to do your own. Theres even a bunch or RI/MA/CT members close to you.

They host stock friendly runs, mod days, and meet and greets. Theres even a stock friendly run coming up june 6th.


Here's some of us in West Warwick at a mod day.


5428374b9b89f02e50f047a7d0f5f843.jpg
 

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
TJTJ, my plans are exactly as you stated. I have taken my X off roading already and she did beautifully. I am just looking for a bit more capabilities and wouldn't mind some more height and some bigger tires. As far as how off road capable, enough where I can confidently take her through some rocks and some mud without having to worry. Any personal suggestions about tires or lift kits would be nice, I did some research and have ideas but information from you fine X owners here is always appreciated.

Well to go through rocks w/o worry, you want sliders and skid plates.

Are 33" tires large enough?

How much ON road performance are you willing to trade to get better OFF road performance? They are essentially mutually exclusive, in that about everything that helps off road performance, hurts on road performance.

For example, for tires, the tall side walled paddle wheel mud tires that churn through the goo like crazy, are horrible compared to even an AT ON the road...they wear out fast, and, handle more like surfing on greased squirrels than say like an autocross car, etc. You DO get used to it, and forget what hwy tires felt like, etc...but, the initial impression of many is that they must have forgotten to put air into them, etc. :D

The taller you go, the higher your center of gravity, and the slower you take off ramps, etc...and fitting into some garages becomes progressively less possible.

And so forth.

So, there's balls to wall all out off road, and, there's daily driver with some concessions made to work better off road while still being tolerable on road....and what "tolerable" and what "some concessions" means, to you, will be subjective at best.

So, what's the balance you want? 100% off road/0% on road performance bias? 50/50?

:)
 
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