Hello everyone!
My name is Caleb and I picked up my Xterra a little over a year ago to use as a daily driver here in Chicago during the winter months. I've done a bit of work since then, but recently decided to take things to the next level with the build and wanted to document my progress. I love the idea of overlanding and hope to build this into something capable of taking trips in the near future.
I searched for about a year looking for the right truck and landed on an 03' 4x4 in Tank Green (hence the project name). Picked it up for $1600 with 145k on the clock, 1-owner and dealer maintained since new. Only downside is it has been an Indiana truck its entire life, so there is some rust issues I'll have to address.
Here it is when I first bought it:
Forgive me as I never really planned to create a build thread for my "beater", so I don't have many photos to date.
Aside from some mechanical repairs that needed to be done, here is what has been done so far:
Maintenance Overhaul : Timing Belt, Water Pump, Valve Cover Gaskets, Plugs, Plug Wires
Refinished All Exterior Plastics
Adjusted Torsion Bars 1.5"
Rancho RS5000 2.5" Lift Shocks
OEM Nismo (Volk TE37X) wheels
Thunderer Trac Grip M/T 285/75/16
Window Vent Visors
Which puts us to today:
And why am I creating this build thread? Well, because I absolutely love the truck!
My main project right now is completing a suspension overhaul. I have new shocks all around, but the bushings and ball joints are past their prime and I want to address things before they become an issue. I'm looking to replace pretty much everything up front (all arms / steering components) and really I'm deciding between two choices:
Replace everything with original parts and stay PML and add a body lift. (I already have a 2" BL I purchased a while back, but would ideally go 1"). This is most affordable and I feel would be fine with the little I do go offroad.
or
Upgrade everything and go for a complete suspension lift with reenforced steering setup: 4x4parts UCA, Grassroots centerlink, HD tie rods, ect. I think this is a bit overkill , but with the 33"s and cranked torsion bars I know it's probably the right way to go for longterm reliability / ride and this isn't a job I want to do twice. It's just hard to justify the price of it all !
Stay tuned as I'll be updating this thread as often as I can and look forward to your comments and input!
My name is Caleb and I picked up my Xterra a little over a year ago to use as a daily driver here in Chicago during the winter months. I've done a bit of work since then, but recently decided to take things to the next level with the build and wanted to document my progress. I love the idea of overlanding and hope to build this into something capable of taking trips in the near future.
I searched for about a year looking for the right truck and landed on an 03' 4x4 in Tank Green (hence the project name). Picked it up for $1600 with 145k on the clock, 1-owner and dealer maintained since new. Only downside is it has been an Indiana truck its entire life, so there is some rust issues I'll have to address.
Here it is when I first bought it:
Forgive me as I never really planned to create a build thread for my "beater", so I don't have many photos to date.
Aside from some mechanical repairs that needed to be done, here is what has been done so far:
Maintenance Overhaul : Timing Belt, Water Pump, Valve Cover Gaskets, Plugs, Plug Wires
Refinished All Exterior Plastics
Adjusted Torsion Bars 1.5"
Rancho RS5000 2.5" Lift Shocks
OEM Nismo (Volk TE37X) wheels
Thunderer Trac Grip M/T 285/75/16
Window Vent Visors
Which puts us to today:
And why am I creating this build thread? Well, because I absolutely love the truck!
My main project right now is completing a suspension overhaul. I have new shocks all around, but the bushings and ball joints are past their prime and I want to address things before they become an issue. I'm looking to replace pretty much everything up front (all arms / steering components) and really I'm deciding between two choices:
Replace everything with original parts and stay PML and add a body lift. (I already have a 2" BL I purchased a while back, but would ideally go 1"). This is most affordable and I feel would be fine with the little I do go offroad.
or
Upgrade everything and go for a complete suspension lift with reenforced steering setup: 4x4parts UCA, Grassroots centerlink, HD tie rods, ect. I think this is a bit overkill , but with the 33"s and cranked torsion bars I know it's probably the right way to go for longterm reliability / ride and this isn't a job I want to do twice. It's just hard to justify the price of it all !
Stay tuned as I'll be updating this thread as often as I can and look forward to your comments and input!
