In case you missed it on ITW.

http://www.purenissan.com/swing_away_rear_bumper.htm

http://www.purenissan.com/P0004913a.jpg

http://www.purenissan.com/P0004915.jpg

Youch! $895.00 But it is a total wrap around desgin for total protection! :) I better get my ARB Bullbar first!

That looks nice!

A few points:
The recovery points do not look very strong.
They seem to look like the ARB high lift points, which were not recommended for recovery.
Why just a class 2 hitch?

Well it seems pretty functional.

I wish Calmini would pay more attention to matching the body lines of the Xterra. Both their front and rear bumpers stick out from the body of the truck. Probably good for protection, but they seem to have a "chunky" look to them.

Anyway. Good to see a new product.

...it's not as great as I was anticipating. From a quality standpoint it has it all over ours, but like others have noted, the tow rating is not great and the hook ups on the back look weak. Oh, and it has one of the small receivers...not unlike the ones you see on the Escapes and CRV's and such. Can you say wimpy? I'm guessing it just has flat frame inserts that only attach to the sides of the frame where the bumper attaches. if it only has a 3000lb tow capacity I would be concerned about using it as a tow point since a loaded Xterra weighs well over 4000 lbs. Also, I happen to like the cheap and easily replaced corner pieces rather than having the whole bumper to fix or replace if you back into something. I do like that it has a greasable pivot and better hardware in general.

You know Schlud, if you and I had all the tools and stuff, we could build a swing away bumper that would kick everyone's ass...especially after spending so much time analyzing and correcting the KMA shortfalls.

That is really nice finish work!

I agree Charles. I would have liked to see a middle bumper section replacement for $5-600. I would check out the frame attachment before buying one too.

I've been waiting for a rear tire carrier solution ever since I saw my first Xterra but this seems to come a bit short of my expectations. Is there any way to keep the factory plastic pieces on the ends of the bumper (like KMA design). Would this knock the price down a bit? For me the solution is in Calmini craftmanship with the KMA design (using the exsisting plastic bumper ends).

Originally posted by Schludwiller
I agree Charles. I would have liked to see a middle bumper section replacement for $5-600. I would check out the frame attachment before buying one too.

Dude, once we get your KMA all finished, it will be way better than the Calmini, IMO. Sure it's going to cost as much and won't have the super pretty finish, but atleast we can expect yours to support the weight of your truck when towing from it. After all this wait, I'm disappointed it isn't more. Calmini should have paid us to help them design it! That's right, get help from people with bumper experience! :D

BTW, I also wonder if it has a heavy tube behind to brace everything? If not, then that explains the low tow rating and definately makes it a scary tow point. :(

The bad aspect is I also am looking for a rear bumper but this is definitely not it. I don't like the wrap around at all. The smooth curves of the plastic bumper extensions are sharpened and made almost razor blade like. I would rather maintain the smooth lines I have become so accustomed to. I think part of the problem is CalMini is building this stuff with no input from owners who use their trucks. If anyone has some inside power, maybe that should be mentioned. I think if they would ask around or just surf the boards, they can hit a home run.

It took them a week to whip that up to give people an idea of the look. Like Ned and Ian said on the other BBs, it's not the final product. I'm sure with another week of tweaking, he can oblidge some requests.

Just for the record I basically agree with everything said above; I especially dislike the wrap-around style (like someone said on the unofficial board bending steel is expensive so why do it if most people don't want it?) & the "good enough for 90% of the time" recovery points.
It is, however, exciting that Calmini is still in the development process & hopefully they'll be open to critique from their market....

I kinda like it, I just wish it had:

less protruding corners and corner underbodies (for when you go through steep ditches and such, an aftermarket bumper should improver the departure angle.

a license plate holder?

better looking recovery points. they may be stout as hell, but it don't look the part.

The tire swingaway on the other side. When I want to get groceries out, and I am parallel parked, I want access to the curb, not the road. plus by mounting it on the left side, you can move the tire to the left, reducing the stress and allowing better visibility to that all important blind spot on the right rear. The hump should be where it mounts, it was designed that way to allow better visibility when you look behind you.

Class III hitch as many people have stated...... or.....

A winch mount bracket and fairlead mount. Hey, I can dream can't I?

Matt

Originally posted by Matt Peckham
...(for when you go through steep ditches and such, an aftermarket bumper should improver the departure angle.
That's a good point Mr. Peckham that I haven't yet seen raised....
As for the direction of tire swingout, some arguments against swinging out the other way: (1) you're swing out into the direction of oncoming traffic when parallel parked and (2) with the crown of most roads, you'll be swinging against a bit of gravitation force (imagine not swinging hard enough & going in to grab the groceries? yeah, that'd hurt a bit).

good points Xterrabull. I hadn't thought of the fact that you are almost always opening it with a little help from gravity, or at least it's not against you.

They designed the Discovery for england, and it's rear door swings the same way as this carrier, and they drive on the other side of the road, so it's always opening toward the road. I wonder if it will keep swinging 180 degrees, not just 90. Should be interesting.

Groceries? Please. :)

I have mine swinging open that way for one reason - so that the tire could be on the driver's side. Calmini really screwed up when they put it on the passenger's side.

My comments are pretty much the same as everyone else's (except Ian of course): good to see that someone else is working on X stuff, but that bumper isn't all that. :( I'll keep my KMA, thank you ...

Originally posted by Philosopher
:( I'll keep my KMA, thank you ...



I never thought I'd hear someone say that.......

I think the phrase should actually be:

"I'll keep my *MODIFIED* KMA, thank you."

Originally posted by Mobycat
I think the phrase should actually be:

"I'll keep my *MODIFIED* KMA, thank you."

True, true. :)

Aside from the class II hitch, I basically like the Calmini bumper. I wonder if the tire carrier is removable? I'd like to be able to put the tire and a gas can or Hi Lift back there for off roading. But, 90% of the time I think I'd rather have the tire out of the way under the truck.

Originally posted by ScottG
Aside from the class II hitch, I basically like the Calmini bumper. I wonder if the tire carrier is removable? I'd like to be able to put the tire and a gas can or Hi Lift back there for off roading. But, 90% of the time I think I'd rather have the tire out of the way under the truck.

If the structure is built the way it should be, it would be very difficult or impossible to put a tire under there. In order to have structural rigidity and towing capability, there has to be a big tube behind the skin to support everything and that takes up space. Just look at your bumper and you will see the tire comes right up to the skin, which wouldn' be possible with a reinforcement tube back there. Not only that, but you lose the access hole to the lowering chain!

I've gotten pretty comfortable with having the tire back there. Mine sits to the left a bit, so I can still see most of what I saw before; which wasn't much to begin with.

Originally posted by ChuckH


If the structure is built the way it should be, it would be very difficult or impossible to put a tire under there. In order to have structural rigidity and towing capability, there has to be a big tube behind the skin to support everything and that takes up space. Just look at your bumper and you will see the tire comes right up to the skin, which wouldn' be possible with a reinforcement tube back there. Not only that, but you lose the access hole to the lowering chain!

I've gotten pretty comfortable with having the tire back there. Mine sits to the left a bit, so I can still see most of what I saw before; which wasn't much to begin with.


You are probably right. I haven't spent as much time under there as you have (thanks to KMA) :)

No matter what everybody thinks about the Calmini bumper, I'm glad they are building stuff for the Xterra.

Amen!
:)

I'm glad Calmini is building Xterra stuff too...I just hope that they finish the job and answer the requests of those who are interested in buying the bumpers. Calmini and Skid Row both have the potential to build a perfect or nearly perfect bumper, so I'm only nitpicking because I know they can do even better. Know what I mean? :) Believe me, I'm not defending the KMA in any way! :monkeypis
KMA

Originally posted by ChuckH
I'm glad Calmini is building Xterra stuff too...I just hope that they finish the job and answer the requests of those who are interested in buying the bumpers.


Anyone with suggestions, please communicate with Steve at Calmini. He DOES want to make the bumper everything that we want it to be. He DOES have much experience and has some reasons for the design.

Originally posted by ChuckH
Believe me, I'm not defending the KMA in any way!



I'm not either, but mine does exactly what I wanted it to do - it holds my spare tire, allows me to tow my camper without ruining my departure angle, and gives me rear recovery points. And aside from the shitty looking welds, it is beefy and I'm happy with it. Especially considering what I paid for it. :)

Express your concernes. I know Ned's already mentioned this but I'll stress it again. Steve is a very approachable and friendly guy. Give him a call about your concerns and he will address them. He seems open to your ideas and he understands customer satisfaction. Heck, we talked for over a half hour on products for the Xterra that they offer.

Originally posted by Snoopy
Express your concernes. I know Ned's already mentioned this but I'll stress it again. Steve is a very approachable and friendly guy. Give him a call about your concerns and he will address them. He seems open to your ideas and he understands customer satisfaction. Heck, we talked for over a half hour on products for the Xterra that they offer.

Steve at calmini needs to learn to do market research. everything he needs to know has been posted on the 3 main boards over the past 8 months. it seems that he has ignored all the hard work Schlud, ChuckH, Gothamist, MrT, FSRBIKER, Will, myself and everyone else have put into working, hypothisizing and prototyping on this issue.

I have already spent way more than a half an hour detailing what i have done and why the design choices were made in grave detail on this and other boards. all he has to do is read what we have said. Is he to lazy to read what his target market has to say or? why not stand on the shoulders of giants? why not learn where others have screwed up? otherwise he can repeat what has been done over the past 8 months by others and myself.

Originally posted by Synchro


Steve at calmini needs to learn to do market research. everything he needs to know has been posted on the 3 main boards over the past 8 months. it seems that he has ignored all the hard work Schlud, ChuckH, Gothamist, MrT, FSRBIKER, Will, myself and everyone else have put into working, hypothisizing and prototyping on this issue.



Well, I think this is pretty much market research. He produced a prototype bumper, and someone posted it to all the efficient and well attended Xterra boards. I doubt we would've added as much productive advice had we not seen their design. I think we should all step back and realize that it's a prototype, and it will hopefully be redesigned or further improved to become the bumper that most of us would want to own.

I kinda wish the side fenders were made of a single slab of 1/4 inch that would not bend under seriously harsh conditions, I would also like to see some open ends where a high lift can be inserted to aid in lifting the Xterra without any complex maneuvers. just stick it in the slot and start jacking. Some of the most effective designs are the simplest. A 4x4 square tube as the basis for the bumper, laid across behind the bumper, would allow for such a Hi Lift slot. or the slot could be a hole in the back bottom below the 4"tube, using it for the structural mount. the 1/4" plates for the sides would then be welded to the end. the tow hitch could be welded underneath the bar, and a more sano plate could be welded under at an angle, to cover up the undercarriage.

The top corners need not be too fancy, just a piece of 2x4 welded on top and angle cut to match the rear hatch.

The swingaway could be mounted to any part of the back, it'd be might strong.

I would take something similar that didn't have the tire carrier. I just don't like them.

OK, here's my thought on tire carriers.

I know that the higher up, the more heavy an item becomes when lateral forces are applied, lower objects are closer to the center of gravity, basically nullifying any effect.

adding that 40-60 pounds of steel will almost counteract any tippiness increased by putting the tire on the top.

I could be totally off on this. please feel free to crucify me... :bloated:

Originally posted by Matt Peckham
just stick it in the slot and start jacking.

Let's try and keep this discussion out of the gutter, ok Mr. Peckham? :D

Originally posted by Schludwiller


Let's try and keep this discussion out of the gutter, ok Mr. Peckham? :D

Hehe!

Ask him what Lil Xterra calls him on the XOC board. Fitting! :D

I talked with Steve at Calmini, and got a bit more on the rear bumper.

They are thinking of making several versions of the bumper, one that is similar, I guess, to the KMA, one that is similar to the one shown on the site, but made from three pieces (for shipping's sake) and possibly a 3rd version.

You will be happy to know that the Class II tow point is a 1/4" walled reinforced 2" reciever hitch, as one would expect. It is rated at 3000 pounds mainly because of liability, as the 5 speed owners are only rated to 3500#s, but also because a jacked up Xterra, say, with 4" of lift, even with a 7" lowering hitch, towing a poorly balanced load, can cause problems to vehicle handling. It's a safety concern for handling, not for dead pull strength. I am not sure if he said anything about the strength of the tow point for recovery, I imagine it's at minimum double to triple the rating for TOWING. Just because the bumper can handle the weight, doesn't mean the Xterra can pull it.

The rear recovery points are there, and they are made of 1/4" steel, plenty of strength for pulling and shackle attachment. They are also, I believe the point where the side pieces mount to the center bumper point, I imagine this makes the bumper setup a great deal stronger when it comes to lengthwise twisting.

The side pieces are bent to fit around the body inner structure, so the bend at the bottom has to be there to protect the truck's guts, and also reduces the departure angle from the sides. They also mount to the frame somewhere in addition to the mount for the center of the bumper, which mounts to the frame where the KMA does, adding to the strength of the outer corners. Steven said you should be able to drop the Xterra on them without damage when rockcrawling, something he intends to prove at GOX II, I think...

The swing arm is hinged from the passenger side, mainly because it allows quick access for the driver, as it swings one handed from the driver side. The accessory bar, mounted on the driver side, will accept a Hi Lift, or the stock license pplate lighting and mount, or a Jerry can holder from an external company, not sure what company... The tire carrier is set farther to the passenger side, and allows for depth adjustment, allowing for various sizes of tires and wheels, which can have various depths. I also asked about possibly moving it to the center more, allowing for better visibility to the passenger rear, he took note, and noted that the stress is diminished the closer the tire is to the hinge. This, of course, is obvious... The locking mechanism has a Delrin sleeve at the base of the swingarm, that rests on the bumper, preventing rattling and vibration. the locking mechanism also has a locking spring actuated bolt, but we didn't talk about that much...

Think that's about it. He has had some very positive responses to the initial postings, and if you have any concerns or questions, do as I did, and call him. He'll be glad to talk with you. Doubt he'll be posting to any of the boards, as they are a busy shop, think they have 500 part numbers for Suzuki products alone, and he said he is spending the next 2 years expressly on Nissan parts. 22 years of experience, and the main guy, Steven, owns an Xterra. I think we are in luck!

Matt

Matt,

You say they are working on possibly three variations. Do you know if one will have a tire carrier but still fit the rear plastic bumper ends? My plan is to paint both my front and rear bumpers the original color of my old bumpers so they look factory. I want to avoid the look of the one displayed here. I want it to look more factory but would prefer one with a tire carrier/hitch receiver so I can axe both the under body spare tire and the rear hitch. It would be nice to hit the perfect 10 in rear bumpers. Yes, I would like to have my cake and eat it too! :-)

I believe they will offer a solution for those who want to keep the stock side bumperettes. Won't offer any side protection, but it'll be a solid bumper for holding a spare and a HiLift.

That's what I beleive I gathered from our conversation. He wants to offer solutions for various types of consumers.

Why won't he consider moving the hinge and the spare to the driver's side? I think most would give up the "quick access" for better visibility and an opening to the curb side. I couldn't give a rat's rectum about "quick access," I'll be in the middle of the situation either way. Some sort of detent to keep the arm open would be nice to deal with the road crown issue, but hell, I'd live without it to keep my visibility.

Brent

Do it. do it now. OK, might want to wait 5 hours until he is at the shop...

I asked him that same thing, and one of his replies was, everyone else does it... but I think he'd be willing to offer it set up differently. Just call him and ask.

By the way, would you actually be in the market for one?

A rear bumper is low on my list, and I don't think I would go with the carrier style anyway. But if I were to consider a carrier, that's how I would like it.

Brent

Matt,

Just so you know, I will be in the market for a bumper if one is available when I reach Phase 5 of project X. At that point I will be installing a winch and bumper and would like to nail down the rear bumper at the same time. Would it be worth my while to call CalMini and let them know what I am looking for?

I don't know what you are looking for.... so if you are interested in a certain design, I would send them a message. They are not finished developing, and it'll probably depend on future customer feedback where the rear bumper is headed.

Call em.

Matt

Originally posted by warmonger


phase 5 of project X


???

Only a military guy would refer to a truck like this ...

Well, I like this bumper...It's made outta 3/16" metal & has 5/16" shackle brakets, and it's solid metal...This is not the final design, this one is only a prototype.

I really like Calmini's new center replacement bumper...It's a great replacement for our stock center bumper peice.

Well, maybe next year, once Calmini get all their prototypes ironed out into a solid product & readily available to be purchased.:smoka: