Okay, the lift is in, unfortunately the bumpers are not bracketed so my truck looks pretty sketchy right now. :eek:

http://www.4x4lo.com/mods/body_lift/back_ugly.jpg

http://www.4x4lo.com/mods/body_lift/body_lift.htm

All in all I'm happy with it. While I must admit I like driving down the highway sitting level with the Ford Expeditions, mainly I'm hoping this cures the SSR rub once and for all...hoping to get out, get disco'd, and know for sure in a few weeks. I'll keep everyone posted.

Once the ARB gets bracketed up I'll post the pics of that as well.

Looks great!
I can't wait till I move so that I can raise up my X a bit.
(stupid under ground parking :( )

I think that you should just leave it like that it's a good look
:rolleyes:

Hey homie, you be jailin' right na...

Any problems with the shifter? I presume they had something to compensate. Also, the X has the same goofy steel hoop that bolts to the seat mounts and runs through a mount on a crossmember that the old Pathys have. A co-worker put a 3" body lift on his Pathy and couldn't figure out why the center of his body was tilted inwards, his seatbacks nearly touched each other. Only then did they realize that this hoop was pulling the seats and floor downwards after they raised all the perimeter body mounts. They got a torch and cut the hoop and the entire body pan "popped" back up into position quite forcefully. Did the kit have you remove this hoop?

Brent

Very cool, congrats!

Total time spent on install?
Total of times you had to call SLR back to ask a question or tell them they screwed something up?
Total beers spent on Mark?


:)

[QUOTE]Originally posted by OffroadX
Any problems with the shifter?
No, I think w/ the autos you have to extend it but the manual shifter is so long it's fine, and the body is cut out enough that you can still hit all the gears. 4LO works as well (although it's really close to that third cupholder.) SLR told me today I should go ahead and notch the body out a bit there just for safety's sake.

Also, the X has the same goofy steel hoop that bolts to the seat mounts and runs through a mount on a crossmember that the old Pathys have.

Yup, it's a driveshaft "safety loop." I did pretty much the same thing, couldn't figure out why it took so much damn effort to jack up the body for the middle mounts, finally saw it through the side of the third skidplate (left that one on for the install), pulled it out, and all is well.

...so what's the deal with the bumpers? I'm guessing you're going to fab custom brackets to mount the ARB and KMA bumpers off of, or are you going to rebuild the mounts on the bumpers themselves? Looks pretty sweet! Down the road a bit (after my MT's wear down), I'd like to put on some 33x12.50 SSR's, so I'll probably have to go this route as well as [more] suspension lift.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Philosopher
Total time spent on install?
Once I had the parts, probably 15 hours--5 of prep (pulling carpet up, seats out, breaking loose the body mounts, pulling skidplates so I could see the steering shaft and get to the radiator easier.) 10 for the actual body jacking/pucking process.

Total of times you had to call SLR back to ask a question or tell them they screwed something up?
They were closed over the weekend...otherwise a few--the radiator drop brackets are kinda useless, not exactly sure why the sent them... :confused:
The metric bolts for the third body mount were also too short--I was able to get them in but it was a pain, had to get all the other bolts tightened down first before I could make them bite. SLR said they'd ship me out the right size ones soon, along with (hopefully/maybe) the stock rear bumper brackets.

Total beers spent on Mark?
His house, his beer. :) I think I ran him out of about $20 worth of soda and coffee though.

Good luck with the bumpers. That looks F'd up with them the way they are now (which you know already).

What size AT's are you running there? If they are 32's, have you had any rubbing problems like the SSR's (pre-body lift)? They're like 1/10" larger.

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
Down the road a bit (after my MT's wear down), I'd like to put on some 33x12.50 SSR's, so I'll probably have to go this route as well as [more] suspension lift.


To fit 12.5" wide SSR's you're going to need more than 2" of body lift - 3" and a suspension lift would probably do it.

Originally posted by Philosopher



To fit 12.5" wide SSR's you're going to need more than 2" of body lift - 3" and a suspension lift would probably do it.

I was planning on 3". I haven't seen anyone do it yet, but I'm guessing 3" should be enough along with shackles/add-a-leaf in rear and AC susp/NisMo torsion bars up front. The mechanics of installing a 3" body lift should be pretty similar to 2", but perhaps with brake/misc lines needing to be extended (as far as I can tell). The *really* expensive part will be the tires/new wheels needed (Thornbirds look nice too).

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
(Thornbirds look nice too).

Too bad that's all they do....

33x12.5 Trxus

Originally posted by wqbang


Too bad that's all they do....

Would you care to elaborate on that? They look fairly aggressive to me.

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
Would you care to elaborate on that? They look fairly aggressive to me.

From what I understand, they are quiet on pavement. Other than that, they supposedly wear quickly, have poor wet weather traction, slick up in mud, and simply don't perform well offroad period. I have heard them refered to as "thornturds". Basically all show and no go. I would take Matt's advice and go with the new TrXus or a BFG A/T KO as they are both proven to perform well offroad and off while still being civil on road.

i too have heard nothing but bad things about the thornbirds. from my reading, they are the laughing stock of the interco line. i have yet to read about someone who was impressed with them like i have read about people that were impressed with the Boggers, TSLs or SSRs. even when one of the magazines was rating offroad tires a few months ago, they didn't even bother with the thornbirds. i would go dig up that article and have a read. at the time of publishing the TruXus model was just coming out so they weren't even available for the test. if they had been, from seeing people wheel with them, they would rated fairly high.

Wow, I hadn't heard that about the Thornbirds (not that I had heard anything good either). What about the Goodyear MT-R's? They're kinda pricey, but has anyone seen any reviews of them?

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
The mechanics of installing a 3" body lift should be pretty similar to 2", but perhaps with brake/misc lines needing to be extended (as far as I can tell). The *really* expensive part will be the tires/new wheels needed (Thornbirds look nice too).

Yes and no. You have to do A LOT more work to install the 3" Performance Accessories kit in your truck, whereas a 1.5-2" kit fits in with much less hassle. This is why I decided to be the guinea pig for SLR's 2" kit--I didn't want to extend the shifters, the front brakelines, the fuel filler neck, mess w/ the steering shaft, etc. 2" will clear my 32x11.50" SSR's (or really should) just fine, and that's all I need--going to 33's for me will entail regearing (and probably lockers then, too), and by then hopefully we'll have more lift kits out there that actually help us clear larger tires (i.e. suspension lifts.)

Two things...

The pucks aren't nearly as large diameter as the original mounts. Any concern with them deforming the sheet metal above them?

I'll be very interested to see how someone comes up with a way to re-bracket the ARB. I don't see an obvious way to deal with the lower mount.

Also, that shot with Mark underneath ought to be saved as a reference for the cabin vent in the RR fender, clearly visible.

Brent

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken
Wow, I hadn't heard that about the Thornbirds (not that I had heard anything good either). What about the Goodyear MT-R's? They're kinda pricey, but has anyone seen any reviews of them?

well then lets qualify what kind of tire you are looking for then. is it for show, for sand, for mud, for rocks, to be used as a daily driver, or are you getting a spare set of wheels so you can swap out the street tires when you go wheeling.

that article i am refering to above does talk about the MT-Rs if memory serves. they rated fairly well. the list of super swampers rated better though.

Originally posted by Synchro


well then lets qualify what kind of tire you are looking for then. is it for show, for sand, for mud, for rocks, to be used as a daily driver, or are you getting a spare set of wheels so you can swap out the street tires when you go wheeling.


Mainly for rocks and mud (50-50). They will be used as a daily driver, but consideration does not need to be made for that. I'm running 32x11.50 BFG MT's now. They are better than any other tire I've had (AT/KO's and "All-Season"), but if I'm going to pay that much to go up to larger one, I want the best.

Originally posted by Chris_McCracken


Mainly for rocks and mud (50-50). They will be used as a daily driver, but consideration does not need to be made for that. I'm running 32x11.50 BFG MT's now. They are better than any other tire I've had (AT/KO's and "All-Season"), but if I'm going to pay that much to go up to larger one, I want the best.

Considering what you have said here, I would think that a set of 32X11.50X15 Super Swamper SSR's are in your future. They actually measure around 32.5 inches tall, essentially a 33" tire. They have siping for wet weather traction and are more aggressive than the BFG MT's. Pikachu, Schludwiller, and Gothamist all run SSR's.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by OffroadX
Two things...

The pucks aren't nearly as large diameter as the original mounts. Any concern with them deforming the sheet metal above them?

The body mounts themselves are only reinforced in a small square that matches up to (roughly) the size of the pucks, so I think it should be okay. I'll keep you posted though.

Also, that shot with Mark underneath ought to be saved as a reference for the cabin vent in the RR fender, clearly visible.

Interestingly enough, if I'm on the passenger side and slam the last door of the truck shut, I can watch the vents open up and then close again w/ the pressure wave. Kinda amusing for about 30 seconds. :)

As to the ARB bracketing, basically you have to cut the lower mount off and then weld in brackets to the ARB (well, I guess you could bolt them, but I don't want two sets of bolts holding the bracket to the bumper and the bracket to the frame.) Todd and I plan to brace the whole thing by running angle iron across the front, basically to replace the crossmember that was removed (the one that spans the front of the frame.) I'm going to have to say goodbye to my ARB skidplate, sadly...

I am sure we will be able to modify your skidplate to work...if not make a new one. You are so right about not adding more bolted pieces to the ARB.... the plan is to cut the ARB mount portion off then fabricate and weld on a new mount that will be tied together side to side that will bolt on to the factory locations...maybe more but we will see when it all starts coming together. The idea is for it to be winch compatible and even stronger than just the stock ARB and how it mounts. I will be making drawings of the work and will be able to fabricate more for anyone that runs a body lift...if you are running a 1" or 3" body lift the design will work for those as well with a slight change.

Originally posted by Schludwiller
What size AT's are you running there? If they are 32's, have you had any rubbing problems like the SSR's (pre-body lift)? They're like 1/10" larger.


The AT's are 275/70R16's, 31.3" tall (when new) per BFG, so about halfway between 31's and 32's. They rubbed the ARB, which is why I initially trimmed it, but other than that they don't rub much at all (and when they do, it's not destructive like the SSR's.)

Part of the reason I decided to body lift is that my Swampers rub my ARB (the amount we took off the first time wasn't enough, I was wrong...) Rather than trim that back again, and then deal w/ the tires rubbing in the fenderwell, I decided to just get it all up out of the way. This also gives me a bit more time to let the dust settle in the suspension lift issue--if Mosi doesn't snap tierods left and right, perhaps the AC partial lift is an option...definitely more economically feasible for me right now than SLR's or Calmini's or Rancho's. (Especially since I just sunk a bunch of money into my other hobby, audio...my microphone collection is growing again... :D.)

p.s. BTW--1/10" larger than what?? :confused:

Originally posted by gothamist
Interestingly enough, if I'm on the passenger side and slam the last door of the truck shut, I can watch the vents open up and then close again w/ the pressure wave. Kinda amusing for about 30 seconds. :)

I often hear mine "cough" as I close the door when I'm on the passenger side.

Brent

Originally posted by gothamist



p.s. BTW--1/10" larger than what?? :confused:

The 32" BFG AT's looked just a bit bigger than my 31" SSR's.

Now I understand grasshopper! :)

The whole process seems pretty straight forward, but how exactly are you going to get the bumpers realigned? I wanted to do a bodylift and that is the only thing that is stopping me. With my luck everything would come out crooked.

Hey guys i'm new here but i have an Xterra that I'm putting a 3' body lift and 1-2' torsion and throwing 33 12.5 mud tracs under it...fit or not? Putting it on this week will send pictures

A 3 foot body lift should clear those tires no problem. :D

Sounds like you've already gone ahead and made up your mind and ordered the stuff, so what difference does it make now if it will fit or not?

Brent

oh they will fit. it won't perform offroad, but it will fit. if you do offroad, you will have rubbing issues most likely and depending on what wheels you went with, you might be snapping tie rods like there is no tomorrow.

you will most likely need to put an actual suspension lift on there too if you want any offroad performance.

but even with all of this, the 12.5 width will rub like mad most likely.

but like offroadX said, if you already bought all of this, why are you asking now if it will fit? looks like you needed to lurk on this board before buying any of this stuff. oh well.

I bought them b/c I was told that they would not only fit but perform well...I have seen quite few xterra's with 2 inch torsion and 32 11.5...with 5 inches of clearance and future rancho rs9000 shocks and rancho leaf springs I think I will be fine...I'll keep you posted...however I would like a suspension lift I don't have the money though...the project I'm running right now is costing me $1500

Whoever told you that was lying to you, big time. Sorry.

Sure, the body lift will get you clearance at the wheelwells. It won't fix your gearing, it won't fix your decreased braking ability, you'll still probably snap tie-rods, and rub on lots of the steering components in the front. I wish you luck but all I can say is this--I have a 2" body lift and a 3" suspension lift, and I think I might BARELY be able to fit a 33x12.50 tire, however it would have to be a smaller one and it would take VERY careful wheel selection in order to squeeze it in there. I would definitely rub a lot more than I do now (which is only just barely--but as I discovered last weekend, I do still rub the body and the frame w/ my 32's.)

So what do I do? How much is AC lift? What do I need to do to make this work?

What is the backspacing of the wheels you have on order?

If I were you, honestly, I'd switch tires/sizes. If you're really wed to the idea of a 33x12.50, go w/ Goodyear MT/R's. Having seen and inspected those exact tires on a lifted ZJ (and parked them up next to my Swampers), I'm almost positive those would fit on a 15x8" rim w/ ~4.75" backspacing, with the setup I'm running now. It would probably work for you as well.

Also, do realize that you're asking a group of people who by and large wheel with no swaybars (front disconnected, rear removed)--this really does increase the amount of tire rub you have (but obviously increases wheel traction/articulation.) If you never disconnected the front swaybar, and especially the rear, you'd probably get away with what you're trying to do. You would be compromising your truck's performance offroad in order to make the tires fit, however.

Why exactly do you want 33's on 10" rims?

Since he is in Florida, he might not be doing much rock crawling. If it is for looks ONLY, he could get away with it. It is hard to break a tie rod driving around town.

Aquabro,

If you plan on wheeling your truck (dirt roads don't count), listen to these guys advice. The tires and wheels will fit on the truck, but they will rub when stuffing. They would cause problems offroad without regearing, reinforcing tie rods, and accomodations to prevent rubbing, much like synchro and gothamist has already stated.

I respect and admire the knowledge you share with me...I'm not planning on doing serious offroading yet...at least not until i have more money in my x and know that it is ready...It is mainly for looks right now...The eagle 589 15 x 10 I got a good deal on and I'm a college student, and I play ollege baseball so I have no time to make more...or at least the amount I would like to put in my xterra...if you will make a list of the things you think I need....Thanks

Originally posted by gothamist
If you never disconnected the front swaybar, and especially the rear, you'd probably get away with what you're trying to do. You would be compromising your truck's performance offroad in order to make the tires fit, however.

yes, but Nissan Mike was running 33x12.5 on 15x10s without being disconnected up front and he kept snapping tie rods on easy stuff. so disconnected doesn't matter for that.

Hey man, if you're not planning on wheeling hard, you could probably get away with cranking your torsion bars way up (just to reduce nominal rubbing around town), and if I were you I'd probably add EOE tierod centerlinks...they're probably not NECCESSARY if you're not wheeling the truck, but just a really good idea. Install them when you crank up the torsion bars, get the truck aligned, trim the hell out of your mudflaps, and call it done. Hopefully that's all you'll need to do.

Good luck man. The setup you're describing wouldn't work for me (or any of the other MAXC guys, really), but you might be able to live with it. Just look out for rubbing on the steering components, I was at a tire shop today and we realized I really have almost NO clearance when the wheels are turned...no 15x8 rockcrawler rims for me. :(

where can i get the tie rod centerlinks?

Originally posted by Aquabro
where can i get the tie rod centerlinks?


www.nissan-offroad.com