SAS 05

As some of you guys know, I had the SLR 5inch lift on order. After patiently waiting for months, the high price of the lift started to settle in. I had plans for a SAS down the road, so why should I pay for an expensive lift now. Thanks to some other members in RMXC, I came across a great company in Colorado, All Phase Offroad. I decided to take my truck and and get a quote on a SAS. The next day I got a quote on parts that were the SAME price for the SLR lift. Don't get me wrong, SLR will have a great lift out, but after seeing the parts price being the same, I took a few days to think this SAS over. Eventually I decided to go ahead and proceed with the project.

Part's List:
Dana 44 - Ford Bronco 78-79
Dana 44 4.56:1 Ring and Pinion
Dana 44 Master Install Kit
Ford 9" - Ford Bronco 78-79
Ford 9" 4.56:1 Ring and Pinion
Ford 9" Master Install Kit
Detroit Locker
Bronco Monster Radius Arms - High Travel
Fox 2" Coilovers - Emulsion
King 300lb Coil Springs
Rebuilt Steering Box
Custom Tie Rod and Drag Link
Pittman Arm
Ford Radius Arm Clamps
Custom Front Track Bar
Steering Shaft
Steering Stabilzer
Bilistien Shocks - Rear
Misc Front Axle Parts - Brakes, Brake Lines, etc.
Custom Hydraulic Steering Lines
Custom Front Bump Stops
Custom HD CV Drive Shaft
Custom T-Case/Tranny Mount/ Skid
Misc Parts for Rear Spring Over
Custom Front Skid Plate

With the help of some RMXC members and AK9849CY (pathfinder owner), we located and pulled the axles. AK9849CY found them for $60 an axle, it was a great deal.

Front Dana 44


Rear Ford 9" Heavy Duty


The Dana 44 cleaned up nicely.


Time to get the X on the lift and start gutting. The tire location and height from the lift is an estimate of ride height.

Few more pics:
The spring perches on the ford 9" matched up to the nissan springs in the rear. Things could not have gone smoother. Lets hope it stays this way.





The rest:
http://alpinetribe.com/Gallery/SAS

One thing we did find on the IFS, is that the alignment bolts on the control arms were stripping. Seems these bolts will NOT hold up to the punishment of offroad abuse. For those of you that wheel your 2nd Gen xterra, you WILL eventually break these bolts sooner than later. Im sorry, but I forgot to take pictures of the damage on the bolts. I will remember on Tuesday and get the exact location so you can check yours.

holy shit!! more pics! more more!!when do you think you'll be all done with it? and maybe i missed it, but what size\type tires are those? oh and did i mention, dont forget more pics! that is gonna be such a badass truck when its all done

So whats the deal?!?!? I drove 90 (one way) miles to help you pull that 9" and it still looks like crap?!?!? Geeez man no respect... no respect.

Just kiddin... I will be down Tuesday to help the guys out some.

You're my hero. I hope it continues to go smoothly. You're certainly a pioneer now ..

Not sure how long yet, we are aiming for the beginning of April. The tires are 36x13.50 IROKs on 15x10 Steelies. I decided to change the rear end because of the larger tires. For one, there is no gears for the 05 yet, and I don't want to chance 36s on the stock axle.

You are also my new hero too. Looks Sweet man, cant wait to see the end result.

nice! yea i remember somewhere reading that the stock 05+ axles may only be able to handle up to 34 or 35" tires, but the tires and rims look great! really can't wait to see it all done

YOU ARE A HOMO!!! And as others have said my hero
DAMN I wanna SAS SOOO BAD, but I must be patient.

Pony it looks great.

Nice work.

Post more pics and let us know how it turns out. I guess this is proof that if you want something bad enough then why wait for company "A" or "B" to make it for you.

If you don't mind please post your final costs too.

Wow. Looks great. I think you may void the warranty.

Out-fricking-standing!

Going to goneMoab?

-Doug

As soon as its finished and cost is finalized, I will be sure to post the price.

You bet ya.

Holy crap! That takes nuts to do to such a new truck.

You're my hero as well.

That's what I sayin! Nothing like taking a brand new $27,000 truck and hacking the underside of it off and customizing your own version.

You got balls...I like balls (Team America reference).

I said it before, and I'll say it again...
Bad
Ass
Truck

That night be the only 2nd gen that trully deserves the offroad emblem

Looks awesome so far..

Looking good...

Keep going don't let up.............

I hope this continues to go smoothly for you. I can see All Phase Offroad getting some business out of this one if all goes well. The choice to go with the 9" in the rear was wise, wide range of low cost gears available.

Can't wait to see the progress and even more so the results.

Thanks for posting this.

This coming from somone that owns not one, but TWO Xterras with about every mod available short of a solid axle...

with a 'wondeful' colour scheme at that :rolleyes: ...nah, they look sweet Dagger..... but I this might be the best yet....wow Ponyboy, looks awsome so far!

Impressive. Those axles would be way too wide for a 1st gen....funny how a 'compact' SUV these days is dimensionally close to the fullsizes of yesteryear.

Good drivetrain combo. It's gotta be costing some bux in shop time. Glad I was able to fab mine up on our own.

A SAS truck with the 2nd gen power does sound good. Too bad about the heater knob 4wd and lack of crawler gears though.

Pony is still pissed that I wouldn't let him drive the PhoeniX while his Chunky Monkey is in the shop.

Just had to be different, didn't ya, huh?

How are you fixing the rear driveline? Are they fabbing up a Slip Yoke Eliminator for you? Since the output shaft of the next gen's are bigger than the first gen's... he he, bigger shaft... the current SYE from Calmini wouldn't work. Wouldn't be too much to machine one up and get a 2 piecer going.

I wonder if the drive flange for the output shaft going to the front driveline has the same splines as the output shaft for the rear driveline.

Damn, PonyBoy!

I hope the process goes smoothly for ya!

I can't wait to see the end result!

WOW!

That's brave... but an excellent decision. Very excited to see that in person in Moab!

Keep us posted.

We're not worthy! Its a thing of beauty. Nice work, im jealous.

Thats awsome, cant wait untill its dine!

Here is the damage to those bolts:

We don't care about your stupid camber bolts. Show us more pictures of the SAS progress

THATS what I like to see here! Not the same old cookie cutter lifts, Good for you! Heck it might be worth it to go to GoneMoab just to see your truck

Good start, should be a fun project.

If you’re going to run 36’s and a Detroit, I would seriously consider upgrading the rear shafts to alloys, heavier duty retainer plates and studs than stock not to mention disk brakes. Folks in my bronco club that crawl regularly either upgrade or bust the stock stuff with anything more than 33’s and Detroit’s.

For the front 44 with those tires and a locker I would at least upgrade to HD ujoints…Longfield, CTM, Yukon, etc and strongly consider alloy shafts also.

Think about a sway bar on the front at least, currie anti-rock would be a good choice. On the highway around corners you will appreciate it. That and some degreed C- bushings for more camber and 10 degreed offset radius arm bushings for better flex.

Wonder if the stock MC is going to be stop the truck adequately? Most of my bronco club members upgrade to hydro for >= 35’s.

Some little things will come up, you might spend more than hoped for but in the end it will be all worth it. Next thing you know you'll be going for the big crazy lines

Good luck
Brian

It's about time dude, jeez that thing has at least 30k miles on it by know! Sweet work J.

Brian you make us proud

Admit it flatlander... you just wanted all this popularity - "OUTSIDER!" (jk)

Chop chop chop,
ChefTyler was up there today and took somemore shots.

Sooo awesome! Thanks for the update.

I spy an alternator. Well thats not going to last long there...

Do you know how deep the water will have to be for that thing to get immersed on his particular rig?

And the fact that he's not really a mudder (but some mud if fun). With some custom skids and rubber fender guards (like the 1st genners have) that thing will probably outlive his first set of axle shafts.

Even with the tires he's running, not being a throttle jockey will help him out a ton. I've heard of the guys that bust everything up running anything over 33's on their rigs. But I also see a lot of throttle out those guys, and not a bit of finesse. Wheel spin won't always get you over the big stuff/hard line. And wheel spin is the biggest cause of that snapping sound.

If he starts breaking stuff, I'll be really suprised.

But upgrading the MC might not be a bad choice either. That'll take some work though, and might take until the summer time to accomplish. Shouldn't be hard to locate one, and perhaps a manually adjustable proportioning valve to boot.

Bye bye rack and pinion, hello steering box!

Originally posted by Daggerdoggie:

Quote:

Holy crap! That takes nuts to do to such a new truck.

You're my hero as well.

Ditto!!

They're still going to use the Saggy box? At least you have a lot more options for later on, like a dropped pitman arm if needed.

I'd ask them which vehicle it came off of, or for which vehicle(s) it's used on. That way, if parts are needed in 5-10 years (if it needs rebuilt or a seal or something), you can get hold of the parts necessary.

Not to be critical, but those stock springs probably won't handle the SOA for long before they sag beyond use. SOA puts a lot more stress on leaves than SUA. Consider new packs or even some AAL's.

They tried a box out of a ford but it was too big. We decided on one out of a yota.

Thanks for the heads up. This issue has caught our eye, and decided to keep the load leaf on. We will also probably AAL.

Great work. Keep those pics coming.

Is it done yet

Nope not yet :p Hopefully by the end of next week.

you went through all this trouble just throw some coilovers on the rear and dump the leaf springs.

Putting together a 4-link on the rear-end is another big chunk of change. I think a few folks are interested in a coil set up in the rear, but you just don't "throw" it on.

-Doug

HB,

yea i know that but he could fab up a 3-link or a 4-link pretty easily as its a 9" rear and all the angles can be found online etc. Im pretty sure petersons or someone has a 4 link calculator on their site.

my point is that he's going through all the trouble with the front so why not the rear...but leaves do perform admirably as well.

Gas tank is in the way, just like the 1st gens…

I’ve been thinking about rear links…the long arm pathy setup’s like DATZ has runs in AZ is pretty sweet.

After this season and I finish my bronco build, I’m going to install another gas tank like a 23 gal bronco one and mount it where the spare used to be underneath and go from there.

The parts shouldn’t be that pricey about $800 I figure (links, joints, coils, brackets, etc) not counting the gas tank ($425) + skid. The fab work could be done over a weekend with somebody that's experienced & the parts pre-assembled.

Exactly...the gas tank is the last of his concerns

if he found a way to SAS a 2005 IFS setup with RACK AND PINION steering when there wasnt even the hint of a kit available yet, throw a Ford 9" under the rear of a Nissan and overcome all of the other challenges of an SAS from scratch...

then I'm pretty sure he and his shop could work around a gas tank problem. He could just as easily buy a fuel cell or something.

there are options.

I appreciate the help and concerns everyone has. But here is my thought so far:

I might be spending some $$$ on the SAS, but if there is no need to go to coilovers, then why bother. I would love coilovers in the rear, but the SOA is costing me next to nothing. Do I want chromoly shafts, rear disk brakes, rear coilovers, etc....of course I do. But if I don't need it right now then I'm ok. We have no idea what to expect from this SAS rig. I have to set aside some funds to upgrade the weak points when they come up. If the rear leafs are not working out down the road, then we will look at alternatives. Same with the shafts, ujoints, etc.

Yeah it all has to be taken in steps and everyone has to draw the line somewhere.

The front was the biggest obstacle and the rear will work fine with what he is doing. At some point in the future he can switch the rear if need be.

Yes make no mistake it is a sick project and its going to look nasty when its all done...I completely agree. I'm just saying it can be done.

Plus the Nissan springs lined up with the perches on the Ford 9". There was no need to grind and move the perches Made it all that easier to do the SOA.

Steering box is finally complete and mounted.

SWeet! I can't wait to get a look at 'er in person

Pony definately deserves the X-Owner of the century award for this project.

Eh, still has his roof.

Rookie!

Where can I get that cool red powdercoat finish on my engine and radiator.

MOAB!

Yep thats right. The steering box says ToyoDa, not ToyoTa.









http://alpinetribe.com/Gallery/SAS

You cant rush perfection man

ever designed and built a custom suspension before? engineering and fabrication takes alot of work. i have worked in that field (aircraft structural/electrical modification) and i can tell you first hand its not always easy. you usually run into problems and have to figure out what to do to fix it with messing something else up. plus paint and time for parts to be order/picked up/shipped. this is a pioneering work of art, everything has to be just right or else it wont work and it'll be a body and frame with no front suspension. you cant just put the factory stuff back on using bolts. in case you didnt know, you have to cut everything out. not a bolt on job like a regular lift.

noobs... :rolleyes:

edit: looking great btw ponyboy.

Maybe you can do better then??? Consider that he is doing a completely new front suspension without any conversion kits. He is the pioneer for the 2nd gen X for SAS and you think he is taking too long. Would you like to volunteer your brand new truck for SAS? Probably not, so until you are willing to do what he is doing to your truck !

BTW Ponyboy hope everything keeps going smoothly and can't wait to see the next update.

:rolleyes:

why did you choose not to run a high steer kit on the front axle - or would it just not fit?

No.....It's just Jonathan....Iro.....XnItUp.....AlightFromWithIN......whatever name he has gone by on here.....again.

He does not have an 06 Xterra....it is an 04 if I remember correctly....He has been banned numerous times on here. He has bought the Calmini kit and the axle from the rolled Frontier that had the Calmini SAS kit, and is hiring someone to put the kit on for him. That makes him an expert on SAS's, dontcha know. :rolleyes:

________________________________________

Back on topic...The SAS looks great. Congrats on the build.

The clearance would have been nice, but the steering setup is beefy. I guess we could have gone high steer, but we never discussed it. Im pretty sure with the thickness of the tubing, it should be fine.

Thats going down in the quote book under, potential famous last words. For your sake, I hope your right

That said, I'm enjoying watching this thread, I'll be even more interested to see it finished and on the trail. It's gonna be one bigass rig.

Lookin GOOOOOD!!!!

I think I will swing by and grease that axle for you.

Yeah I was woundering if there is a lil' somthin' somthin' going on there...

that's his girlfriends job in appreciation for riding in the only SAS'd Gen2 X on the planet...

Speaking of her (fiance actually) she caught the bouquet... set a damn date dude!!!

Axle thing is an inside joke.

When do we get more pics of the X?! You're holding out on us!

When I go pick it up I'm hoping next time im up there, I will be bringing the X home.

One thing I forgot to mention about the setup. They had to push the axle forward about 4", for clearance issues. The wheel base will be pushing about 110" now, and the approach angle will greatly improve.

You would think this would make the tires look funny in the front wells, but with the shrock bumper, the tires actually fill the wells nicely now.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again...

Cut the damn roof off!

And even if it's just a short 'Hi-Bye' stop, come on by the shop Friday. I'll squeaze in a quicky alignment if I can.

The X will be sitting on rubber today! The drive shafts arrive tomorrow. AP probably won't release it until Saturday, but I will be up there tomorrow to snag some shots of it sitting on rubber.

Can't wait to see this thing ready to go.

From this morning.

OOOOOOOoooooooooAAAAAAAAAAAaaahhhhhhhhh. You suck J/K It's looking really good I know the anticipation is really killing you right now.

You ever noticed how dorky our oilpans look.

She is finished, I will be picking her up tomorrow!

BOING!!

you lookin at the skid plate I assume

yup

Sweet! Can't wait to see some action pics and read the reviews!

So, is this going to be the "Ponyboy mod" then?

There is still a few bugs to work out, but I am pretty happy with the result. The front will be higher than the rear until I see how the coils sag.











More pics:
http://alpinetribe.com/Gallery/SAS

holy shit that is awesome

Damn dude you got bit hard by the offroad bug.

Freakin sweet.

Holy crap!!!

Your rig just kicked Chuck Norris' and Jack Bauer's asses with one flex!

Wow!

Sweet...

Now I have to make it to Moab just to see it in person...

Well oh my holy gentle jesus...that is beautiful...wow...great job man!!!

That's great, congratulation. I'm sure I'll see it in person very soon.

IIII IIIIIII im Speechless.UHHHHHH VERY NICE!!!

I bet your Parents are very proud.

Best Quote EVER!
it is a sexy beast!

Looks great. Can't wait to see it in Moab.

-Doug

holy shit!!!

Thats NICEEEE!

36s look good

They did a great job.

i need a new pair of shorts...thats the hottest X ive ever seen

Oh my gentle jesus!

Dude, a 1" or even a 2" block in the back. I doubt the springs will sag that much, and they're adjustable coiovers anyway!

The extra 1" or 2" will be cheap insurance for the rear tires anyway.

If you get stuffed in the rear, but have to 'bump' over an obstacle, then you'll be touching. I clear in the back while stuffed, but I have rub marks from lord knows when.

See you tomorrow for the aligny and....

A true Pioneer.

i agree %100

Sounds good, see ya in the morning.

Excellent

Best Mod I have ever seen! Excellent job!!

how does it handle?

That is Sweeeet I think I might have to go buy another Xterra. How much after it was all said and done? How much of a hand did you have in the design?

Well we decided to lift the rear. I went with AAL from Calmini to stiffen up that stock pack and get about 1.5" to match the front.

Nice! You won't regret it, and that AAL will help with the launch a bit as well, as the butt won't sag when you put all 265 ponies to the ground.

that thing is awsome so whens the maiden voyage offroad want to see pictures

this weekend at China Wall

I figured Pony would call in sick and live on the trails this week. Oh wait I forgot he has to pay for that thing now.

is it an oppitical illusion that tires stick forward and aren't "centered" in the wheel well.

Not an illusion.

cool take pictures lots of pictures

Congrats on the most Salivated over X there is...!



Only a couple of things I'd like to draw attention to though.

There is no more splash shielding for the engine and couldn't you have relocated the brake lines to follow the axle housing instead of having it out in the open ready to rip off?

Great Job though and can't wait to see what you do with it next.!

Thanks for taking notice. I talked to Cyclemut about putting a splash shield in the wheel well, but he said you will be fine the way it is. However, it wouldn't hurt to put one.

I have to go in for a checkup the weekend before moab. They still need to run my ebrake line and finish locating the other lines.

I just wanted to thank Cyclemut! If it wasn't for him, my X would have been an expensive prerunner! When we took it off the lift, 4wheel drive was NOT working (I was freaking out). However, I took it to Cyclemut and he had it working in under an hour. Thanks again bro!

I guess you won't be taking that in for warranty repairs at the dealership anymore, eh?

Looks awesome PonyBoy!

No problem there Jordan. Glad to help out.

Now, let's get that Xtronco on the trails, mmkay?

Props and best of luck for both of you.

Awesome rig!!!!! Wow!!!!!

I guess ill be the asshole and pony up the question....

"What did that cost to do?"

PS- Wow!!!!!!

Tim

cycle mut, ive seen your truck... do you know if there is any possibility of doing a roll cage inside an X?

I thought I posted it, I guess I didn't.

Final Parts List
Dana 44 - Ford Bronco 78-79..........................$60
Dana 44 4.56:1 Ring and Pinion.......................$134.99
Dana 44 Master Install Kit...............................$98.99
Ford 9" - Ford Bronco 78-79............................$60
Ford 9" 4.56:1 Ring and Pinion.........................$179.99
Ford 9" Master Install Kit.................................$79.99
Bronco Monster Radius Arms - High Travel........$795
Fox 2" Coilovers - Emulsion.............................$447.90
King 300lb Coil Springs...................................$260
Rebuilt Steering Box.......................................$250
Custom Tie Rod and Drag Link.........................$300
Pittman Arm...................................................$70
Custom Front Track Bar..................................$200
Steering Shaft................................................$75
Bilistien Shocks - Rear....................................$149.90
Misc Front Axle Parts - Brakes, Lines, etc..........$100
Custom Hydraulic Steering Lines......................$100
Custom Front Bump Stops...............................$180
Custom HD CV Drive Shafts.............................$672
Custom T-Case/Tranny Mount/ Skid..................$450
Misc Parts for Rear Spring Over........................$125
Custom Front Skid Plate...................................$150

Optional:
Detroit Locker - Ford 9"...................................$499
Pro Comp Steering Stabilzer............................$38

If you want to know price on labor, I would call All Phase and see how many man hours. Now that they have done an SAS on an 05 they have a good estimate on hours.

search for SEMA X (here or google). It had a full intterior roll cage, by I believe TWISTED TIN..

Oh yeah, definately.

I think there is a bolt in unit. A good welder can make it up as well.

How many hours did they charge you?

That's just flat out sick! My hat's off to you and the guys at All Phase.

Pics/vids from the off roading weekend???

Clicky

So how does it drive on the street?

Now you need to take it into the dealership for a slight vibration at highway speeds, camera in hand of course to capture the jaws drop when you pull it in.

that would be great, except for one thing...
Cyclemut is his mechanic at the dealership (he's also the mechanic for most of RMXC)...and after they've seen the PhoeniX and all the rest of our rigs, they're accustomed to bad ass rigs around there

Altho, the fact that it was done to an '05 might get 'em to look twice!

Yep, the guys at work did drop their jaws for a bit.

Then we got the 4x4 working, did an alignment and then the dog pooped in his front seats. It was a fun filled day for all. Well, excepting for poor ol' Spokes. She misses her Daddy something awefull.

Poor Spokes.

the nissan folks trip-out when I take mine in.. I guess not that many people off road their xterras in these parts...

Like the old commercial said "dogs like trucks"

The street drive is not as bad as I thought it would be. I can't give you a true answer, since I am running IROK tires (hard to keep balanced). However, after driving Alpine's X, it compares to 1st gen SAS xterras.

Yep it drives nice... it is just that mudders are big and hard to keep balanced.

If he had some street tires it would even be cushy!

Any new pictures or video of this beast in action?

Did you miss the GONE Moab pictures/videos in the Event Pictures, GONE Moab, Pictures, and Video forums?

I did, but I will make my way over there now. Thanks for the tip.

No worries, mate