Has anyone ever got down there and cut off all the IFS and got it awn? Which side is the transfer case drop? I almost picked up a lightly rolled X for dirt cheap that I was going to swap in a full width 44 and 9" w/ 37's or 38's. I may still have the deal available so let me know....are the transfer cases holding up to abuse so far?

phil

No.

Go back home.

sorry...but this is legit. I have a buddy who hit a rail on an off ramp and ripped off everything on the left side of the IFS. I haven't had a chance to see if the integrity of the frame has been compromised but I bet I can fix that anyways. Aparently it's not worth repairing to the insurrance company and I may be able to get it for $5k. It has about 16k miles on it.

The body got tore up a bit by the back of the driver's fender and door area when the wheel and assembly pushed into it then the right fender and hood are a little crumpled when it rolled onto the snow bank but everything else seems cool according to him.

I just wanted to know things like if there's a steering box (and location) or is it rack and pinion? maybe frame width outside of rail to outside of rail. gas tank placment (in rear or off to side)

I'm not trying to be a dick. I didn't know there was an xterra site until the BS developed. Legitimate questions...if you want to help cool otehrwise peace.

Transfer case drivers side.
Gearing = odd, 4.636, (51/11 teeth) you'll have to regear the rear.
Steering box, recirculating ball, outside frame.
Gas tank passenger side fore of the axle.
Frame width, very skinny, 28" at the front.
You'll need a wide front hanger crossmember up front, but the frame arch is nice at the wheels, and should leave room for a hi-steer job.

I would haul it over to Jon Bundrant's shop and have him build a SAS kit, then put it on the market like his Toyota kit.

Hmmm, with an answer like that it seems that someone has been working out the mental details to do the job.....Ian?
It would be cool if slinky neck or weird neck or whatever his name was did the project and let us in on the details.
Its just a matter of time......

For 2 years now
It will be another 5 before I do it though.

"Awn?"

The problem with tires like that is that you'd need to seriously carve up the wheel wells unless you jacked the thing waaaay up (somehow - not currently possible, AFAIK).

That's not even considering the V6 engine, S/C or not. You'll need to re-gear either way.

The biggest you'll realistically be able to stuff under there are somewhat tight 33" tires.

You might have better luck bolting the X to an old Blazer frame!

that actually works out well w/ the skinny frame...I can run a RR dana 44 out of a full size ford...and run the 9" out of that same truck. The rear dif is centered isn't it?

I'll be running a triangulated 4 link if it fits or a radius arm and panhard link system w/ stock TJ coils. The coils will sit in nice and far making it one helluva flexer. Probably use some 58" 2.5 wide 7" offset f-150 springs in the rear.

That's sweet it already has a steering box on the outside. I didn't want to swap a saginaw on it inside the frame...(who knows what's there as far as a/c lines and coolers.)

The wheels are turing in my head now

Has anyone contacted places for fender flares? I mean if some of us are going to go solid axle (I'm a few years out too) it makes sense to run 35's maybe. The current Frontier has a fender flare look to it, so something similar to that wouldn't look too cheesy.

You have to get a site going to detail the project..take lots of pictures with descriptions. I gotta see it once before I do it!

how about a small exo cage (1.5" tube) instead of flares. Tied into good rocker protection. kill 2 birds w/ one stone. Body protection that'll offset the look of the top rack and cover the tires a bit.

oh it'll work...I've never had any probs w/ my work. I SAS'ed a newer tahoe a few months ago and it was perfect. That's mostly what I do. I put a ford truck in a scout 460 c6 205 rc 44 9" coil spung front inboarded waggy springs in the rear. 20" tail bob. cut off the wind shield All kinds of stuff.
I think I can do this w/ out cutting the whole body off I really want to see an X converted so if I don't get this I need a guinea pig

Be sure to include me on your pig list!

I'd be up for D44's, regear and locked...... don't you need to work your way through to the engine. I mean, would the transmission be up to it, or do we need an advanced adaptors atlas?

Is this your work??

http://www.jeepsides.homestead.com/jeepsideshome.html

If so, it looks respectable.

It's all about being sensible. I ran the 5.0 motor in my jeep w/ stock t-case and stock axles w/ 36" tires on it and I never broke a thing. So if you gear really low like 5.13's and run 35-37" tires you'll keep minimal load on the trans and t-case as long as you rely on the brakes for speed control and not the trans.

So from what I can tell the swap for all will also require a rear axle swap too for gearing and width reasons cause full width is just that much more fun

Whoever has the $$$ to get the parts I have the experience to make neat things happen to molten metal

Off to school...later guys!

abosolutely...thanks man...I have a lot of other examples but I am trying to keep my business on the DL for now so I keep my other work on my hard drive

Hey, i'm down for some Xterra SAS action! If the HP 44 is too expensive, go with a Waggy D44. Another possability would be a d44/Xterra rear hybred. Re-tube the xterra rearend with the .500 wall 3/4 ton D44 tubes, tunred down to fit. Re-spline waggy D44 shafts for the nissan side gears. Toyota/D60 hybreds already exist, so this sort of thing is definately possible. You could probably addapt the xterra rear leafs for front use too, with minimal difficulty. ( I personally prefer leafs, because they are simpler, and flex IMHO, just as well as most coiled rigs.) As far as gearing goes, 4.636 is just fine for 33's especially with dual t-cases, which shouldn't be that bad to do.

ooooorrr just put a 9" or 60 in hehe all that turning and respline work gets pricey. I should have my mill and lathe by summer though I just need a way to cold roll splines then it AWN

If sas on 33's is the plan then I can get matched gears made or new gears for the nissan rear end. If I buy 50 sets a head of time I can get the gears tooled up and made whatever ratio.

I've also been researching a SAS for the X. I'd like to keep the 33 splined Nissan rear though, as its fairly stout and I've already dropped an ARB in it. I'm thinking a Dana 44 from a early Bronco with leafs up front.

With regards to the different gear ratios, I'd say as long as you run something close in the Dana you'd be ok, assuming you don't engage 4WD on pavement. (Warmonger pointed this out on AF as sand draggers use different ratios)

I'm lost with the steering setup and T-case though. If the transfer case could handle it, I'd like to stay stock and throw crawler gears in it.
Again, I'm just thinking this over, financially, I'm still some time away from a SAS. I know these things don't happen overnight though, so I'd like to get a good idea of what I'll need.

Steering wise, go with a high-steer setup, to the stock box. Mak custom tie rod and drag link form .250 wall DOM tube. You're in luck that you don't have Rack and pinion, that makes life a lot harder. T-case wise, i would say run it till it breaks. If you don't mind a little gearing difference, 4.56 is as close to the x Ratio that you can get for a D44. That gives you a 1.59% difference. 1% is generally the standard, but it would probably work. The nice part is that the higher (numerically lower) front gearing will keep you pointed straight in mud. I really want to see someone do this!

you can get 4.30's for dana 44's

I can't wait to see somebody do it too, just don't have the cash right now. I'm getting married in June, which will probably delay my swap by at least a year.

Is this your work??

http://www.jeepsides.homestead.com/jeepsideshome.html

If so, it looks respectable.

it wasn't by chance a solar yellow 2wd rolled in Last Chance Canyon was it?

Ian, that's weird. (probably an AOL thing)....but an identical post some time after the original post?!?!