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#58371 - 09/05/02 08:03 PM UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Check it out...
I've been working with Joe Darlington at Darlington Offroad to develop these over the past few months. He's been really responsive and his products are a great addition to the Xterra aftermarket parts community. This our first attempt at these and I am completely satisfied with the end result. It took three sets to get the measurements right, but we finally got it!

These are a great investment for many reasons.
First, how many of you have bent a shock mount or U-bolt spring? I haven't yet, but I've clanged the spring hanger a few times and didn't like the way it felt. Cheap to fix, but a PITA I assume. I'm the kinda guy that likes to fix things once and only once.

Second, how much ground clearance did you lose when you upgraded to National spring packs (about an 1.5 inches). On that same note, did you replace your Bilstein shocks (with longer ones) when you upgraded spring packs... you need to, because the ones you WERE using with the OEM rear spring pack are too short after installing the thicker National packs.

The stock rear spring mounts leave your shock mount terribly exposed and cause you to lose about an inch of ground clearance. U (under) B (belly) Skidderz gets back that clearance you lost with the National packs, provides a smooth surface for you to slide over rocks on, and moves your u-bolt ends and shock mounts up alongside the spring pack about 3 inches... protected from the dangers below. The best benefit I found was the shock mount relocation was just high enough to allow me to continue to use my current set of Bilsteins. If you currently have Bilsteins or Ranchos on the back, I would get these as opposed to a longer set of shocks when I upgraded to National packs.

They are completely overbuilt and weight about 10 lbs each. The bottom plate is 1/4in steel and the sides are 3/16 angleiron.

Upgrades you can look for in the production model:
1) U-bolts will be about 1/2 inch shorter to keep them from hanging below the "flush-line"
2) All hardware and U-bolts will be powdercoated.
3) Mine are about an 1/8 too wide. Future models will be more precise in design now that we have the dimensions down.
4) The shock mount will be a SS bolt with fine threads...
5) Joe will be offering two variants. Those with OEM springs vs. those with National springs. The difference between the two will be the shock mount location. Those with National packs will want the ones I have (called top mount). Those with OEM packs will want the side mount version. In this version the shock mount is mounted on the lower lip of the skidder as opposed to the upper side as shown. This prevents the shock mount from being shortended "too much".

Interested in a set? Anticipated price is about $140, a bit pricey, but worth the security in my book. Joe will be adding these to the "Xtrera" page on his web-site so you can order them. If you want to email sooner please do. Understand, Joe's company is small, like EOE, It may take a few weeks for Joe to get a full set of these run. Please be patient and Joe will take care of you.

www.darlington-offroad.com
joe@darlington-offroad.com







Feel free to post any questions, concerns, bitches, gripes, complaints... etc.

Thanks to superjens for hosting pics!
FU villagephoto.
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#58372 - 09/05/02 08:54 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
The X Factor Offline
Member

Registered: 03/04/01
Posts: 274
Loc: San Antonio, TX
$140 is a bit pricey! I do like how they raise they help you gain a little bit more clearance. But the price is killer. AC has some Leaf Pack skid plates that only run $75.

They would make a great alternative to those of you not wanting to pay the $140 price tag.

It's nice to see darlington making products for the X now
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#58373 - 09/05/02 09:38 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
AC's skids are are the stock shock perch with a piece of flat stock steel weleded over it. They actually reduce your clearnace and do nothing to protect the shock perch.

Like I said earlier, the key benefit is this... When you upgrade sping packs, you can buy another $150 worth of longer shocks, or you can but these, maintain your current set of shocks, and reap the added clearance benefits as well.

I have more pics too. There is a significant amount of time and tedious welding in making these, powdercoating, heavy duty replacement 9/16in. UBolts (those alone are almost $20 + shipping), etc which quantifies the higher cost. Let me know if you're interested.
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#58374 - 09/05/02 10:12 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
superjens Offline
Member

Registered: 06/05/01
Posts: 3660
Loc: North Vancouver
Quote:
Goddam villagephotos... what a stupid pricing model. Here's 50 MB of free space, but you get 8mb downloaded per day.
So toss 'em up on my site, all the space and bandwidth you need. Info in the Pictures section.

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#58375 - 09/05/02 10:50 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
superjens Offline
Member

Registered: 06/05/01
Posts: 3660
Loc: North Vancouver
It says right on the top "If you need somewhere to host your pictures, FTP to: ftp.superjens.com - username xterra - password xterra -Read this for more info"

The thread it links to is: here!

smile

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#58376 - 10/05/02 12:13 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Pics Fixed...
Thanks Jens
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#58377 - 10/05/02 01:38 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
XOC Offline
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Registered: 16/08/00
Posts: 17103
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
You might want to fix those, they are BMP files with JPG extensions. Not all browsers will be able to figure that out.

Right click one and it won't give you a file size, and if you save it, it saves as bitmap.
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#58378 - 10/05/02 01:50 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
XOC Offline
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Registered: 16/08/00
Posts: 17103
Loc: Minneapolis, MN
If you are using the longer Bilstein shocks with the National Spring pack, they should now be too long and will bottom out under full compression.

I ran the longer rear shocks last year for a few days before installing my 10 leaf pack and they bottomed out hard. Moving the shock mount up that high could cause problems without going back to shorter shocks.
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#58379 - 10/05/02 03:49 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Just to clarify what XOC said...

Yes, if you bought longer Bilsteins to go with the national packs, combining these two is not the way to go. The ideal install here is either the national spring pack with my top mount designs, or the OEM spring pack with the side mount design... both with the standard length Bilsteins
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#58380 - 10/05/02 09:22 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
lemsip Offline
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Registered: 26/10/00
Posts: 1489
Loc: Lakewood, CO
Quote:
Originally posted by SEXterra:
5) Joe will be offering two variants. Those with OEM springs vs. those with National springs. The difference between the two will be the shock mount location.
How would these work with OE length bilsteins and AAL in the rear ?

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#58381 - 10/05/02 10:37 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
BoarderPhreak Offline
Member

Registered: 08/08/00
Posts: 7469
Loc: Huntington, NY
Is it just me, or are there some strange angles going on with that U-bolt?

Check it:

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#58382 - 10/05/02 11:07 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
Olegkha Offline
Member

Registered: 30/08/00
Posts: 2286
Loc: Brooklyn, NY
i think the pic is a bit crocked

look at the tire thread, its a bitsideways as well

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#58383 - 10/05/02 12:41 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Quote:
How would these work with OE length bilsteins and AAL in the rear ?
You'll probably want the Top mount style as shown. I really think they the top mounts will work for either application, but I have not tested the top mounts on the OEM spring pack.

If the do create a problem, an easy and cheap fix would be some bumpstop extension.
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#58384 - 11/05/02 07:44 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
01SalsaXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 01/01/01
Posts: 1482
Loc: Suffolk County,NY,USA
i'm defintely interested in a pair of those. My setup is Stock spring pack w/ rancho AALs and stock length bilsteins, with no swaybar,(soon to be calmini Quick-discos with stock swaybar). Which setup would I need without bottoming out the shocks?
L8r
Ken
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#58385 - 11/05/02 05:27 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
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Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Top mounts... As pictured above.
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#58386 - 12/05/02 06:18 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
DaveDatsun Offline
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Registered: 16/08/00
Posts: 1421
Loc: Sahuarita, AZ
You may want to add another set of nuts to reduce possible damage to those exposed threads.

dave and xtoy - protect the protector

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#58387 - 12/05/02 08:10 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
JuicedX Offline
Member

Registered: 21/09/00
Posts: 21
Loc: Raleigh. NC
ok i see where every thing is mounted & if i dont have a new leaf pack it looks liek it will not work with the stock pack & AAL will it?????

If that was mentioned earlyier then a pic is worth a 1000 words
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3" AC suspention lift
AC shackles
Kenwood X959 Deck
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all the way around

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#58388 - 12/05/02 02:09 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
JuicedX Offline
Member

Registered: 21/09/00
Posts: 21
Loc: Raleigh. NC
lol ok i jsut read it again & there is a different one for stock spring packs where exacly does the shock mount then ??? pic pls
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3" AC suspention lift
AC shackles
Kenwood X959 Deck
Fosgate speakers and amp
all the way around

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#58389 - 12/05/02 04:12 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Quote:
Originally posted by DaveDatsun:
You may want to add another set of nuts to reduce possible damage to those exposed threads.
dave and xtoy - protect the protector
Dave,
Good plan, understand the u-bolts will be 1/2 in. shorter on the production models, thus they won't hang down below the plane, definately a good idea though.

Juiced,
To be more clear...
These WILL work with OEM spring pack with or without AAL's. I've been doing some measuring and I don't think we'll need to make two different versions. It looks like the application will work with either te national or OEM setup. You'll need to invert your spring pack pin... That's about it.
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"Goddammit, I don't want FOP, I want Dapper Dan. I'm a Dapper Dan man!

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#58390 - 14/05/02 04:56 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
SEXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 18/04/01
Posts: 357
Loc: Fredericksburg, VA
Ladies and Gents...
I've asked Joe to make the UB Skidderz available for purchase over the web. You can now purchase these using your major credit card.
Note, reduced price: $134.95

Click www.Darlington-Offroad.com UB Skidders for Xterra to access the online web order form.

Two important notes:
- Joe leaves for MOAB this week and is in throes of preparation until Friday. He'll be back next Monday. Joe will be filling all orders when he gets back, thus an order placed today will be on your doorstep in approx. three weeks. (The delay is the powder-coating process). It takes about a week to put these together, powdercoat, box and ship. I reccomend you place your order by the end of next week so it will be "in the inbox" when he returns.

- Upon further review, I reccommend the top mount style skidderz for EVERYONE (National or OEM springs with or without AAL's). My measurements indicate these would work for either application and they obviously afford the most protection. Still, if you're interested in the side mount style, they are available. Please be sure to specify which style you want when you order off the web-site.

Here's a pic of the finished product. Note the difference between shock mounting location... (Top vs Side).

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"Goddammit, I don't want FOP, I want Dapper Dan. I'm a Dapper Dan man!

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#58391 - 14/05/02 08:12 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
JuicedX Offline
Member

Registered: 21/09/00
Posts: 21
Loc: Raleigh. NC
ooooooooooooo daddy like but get more travel there is never is enough.....

dont know homw many tiem guy have said " Markus if you keep going youir gonna rip your sping hangers off ot your spring mount thingys" LOL
_________________________
----------------------
3" AC suspention lift
AC shackles
Kenwood X959 Deck
Fosgate speakers and amp
all the way around

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#58392 - 14/05/02 05:51 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
01SalsaXterra Offline
Member

Registered: 01/01/01
Posts: 1482
Loc: Suffolk County,NY,USA
SWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!!
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I got "IT" from ebay.
Now it burns when I pee..

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#58393 - 14/05/02 06:41 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
rrdstarr Offline
Member

Registered: 28/09/00
Posts: 2703
Loc: Tacoma
Online ordered mine this morning....three weeks and counting......
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#58394 - 14/05/02 11:06 PM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
New Guy Offline
Member

Registered: 31/03/02
Posts: 15
Loc: Lake Tahoe
How bout making a spring over kit and get the lift, remove them springs from that stupid place (I got stuck in snow last Sat. from those springs!) and rid the axle of all compromised equipment. ! Start the process of making the X a real off road vehicle.

my .02
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#58395 - 15/05/02 08:51 AM Re: UB Skidderz now available for the Xterra
OffroadX Offline
Member

Registered: 17/08/00
Posts: 13692
Loc: Baltimore, MD
A spring-over would add about 6" to the height of the rear end. There is currently no way to make up for it at the front end short of a solid axle swap.

Brent
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