I’ve had some time In the last couple weeks. In prep for B2SR I’ve taken care of a few things on my Xterra to do list. I installed the Calmini travel correction brackets, changed the front passenger wheel bearing, oil change, installed a 2005-2008 350Z thermostat, and swapped the LCA bumpstops between the Xterra and Frontier.
Besides mods, I’ve been chasing down an intermittent stalling issue. The X will stall at idle, at a stop light or the like. One at a time, I have swapped the notorious IPDM relay, the crank sensor, and the cam sensors. I changed the crank sensor first with no apparent difference. Changing the IPDM relay seemed like it did the trick. It ran great for about a week. It may just have been because I had the battery disconnected for a half hour for the swap. I believe it took a that long for the sensors to recalibrate. Finally I did the 2 cam sensors. It’s been running good for about a week. I have my fingers crossed.
The TCB’s came with no instructions. The install was pretty straight forward. It uses the OEM lower shock mount, a preexisting hole, and one new one I needed to drill. The premise is, to move the Titan stock LCA shock mount inward on the arm. To the X’s stock lower shock mount location.
The suspension before the swap.
SPC Titan UCA’s, Stock Titan LCA’s, Radflo 2.5” extended travel coilovers 650lb springs 5/16” thread below the adjustment collar, 1” lift top plate spacer, stock Offroad wheels, 33/12.5-16 MXT’s.
Top of tire to fender measurement at ride height.
7.5” Driver
7.5” Passenger
Full droop
10” Driver
9.75” Passenger
Suspension after the brackets.
Same as above, adding the brackets and removing the 1” spacer.
Tire to fender at ride height
7” Driver
7” Passenger
Full droop
11.75” Driver
11.75” Passenger
The coilover and top plate spacer wouldn’t fit in place together. I would have needed to disconnect the upper ball joint to install the assembly, then compress the coil to reconnect the ball joint. This would have caused binding of the ball joints and CV’s. Fortunately the coilover without the spacer is exactly the correct length. Because I lost roughly a half inch lift between removing the spacer and adding the brackets, I cranked the coilovers by a 1/4”. This brought me back to roughly 7.5” in the front and 7.75” in the rear. Since I’m at the same ride height, there was no need to realign, or adjust my headlights. Currently I have a 2:1 ratio of adjustment of the coilover to lift at the wheel. I chose top of tire to fender measurements because it is easy to get quickly. With the Titan swap, it is tough to get an accurate hub to fender measurement with the wheel on.
Correction brackets with the taller bumps
Front full droop
Because of the 1” top plate spacers, I had taller than OEM bumps on the X. Since I’m not using the lift spacers any longer, I found I was hitting the bump stops driving normally on the road. Since the Frontier has lift spacers on it, it seemed like the taller bumps would be more fitting on it instead. The Frontier OEM bumps are now on the X. Moved in about 1 1/2”, so they hit the striker more squarely.
The wheel bearing has been making more and more noise for the last few weeks. I used one of the 2 hubs I have on hand from Phong’s X. Both are OEM Timkens.
I chose the 350Z thermostat because it has the same housing as the VQ40’s but instead of a 180 degree temp, it is 170 degrees. I’m hoping this will keep my on the trail temps down. Generally the E-fan is running consistently. On at 221. Off at 207. Hopefully the earlier opening will give the cooling system a head start on keeping temps down.
The part I dreaded most about these projects is getting the radiator skid back on. I ended up putting a ratchet strap around the part that meets the frame. This was in order to pull it back together the 3/4” I needed to run the bolts back through.