i already have this http://www.nexterra.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4444 assembled on a tx-10 range box

If the majority of the funds neede for my SAS are now spent, I may actually see if this is within the scope of what's possible.

It would be pretty cool to have that.

Mike,
You might want to check out this write-up for your SAS.
It sounds close to what you're planning.

http://ruggedrocksoffroad.com/forum/index.php?topic=3.0
http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/tech/ ... index.html

A couple other items to think about.
Axle gearing.
If you plan on running 35's, then I'd go with 5.13's or 5.38's right from the start.

You won't need t-case gears for a while if you stick with the 5.38's.
Not to mention the truck will have as much accelleration as stock only on 35's.

Since you're replacing both front and rear axles, you aren't limited to 5.13's for gearing.

You also might want to check out
www.nissannut.com for more SAS info.
He has done A LOT of SASes to Nissans with great results.
He also sells driveshaft adapters for our t-case.

You also might want to pick up a Slip-yoke eliminator kit for the rear d-shaft.

Just a few items to start you off.

do you mean the rear?

I'm only replacing the front.. The rear is staying as it.. but, I'm going to start reading up about changing those gears over.

Crap.. My bad.
Fast typing will do that.. LOL



Ahh..Totally forgot that you aren't replacing the rear axle.
Nissan gearing is $$$ ($400+) and your stuck with 5.14 tops.
If you want to match your existing gearing, then it'll be 4.56's up front.

Is it worth re-gearing in that light?
Or, just save up and do a t-case gear set?

Well, It all depends on how much street-driving you plan on doing.
If you plan on doing crawler gears and going with 35's max tire size, then 4.56's would be fine.
Ask Dana (Powerguy37) how he likes it.

If you want more power and plan on driving on the street more, then 5.14's will make a big difference.

Personally, I'm on a really tiny budget for my SAS, so I'm sticking with 4.56's up front since I'm already used to how slow my truck is.
And I'm hoping the cams, new heads, headers, exhaust really wakes my truck up.

Do you already have a rear ARB?
If so, then it might not be worth tearing it apart to swap out the ring and pinion.

This truck, if it ever sees the street again, won't be a daily driver as I'll really only take it on roads for short trips from one trail to the next.


And, the rear is already locked and yeah, that would be a pain to rip down and change over.

Again, it all comes down to budget.
If you can swing $400+ for Nissan 5.14 ring and pinion,
$100+ for necessary bearings, shims, etc for the install,
and the $300 labor, Then do it.

Comparing $800 for re-gearing the rear, or $1095 plus $550 or so for Dave's labor, (according to his website) for t-case gears.

The answer is simple..
Do both.

I'm happy with my 4.63's and 35" MT/R's on the parkway.
It's like 5th gear is overdrive now. LOL
And having a 5 speed, I could not live without crawler gears after having them.

I'm sold on the idea of leaving the current gears in place right now and saving for t-case gears or doing an Atlas change over.

You just saved yourself $800+
T-case gears are the BEST mod.
Didn't ask, is your truck a manual or auto?

If it's a manual, then have your clutch changed at the same time as the crawler gear install.
I've been running a Centerforce DF clutch for the past 4 years without issue.

So, count on using 4.56's up front in the Dana 44.

It's a manual.
I have a relatively new clutch (Centerforce II) in there that has only about 10k miles on it. So, I might be able to save some funds on that front too.

Nice!
No clutch needed for a while.
The crawler gears will save your clutch wear also.
No need to ride the clutch at all. It really rocks.

Sounds like you have a lot of easy ways to make this a budget build.
That 3 link will be killer though.

i think the crawler gears wouldn't be too hard to install yourself. the tx-10 is pretty simple in the low-range section of the case. i think the hardest part of installing the crawler gears would be getting the case itself out.

save yourself some money and pick up a used transfer case out of a 90's pathfinder or v6 pickup and install the gears in that one. then swap it out with the one you have in your truck already. then sell yours, or keep it for a spare.

another advantage of using an older case is that the older ones have a 2" wide 4x4 chain, which is more durable, and less prone to stretching than our 1.5" xterra 4x4 chain.