Unfinished project

[bayswim]

This is a 2000 Frontier crewcab 4x4. I have changed a few things. SAS, 6" lift, ARB lockers front and rear, Emu Dakar rear springs, 285/75x16 Procomp tires on 8" rims, 4.10 f/r, lower transfer case gear, QX45 Engine @ about 270hp, beefed up auto trans, manual hubs, snorkel, ARB front bumper, Smitty XRC8 winch, Hella 9" lights up front, 2 - 105 amphr batteries, shore power hookup, 2000 watt inverter, dual solar panels, ARB45 reefer, 18 gal. water tank w/ shower, Adventure Trailer foamcore drawers in the shortbed. custom rear bumper, Maggiolina RTT., Acer computer, DashDaq-xl, Vision Shell

 

[StromHawk60]

more pics!!! Please.

I read your mods and many are things I'd like to do on my my F350 to increase it from my hunting/fishing rig to the expeditionary hunt/fish rig. Very interested in your power and water setups, please.

 

[davidshourd]

we need some more pictures! under the hood, side shots, interior, etc...sounds sweet.

 

[The BN Guy]

Impressive list. Looking forward to seeing more pix of the rig.

Welcome to ExPo!

 

[adrenaline503]

Sweet. I'd like to hear more about the SAS.

 

[eXpeditionXterra]

We need more detail!

 

[bayswim]

Pics coming soon. Its Sunday and I'm being lazy. The SAS is a Calmini kit with a custom Dana 44 style axle from Solid Axle. The axle housing has 1/2" walls and seems bulletproof. We rotated the pumpkin a bit to accommodate caster in the front. Too much though and that reduced the clearance between the front drive shaft and the sway bar housing. So we moved the housing up into the frame to get the inch or so back. Still not quite enough though. But it still works quite well.

The electrical system has the main Yellowtop in the engine bay and then in the bed I put two 105 amp hour batteries. They are all connected via a National Luna kit. Into that I added a pair of 85 dollar solar panels on the cab roof in series and a 17 dollar manager (all from Amazon). They plug into the Blue Ocean fuse box and keep the big batteries in the back charged when we are sitting. In a five day camp with sun, we didnt have to turn on the engine to power up batteries. It might last longer, but that's as long as we stayed still. It kept the ARB 45 refrigerator going strong during that time. I added a 2000 watt Xantrex inverter to make 110v power and then for good measure added an intellipower inverter to connect to campground 110v and repower the batteries if needed.

Water is a kludged together thing also. A shurflo 2850? pump and air tank are in line with a shurflo filter. I put this in the bed just behind an 18 gal plastic tank. At the tailgate we have a mixer to grab hot water and cold water and wash or shower. The heat exchanger is coming soon. Pics too.

More to follow........

 

[mcm4090]

Its Sunday and I'm being lazy.

I know that feeling.:costumed-smiley-007

 

[bayswim]

I added a secondary ARB air compressor in the bed because the C02 tank I normally use is great in California but not anywhere else. So that system will allow for 150 psi with fittings at each end for tools and tire filling.
The second seat in the cab is gone and the refrigerator is in its place. Against the back wall of the cab is my Electrical project with all the aforementioned elctrical stuff.
The snorkel was a problem from the beginning and those of you who have tried to marry one of these safari snorkels up know what I mean. My setup is from about five vendors and even then the tie in from the Volant airbox to the snorkel end coming through the fender is a custom aluminum piece that truly seals everything.
Thanks to Spencer Low for that and the sway bar relocation, the battery tiedown, the remote oil filter setup and the oversized trans cooler.
Spencer also did the engine install and the engine was designed and built by a guy named Sly. Never met him but ******** what an engine. Thanks Sly. Trans was a new/rebuild with a modified valve body, bumped up line pressure, new internal 300mm cnc shafts and TCS torque converter, upgraded planetary and new clutches.

The rear bumper is a nightmare. No one made one except for this guy in Kentucky or somewhere in 2005. It took 9 months to get it and then I had to rebuild it. It is coming off as soon as I can design my own.

To do: Flash the ECU again. Clean up the engine install. Find some sliders. replace the driveline with a slip. Build a front bash plate to protect the AT cooler fittings and the remote Oil Filter. Install the guagepod...maybe. Finish the hot water system. Add a second fuel tank.

Then, off to Alaska.....I think. But first three weeks in Northern Nevada in September.

 

[bayswim]

JC Fab and Design

A big thank you to Jim Cox and Jen at JCFAB. You guys are terrific!! Jim did all the suspension and pretty much everything below the waterline. It works, it's tight and it hasn't broken yet. And I try to every time we go out.

 

[eXpeditionXterra]

I'm curious when the engine work was done... how much did that cost you? How long have you been running it?

 

[bayswim]

The engine was just done a few months ago. I have put about 6000 miles on it, mostly highway. West coast to east coast and back in three weeks. And about 100 miles offroad. The engine and trans were about 8k, balanced, blueprinted, better cams, bigger injectors and bored out 60 - 80 over. The engine itself is great. The trans is almost too tight but I think will loosen up as it wears. The install could have been better but was rushed because of schedule, weather, etc. And then instead of a controlled break in period I drove it across country.

 

[eXpeditionXterra]

The engine was just done a few months ago. I have put about 6000 miles on it, mostly highway. West coast to east coast and back in three weeks. And about 100 miles offroad. The engine and trans were about 8k, balanced, blueprinted, better cams, bigger injectors and bored out 60 - 80 over. The engine itself is great. The trans is almost too tight but I think will loosen up as it wears. The install could have been better but was rushed because of schedule, weather, etc. And then instead of a controlled break in period I drove it across country.

PM me what it cost you if you don't mind sharing.. great build man!

 

[Bobfab]

Wow, this is an awesome mod list. Moar pics!!