"Lola" - WreckDiver1321's 2005 Frontier CC/SB Nismo Build and Adventure Thread

[stioc]

Oh that makes sense; I have seen others install the retractable bed covers along with the RTTs to keep the cargo protected but that's only one of the several reasons you got rid of the RTT.

But now how come you're driving this Black Frontier, didn't you have the previous generation Silver Frontier? :coffeedrink: :elkgrin: I kid I kid. Your thread goes like the New York Times ...if I miss a few updates I can't keep up.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Oh that makes sense; I have seen others install the retractable bed covers along with the RTTs to keep the cargo protected but that's only one of the several reasons you got rid of the RTT.

But now how come you're driving this Black Frontier, didn't you have the previous generation Silver Frontier? :coffeedrink: :elkgrin: I kid I kid. Your thread goes like the New York Times ...if I miss a few updates I can't keep up.

Yeah I was going to do a bed cover for a while but it didn't solve my other problems.

Haha yeah my build speed has been described as "break-neck" before. I'm just trying to address needs in my build as they come up. I was just about to order a rear bumper when I went to the NW Overland Rally and found out how great a fridge would be. Then I did the Goose Lake trip and found out I really should get some 33s. After that's done, I'll get back to the bumper. After that, it's mostly small things that need to be addressed. Skid plates, winch, navigation, air compressor, etc. I'm almost out of purchases to make in the $1k neighborhood.

 

[coop74]

You realize going up an inch is only a half inch extra of clearance. Even less when you air down.

You are likely much better off with good skids as well as some good train and practice. A long wheel base truck rarely get high enough unless you go real big.

You in the end will spend a fortune for little gain. Spend your money on those other things first which you will benefit for all the time,

My two cents any way...

 

[wreckdiver1321]

You realize going up an inch is only a half inch extra of clearance. Even less when you air down.

You are likely much better off with good skids as well as some good train and practice. A long wheel base truck rarely get high enough unless you go real big.

You in the end will spend a fortune for little gain. Spend your money on those other things first which you will benefit for all the time,

My two cents any way...

Except I'm not going up only an inch in tire. My current tires are not 32s as they should be, they're not even 31" in diameter. I understand that I'm never going to get way up there. I'm not aiming for two feet of ground clearance here. But there are many good reasons to make the jump based on the terrain I'm traveling through.

Based on my measurements, I'll be getting an inch more clearance. That's not just under the body, it's under the axle, the front diff, everywhere. And trust me, the Frontier needs it. The larger tires also tend to smooth out the bumps in the terrain better. I don't know if you saw the pictures from my previous trail run, but I'm traveling over trails that are pretty much broken rock on top of slightly less broken rock. There aren't many smooth parts to speak of. The other advantage is the larger sidewalls that tend to flex better when run at lower pressures. That makes for a better ride too. There's also an aesthetic factor to me. It looks like I'm running around on castors right now with 3" of lift and tires that don't even measure out to 31".

I understand that the gains won't be stellar. But that's okay with me as I still think the larger tires are necessary. The other things I need to add to the truck are pretty minor to me. The skids are fairly cheap, easy to install, and quick to get once ordered. The navigation system is just gravy since I have highly detailed maps of all of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Washington. Backup lights are, again, just gravy. I am not in dire need of an air compressor right now since I have a portable one. The winch and rear bumper are the only major steps coming at this point. Those will coming soon enough, and I've not yet been in a situation where either was an absolute necessity.

As mortonm has said, I am the vice president of the itchy trigger finger tire brigade. So it stands to reason that I need to make a jump soon

 

[mortonm]

As mortonm has said, I am the vice president of the itchy trigger finger tire brigade. So it stands to reason that I need to make a jump soon

Ha-ha you know it, stioc is still Pres for now.

I'm still lurking around here just haven't been as active as late.

 

[jhberria]

The sheer fact that you are getting your differentials and LCAs 1/2 an inch or a full inch higher off the ground should not be discounted, regardless of how nominal it may seem. That 1/2 inch could be the difference between peeling back your differential cover and spilling its life blood over the rocks or.... Well...... NOT doing that. Also, the extra tire size doesn't just benefit your clearance. Think about your breakover angle, especially in a longer wheel base truck. An extra inch oriented towards the center of the frame from both the front and rear will significantly improve that angle, and potentially keep you from teeter-tottering cresting hills. Of course, all of these potential improvements are scenario based and derived from my scientific opinion.

*DISCLAIMER* My "scientific opinion" is by no means based on things like
"science" and "empirical data". Those are the tools of the devil and will not be tolerated on my interwebs.

 

[stioc]

Ha-ha you know it, stioc is still Pres for now.

I'm still lurking around here just haven't been as active as late.

Haha yeah...live and learn. Good to see you around.

Wreck, just as fyi my supposed 32" KM2s also only measure out to about 30.75 or so. Then again they're E-loads so probably need 80psi to get close to 31.5. In my 'limited' experience with three different brands (Duratracs, BFG KOs, and BFG KM2s) they've all fallen short of the claimed mathematical size...from a normal tire pressure perspective anyway.

 

[coop74]

Haha yeah...live and learn. Good to see you around.

Wreck, just as fyi my supposed 32" KM2s also only measure out to about 30.75 or so. Then again they're E-loads so probably need 80psi to get close to 31.5. In my 'limited' experience with three different brands (Duratracs, BFG KOs, and BFG KM2s) they've all fallen short of the claimed mathematical size...from a normal tire pressure perspective anyway.

That is true of most all tires, they are normally calculated with no load and at or near max inflation.

Look at the bottom of your tire and see how big the contact patch is, most of what is on the ground is coming out of potential height of the tire...

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Ha-ha you know it, stioc is still Pres for now.

I'm still lurking around here just haven't been as active as late.

I have to go through another change in shoes before I am considered president I think.

Yeah I've noticed you been doing a lot more lurking these days. I know you're still alive because you still like my posts on Instagram.

The sheer fact that you are getting your differentials and LCAs 1/2 an inch or a full inch higher off the ground should not be discounted, regardless of how nominal it may seem. That 1/2 inch could be the difference between peeling back your differential cover and spilling its life blood over the rocks or.... Well...... NOT doing that. Also, the extra tire size doesn't just benefit your clearance. Think about your breakover angle, especially in a longer wheel base truck. An extra inch oriented towards the center of the frame from both the front and rear will significantly improve that angle, and potentially keep you from teeter-tottering cresting hills. Of course, all of these potential improvements are scenario based and derived from my scientific opinion.

*DISCLAIMER* My "scientific opinion" is by no means based on things like
"science" and "empirical data". Those are the tools of the devil and will not be tolerated on my interwebs.

Haha I love it!

But you're right Josh. The times I was wishing for 285s on that last trail were the times when even 1/2" more clearance would have made the difference. I cheese-gratered my rear diff over a rock at one point, and with half an inch more clearance, it would not have been an issue.

Breakover angle and approach and departure angles are things I had not thought about either, but those are helped by going up a size as well.

Also, one more thing.... IT'S MY TRUCK.

Haha yeah...live and learn. Good to see you around.

Wreck, just as fyi my supposed 32" KM2s also only measure out to about 30.75 or so. Then again they're E-loads so probably need 80psi to get close to 31.5. In my 'limited' experience with three different brands (Duratracs, BFG KOs, and BFG KM2s) they've all fallen short of the claimed mathematical size...from a normal tire pressure perspective anyway.

Yep, that's pretty much what I have found as well. The only tire I've seen that approaches the advertised size is the Cooper ST Maxx, which measures out to 31.5". I know a guy who has them on his first gen and I measured them.

Either way, I'm still going to jump to a 285 on Wednesday. Called the tire shop today (weird that they were open on a Saturday) and reserved a time. Bring on the bigger Generals!

 

[coop74]

it is my truck thing is always the best reason...

 

[wreckdiver1321]

it is my truck thing is always the best reason...

Haha yeah I think so. It's my truck and I want to do it. So it shall be done

 

[mortonm]

I have to go through another change in shoes before I am considered president I think.

Yeah I've noticed you been doing a lot more lurking these days. I know you're still alive because you still like my posts on Instagram.

Haha still alive I deed, it's just so far to get off-road here I haven't had ,ugh chance to use it as such, a lot of time exploring and camping just more font self powered.

My brother and I are going to the Mid Atlantic Overland Festival in a month but we are taking his Jeep!

Still great fun though

 

[Blackdawg]

Haha will do man. I'm not gonna let a little rain stop me.

Yeah I did some research and found out the full cost of gears for me. One of the biggest problems fo our rigs is no one makes aftermarket gears for our front diff. So you're stuck picking from stock ratios. Turns out the trucks with the 6M trans have lower gears than the 5As do. So I can swap in those later if I needed to. But I think I'll wait and see how the 285s change the driving characteristics. From the reports I've read on these trucks, the difference should be very minimal. We'll see, but I'm not super worried about it.

Haha guess I'm okay with mine not being a "true rig" then.

Yea your truck will turn them just fine.

Its after you add skids and other weight it might struggle.

What ratio do you have now? i remember you saying its super odd..and what are your choices?

You realize going up an inch is only a half inch extra of clearance. Even less when you air down.

You are likely much better off with good skids as well as some good train and practice. A long wheel base truck rarely get high enough unless you go real big.

You in the end will spend a fortune for little gain. Spend your money on those other things first which you will benefit for all the time,

My two cents any way...

Dude...trust me..

in the game of driving over the rocks..an inch is a freaking mile.

Every bit counts.

And damn, on these nissans id say it counts even more. Frame is killer low on these things.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Haha still alive I deed, it's just so far to get off-road here I haven't had ,ugh chance to use it as such, a lot of time exploring and camping just more font self powered.

My brother and I are going to the Mid Atlantic Overland Festival in a month but we are taking his Jeep!

Still great fun though

Ah I see. Well good to see you're still kicking!

Yea your truck will turn them just fine.

Its after you add skids and other weight it might struggle.

What ratio do you have now? i remember you saying its super odd..and what are your choices?

Yeah I'm actually not at all worried about it. I'd be kind of surprised if the remaining gear made a really big difference too. I do expect a difference, but I don't know for sure how much it will do. Either way, it's all conjecture till I actually do it.

So right now I think my truck has 3.36 gears. The gearing of Nissan's transmissions is really different from Toyotas, and the Nissan 4.0 has a bit more grunt than a 2nd gen Taco, with 265hp/285tq, so that makes the axle gears make a bit more sense. If I needed to regear, the best I could do would be a set of 3.69s.

A little anecdote to shed some light on the gearing weirdness. There are two guys I know of with 2nd gen Frontys that are on 35s with Titan diffs. One is running 4.10s and the other is running 4.56s. The guy on 4.10s says his truck feels factory. The guy on 4.56s says his highway RPM is a lot higher than where he'd like it. So you can imagine the tranny gearing is... Weird.

Dude....trust me..

in the game of driving over the rocks..an inch is a freaking mile.

Every bit counts.

And damn, on these nissans id say it counts even more. Frame is killer low on these things.

Haha what he said!

An extra inch in this terrain is worth every bit of the cost of tires.

And now that I've seen them side by side, I can say that Toyota made their Tacoma frames way higher up than Nissan did.

 

[Blackdawg]

Haha will do man. I'm not gonna let a little rain stop me.

Yeah I did some research and found out the full cost of gears for me. One of the biggest problems fo our rigs is no one makes aftermarket gears for our front diff. So you're stuck picking from stock ratios. Turns out the trucks with the 6M trans have lower gears than the 5As do. So I can swap in those later if I needed to. But I think I'll wait and see how the 285s change the driving characteristics. From the reports I've read on these trucks, the difference should be very minimal. We'll see, but I'm not super worried about it.

Haha guess I'm okay with mine not being a "true rig" then.

Ah I see. Well good to see you're still kicking!



Yeah I'm actually not at all worried about it. I'd be kind of surprised if the remaining gear made a really big difference too. I do expect a difference, but I don't know for sure how much it will do. Either way, it's all conjecture till I actually do it.

So right now I think my truck has 3.36 gears. The gearing of Nissan's transmissions is really different from Toyotas, and the Nissan 4.0 has a bit more grunt than a 2nd gen Taco, with 265hp/285tq, so that makes the axle gears make a bit more sense. If I needed to regear, the best I could do would be a set of 3.69s.

A little anecdote to shed some light on the gearing weirdness. There are two guys I know of with 2nd gen Frontys that are on 35s with Titan diffs. One is running 4.10s and the other is running 4.56s. The guy on 4.10s says his truck feels factory. The guy on 4.56s says his highway RPM is a lot higher than where he'd like it. So you can imagine the tranny gearing is... Weird.



Haha what he said!

An extra inch in this terrain is worth every bit of the cost of tires.

And now that I've seen them side by side, I can say that Toyota made their Tacoma frames way higher up than Nissan did.

I remember seeing an old review video on Frontiers and tacomas and..something else that sucked.

They said the Frontier was a nicer truck on the road, but the taco won hands down offroad. I believe it now due purely to ground clearance.

You just gonna have to work more for it

Jeus...3.36...******...haha Im on 5.29s..haha

Weird trannies indeed. Tall gears really.

Nissan Frontier 98-08

Automatic transaxel Code 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
RE4R01A All 2.785 1.545 1.000 0.694
RL4R01A 49X11 2.785 1.545 1.000 0.694
RE5R05A All 3.842 2.353 1.529 1.000 0.839
Manual transaxel Trans Model 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
2WD FS5W71C 3.321 1.902 1.308 1.000 0.838
4WD FS5W71C 3.592 2.246 1.415 1.000 0.821
2WD/4WD FS5R30A 3.580 2.077 1360.000 1.000 0.811
2WD/4WD FS6R31A 4.368 2.518 1.743 1.283 1.000 0.769
2WD/4WD RS5R30A 3.580 2.077 1360.000 1.000 0.811

Mine is this..

First Gear: 3.830:1
Second Gear: 2.062:1
Third Gear: 1.436:1
Fourth Gear: 1.00:1
Fifth Gear: 0.838:1

So really your over all drive ratio..stupid tall compared to mine. Even stock when i had 4.10s.

Odd indeed..

You'll find out!