My new vehicle: 2005 Nissan Frontier

[articulate]

Something's new in the neighborhood.

I've rolled on a pretty inadequate rear suspension considering the weight: 100+ lbs RTT, steel bumper & tire carrier, cabinetry/drawers, 115-some lbs of water, aux battery & fundamental tools inside the crossover box, and then toss in the Engel and a hundred-or-so pounds of general camping gear and food. And we're haven't even buckled ourselves inside yet.

A three-pack add-a-leaf and extended shackles with Firestone air bags did the trick for a while, but seriously what a freakish Frankenstein monster for rear suspension.

We're now rolling with the Old Man Emu kit in the rear, with "heavy load" springs that sport two overload leaves and the safety inspiring military wrap on leaf #2.

I'm really pleased to be using these greasable shackles, too:

With only one trip on this suspension, I can only make conjecture about the long term, but this already manages the heavy load off the pavement without a flinch.

We'll see what happens in 2010 on some beautiful roads from Moab to Cabo San Lucas.

 

[mcm4090]

Mark
Do you still have the Firestone air bags in the rear?

 

[articulate]

Mark
Do you still have the Firestone air bags in the rear?

They're on the garage floor right now. I don't quite know what will happen there. I hope I don't need them in the future.

 

[CoastalDefender]

Where and how much for the springs? I am having the same saggy problem as you with my setup.

How much lift do they give? Maintaining anything respectable, or do you still have droop loaded up?

 

[Dave Bennett]

Good call on the OME springs, they are the best mod I've done to my suspension.

 

[Jean-Seb]

I like your build, cool truck !

Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[articulate]

How much lift do they give? Maintaining anything respectable, or do you still have droop loaded up?

I'm not totally sure. Hub-to-fender measurement is 23" IIRC. I don't recall the stock measurement.

All loaded up the suspension hardly even moans. It just keeps on grinning. Love it.

 

[CoastalDefender]

How much and where for the springs?

 

[d1sc0ver]

How much and where for the springs?

Yes, same question. Did you go through ARB? Did you have to use Navara part numbers?

 

[flyingwil]

How much and where for the springs?

Yes, same question. Did you go through ARB? Did you have to use Navara part numbers?

Mark got the springs through Sierra Expeditions, they are p/n: CS051R specifically for the US spec Frontier. They run $208.28 each.

 

[d1sc0ver]

Mark got the springs through Sierra Expeditions, they are p/n: CS051R specifically for the US spec Frontier. They run $208.28 each.

Thank you very much sir!

 

[articulate]

There we go. Thanks Wil.

I think you need the bushings as well, and you may as well get the shackles too if you're going for it.

 

[articulate]

STOKED.

I found a young fresh-out-of-welder's-school 20-something who needed cash and put him to work fixing some details on the rear bumper . . .

First, he took the lousy tilt out of the spare tire carrier and made it vertical:

It always drove me nuts that the spare tire sat at an angle, and that I didn't see any distinct advantage to that layout. Nevertheless, it's fixed to my liking.

He's also affixed a superior Adventure Trailers Scepter can holder that I've had for a number of years - the old can holder was a simple tray that used a ratchet strap, but no more. Here's the ever-handsome Wil of Sierra Expeditions showing us how to remove a water can, from said can holder, with finesse and intensity:

Next, we're going to work on a rockin' gate stop . . .

 

[arlon]

WOW, you still have this thing? I justy noticed the post started 4 years ago!
I'll have sit and go through it post by post when I get a few minutes..

 

[articulate]

Adding to the history books of our truck, here's the latest. We came very close to getting ourselves into a FWC or FlipPac. I concluded this truck is just too small for that, plus those two solutions didn't quite solve what my wife wanted; a place to sit in our camp chairs out of the elements. We concluded that raising the RTT to the roof level and putting a room underneath was the best option given our current circumstances.

A.R.E. shell and new Hannibal 1.6 roof top tent:

With snazzy windoors:

We're currently waiting for the lower room to arrive, called the "Jumbo Kit" from Hannibal.

Exciting times. They're looking like this: