Just What Can I Make My X Do?

While everybody else around me has been putting tires, winches and bumpers on their X, I have been in a slow methodical build-up of mine with a goal in the end to basically make it almost tough. My most recent addition is a full-blown on-board air system powered by an unbelievably powerful low rider compressor. The compressor brings my 2.5 gallon air tanks up to 125 psi in 1 minute 45 seconds. The air in the reservoir will run my air locker almost indefinitely keeping my compressor from coming back on for a LONG time.

My X is now in sleeper mode since it still has the stock tires on it. My next addition will be a lift, tires and a front air locker. The lift will include stiffer torsion bars to carry the weight of a new bumper and winch, which has already been prewired when I installed my dual batteries. I am in the middle of a major site update which will be finished the first of next week. I will let everyone know as soon as it is so you can see my systems in action as well as how I built them.

Originally posted by warmonger
I have been in a slow methodical build-up of mine with a goal in the end to basically make it almost tough.

"Almost tough" eh? :)

Those of us who have been putting tires, winches, bumpers, and other stuff on our X's are 'tough' already. :D

Just hasslin' ya War ...

War,

Where are/is the air tank(s)?
Do you have to have one for you locker?
Or did you get one so you could use air tools?

Originally posted by rhombus
War,

Where are/is the air tank(s)?
Do you have to have one for you locker?
Or did you get one so you could use air tools?




He got them for both I believe ...

It is capable of doing almost anything within reason. My limitation is in air volume. 2.5 gallons ain't a whole lot of air, but it will jack up my X and change the tires with an impact. (Can you say lazy @#$?) But the biggest thing is the time it takes to air up tires off-road. I can air up a 31" tire from 18 to 32 in 33 seconds with it. A VAST improvement over the pathetic performance of the ARB and Quick Air 2 and I didn't spend a whole lot more money.

As for your tough truck Philosopher, just remember, I ain't done yet and you ain't seen bad yet! ;-)

Originally posted by rhombus
War,

Where are/is the air tank(s)?
Do you have to have one for you locker?
Or did you get one so you could use air tools?

I like what you have done with the compressor and air tank. There was recently a test in Four Wheeler regarding air compressors, and I was surprized that the ARB and Quick Air 2 didn't do so well in their test. The winners were compressors that I had never heard of.

Another idea for self sufficiency on the trail is the Premier Power Welder. Besides being a welder and battery charger, it will run power tools and a Craftsman air compressor (they give the part numer for the compressor. I don't know how big it is). You also get a 160 amp alternator for your winch and lights. Pretty cool, but I think the price is around $800.00.

Scott,

A challenge for you, try and find one that will fit a Nissan. Believe me when I say, you will be hunting a long time or doing what I have had to do with a lot of my build-up so far, make it fit.

Originally posted by warmonger
Scott,

A challenge for you, try and find one that will fit a Nissan. Believe me when I say, you will be hunting a long time or doing what I have had to do with a lot of my build-up so far, make it fit.

Good point. The hard part to fit would most likely be the alternator. They have a listing for a small case alternator for "most foreign vehicles." It says it has 6-12 o'clock mounts, and they have an additional piece for sadle mount alternators (which I think we have). I haven't checked to see if it will fit. I have a drawing of it with measurements, I've just been to lazy to look at the one in the Xterra. It would be nice to at least have a heavy duty alternator when the stock one goes out :)

Originally posted by warmonger
It is capable of doing almost anything within reason. My limitation is in air volume. 2.5 gallons ain't a whole lot of air, but it will jack up my X and change the tires with an impact. (Can you say lazy @#$?) But the biggest thing is the time it takes to air up tires off-road. I can air up a 31" tire from 18 to 32 in 33 seconds with it. A VAST improvement over the pathetic performance of the ARB and Quick Air 2 and I didn't spend a whole lot more money.

As for your tough truck Philosopher, just remember, I ain't done yet and you ain't seen bad yet! ;-)




Pretty cool ... not trying to argue but I can take my 32's from 15 psi to 35 in about 30 seconds with my C02 powertank. Really nice when you get to the closest gas station and the line for air is long as hell. Not to mention it's more than twice as fast as those pumps.

As for my truck, what would make you think that I'm done? I'm just way ahead of you ... :bandit:

Philospher,

The CO2 tanks are pretty awesome for basic tire work. You can even run air lockers off of them. But they cost about $10 a pop to refill here and you would have to find a place to permanently mount it and it would require connecting and disconnecting lines. It just wasn't feasible for my app. As is the case with anything, what you use is entirely dependent on HOW you use it. I prefer my method due to the fact that once the initial outlay is paid, that's it. It's an endlessly renewable resource for me.

As for the build-up, one day we will have to have a pissing contest just for the heck of it. I haven't put rock sliders or my skid plates on yet since the only rocks we have in Florida are the little white ones you buy in plastic bags. But as the build-up progresses, I will get that way. I just have a plan and purpose for my build-up and will adhere to it no matter what.

Hey Warmonger,
I'm very interested in an air set-up like yours; I searched the other board & found your Florida Club board posts regarding the subject.
You mention the Blow Jax compressor having a max PSI of 150 & a 60 Amp current draw at that PSI.
Do you know the current draw at, say 120 PSI?
Also, I went to the AIM website (for blow jax compressors) and the Blow Jax compressors they show (one with filter, one without) are rated at 180 PSI. Is this the same compressor you got or do they have a different model not shown on the website?

Thanks & congrats on the killer air set-up.

Xterrabull,

The specs I have say 180 psi. But the only current draw figures I have are for 150 psi. I can give what info I do have right now. I can tell you it pumps up my 2.5 gallon system from 0 to 125 psi in 1:43. It is capable of running a 1/2" impact long enough to remove all 6 lug nuts with no problem. It will run the air locker 33 times before it hits the point of no return. But the best thing of all is that I don't have to open the system up to refill the tank. I simply turn on the compressor.

On the minus side, I had to break new ground and can you say EXPENSIVE? Getting an on-board air system required the relocation of my battery, switching to a dual battery system, rewiring my X with an isolated high current circuit, etc. I also had to get a crash course in pneumatic applications and become an expert at leak hunting and killing. The whole project was a serious excercise in patience.

So the million dollar question is, was it worth it? I will let you know after the Memorial Day outing this weekend. BTW, I forgot to add the thorough voiding of my warranty over the last four weeks. Now I have to eat it all. My recommendation is that if you are a competent mechanic, then go for it. But if you are a squeak chasing warranty freak, stay with the bolt on mods. From here on out, I am on my own. I don't mean that as an insult, I just want to make sure you have the truth about a project of this caliber.

Warranty Shmorranty.

I gave up on any coverage a long time ago.

Go for it War.

Schlud,

There is no doubt what little is left of my warranty will be completely gone after Phase 4 of project X. That will be my lift with new rear spring pack, new torsion bars, new tires and possibly rims if I can find some that will fit to my satisfaction, manual hubs and my new front diff. Couple that with the dual batteries and isolator wiping out the electrical warranty, the air locker wiping out the drivetrain warranty and you can see I have written it off. I just don't want others to think they can do this and still maintain some semblance of a warranty. Amazingly though, the dealers stare at my truck in awe when I do drop by for an occasional visit. And the salesmen drool all over it. It's really a mess to clean up when I get back. It looks like my dog was riding on the outside, not the inside! ;-)

The Warmonger

I was asking about the amperage draw @ lower PSI 'cause if you have the air system regulated such that the pump ceases pumping at 120 or 125 PSI (you know, pump ON at 75 PSI and pump OFF at 125 PSI (I think 125 PSI is max one would ever really need)) & if the amperage draw is 40 or 45 or 50 amps and the alternator puts out 90 amps then maybe you don't need the extra battery, circuit, etc.
Also, you could put in the appropriate switches so that you make sure you are drawing minimum current from the rest of the truck's appliances (lights, stereos, WINCH, etc...) if you want to run at a higher (>125 or whatever depending on current draw & what you are comfortable with) PSI.
I'm just thinking that if you put a flexible & semi-intelligent air system (automated PSI thresholds, etc...) & if you run the system with consideration of how much current is being drawn in total from the alternator then it is possible to put in a powerful air system without the electrical system overhaul. I fully believe that what you have done is THE way to go (robustness, redundancy, etc...) but like you point out not everyone (...myself included) is ready to alter their truck to that extent (wait till my warranty runs out, though...!).
Thanks,
--jim.

Jim,

You are quite right. My system turns on at 90 psi and off at 125 psi. So it doesn't really use the full 60 amp draw possible by the compressor. If you do this, you definitely will need a high qualiy battery if you don't already have one. You can hear the alternator whine when it engages with the engine at idle. If I pull it up to around 2,500 rpm, it seems to do ok. If you saw the article in last month's 4 Wheel and Off Road on air compressors, you will see an extensive test on the Extreme Air unit. This is exactly the same unit I have, just under a different name. The bad thing about that article is that they didn't give any info on where you could find those compressors. Because of that, I bought the Blow Jax unit. Come to find out, the retail price on the Blow Jax unit was quite a bit cheaper than the Extreme Air unit.

I do have a few more numbers for you BTW regarding air tool usage. Using a 1/2" impact with the coupler unsealed, I was able to completely remove 3 torqued lug nuts before I ran out of enough air pressure to run the impact. I then let the system repressurize, removed the other three and then put them back on. I was able to reinstall 4 lug nuts before I ran out of pressure. These numbers will be a little better when I get a dedicated impact that I can seal up and leave in my truck. I don't see them getting a whole lot better though, maybe one more lugnut removed and installed than on the unsealed test.

I did take my tire all the way down to 0 psi to see how long it would take to air it up completely. It couldn't do it on just the reservoir alone. It required the compressor to engage and finish the job. I wasn't able to measure for actual time since I had no one here to man a watch. But I should have those numbers as well as a nice group of photos after this weekend.

Aside from using your Xterra as a commercial taxi or rental vehicle, nothing you can do is going to completely void your warranty. No mod you do is going to void the warranty unless it CAUSES the problem you are trying to get covered.

Originally posted by ScottG
Aside from using your Xterra as a commercial taxi or rental vehicle, nothing you can do is going to completely void your warranty. No mod you do is going to void the warranty unless it CAUSES the problem you are trying to get covered.

This may be technically true; but I think there is dealer to dealer variance & everyone's worst fear is a dealer tech saying "...well you changed 'A' which caused 'B' and, over time and with increased vibration in 'C', the end result is failed part 'Z' so, sorry Mr. X, this is not technically under warranty & it's gonna cost you $###.##".
That's what I'm paranoid about, anyways.

Gordon,
Thanks for the #'s & I look forward to hearing more data & of course seeing the pics! :D
I wonder if the "4 Wheel and Off Road" compressor article is still available in stores... or maybe online?
I'll start searching....

Okay, I'm back & I believe I found the online article HERE (http://www.off-road.com/rock/extremeaire/).
The bottom of the page has a link to Extreme Outback Products (http://www.extremeoutback.com/catalog.htm) & the ExtremeAire compressor is at the bottom of the page ($379.95). Since they're in Vacaville (1.5 hours away from me), I may see if I can just pick one up from them. Yeah, right, notice how I'm talking like I'm gonna do this anytime soon! :(

The compressor is just the beginning of the expense. You will have to install an air manifold to direct the air in the directions you want to go, a pressure regulator if you are running an air locker off of the system, a water separator if you live in a high-humidity enviroment like I do, air line tough enough to handle off-roading if you drive like I do, etc.

If you are interested in the total project, I will be posting the new website next week. Right now it is off-line due to the major overhaul it is getting. I will let everyone know when it hits and you can decide on your own whether it is worth it or not.

As for the gentleman who said that you can't void your warranty, I work for a car dealer for a living and can tell you for a fact you can. It all depends on what is wrong and what relationship you have with the dealership. At this point, if my alternator or one of my batteries goes bad or the truck has an electrical fire, I eat it. If the rear bearings, carrier, driveshaft or transfer case goes bad, I eat it. Once I finish Phase 4, the entire driveline will no longer have a warranty as well as the suspension system. All that will be left is the motor and emissions. And that will go away in Phase 6.

Regarding the warranty, I don't know how it works. I know certain things, like a supercharger, voids the engine warranty. I don't know how theis would affect body bits, but a dirty dealer would easily find a way (most dealers, not just dirty kines, will try this). I woul dsuggest contacting the manufacrturer and asking for their policies, in writing.

Originally posted by warmonger
The compressor is just the beginning of the expense. You will have to install an air manifold to direct the air in the directions you want to go, a pressure regulator if you are running an air locker off of the system, a water separator if you live in a high-humidity enviroment like I do, air line tough enough to handle off-roading if you drive like I do, etc.

If you are interested in the total project, I will be posting the new website next week. Right now it is off-line due to the major overhaul it is getting. I will let everyone know when it hits and you can decide on your own whether it is worth it or not.

As for the gentleman who said that you can't void your warranty, I work for a car dealer for a living and can tell you for a fact you can. It all depends on what is wrong and what relationship you have with the dealership. At this point, if my alternator or one of my batteries goes bad or the truck has an electrical fire, I eat it. If the rear bearings, carrier, driveshaft or transfer case goes bad, I eat it. Once I finish Phase 4, the entire driveline will no longer have a warranty as well as the suspension system. All that will be left is the motor and emissions. And that will go away in Phase 6.

I don't care what the dealer says. Get your warranty booklet out and read it. If you have added an air compressor and your alternator goes out, you are probably subjecting yourself to the argument that the extra draw from the compressor caused the problem. But, that doesn't mean you have voided your entire warranty with respect to the electrical system. As you make more mods, you are more likely to get an argument that you caused whatever problem you are trying to get covered by the warranty. However, if you think you have voided your warranty by adding an air compressor and locker, you are wrong.

So basically, dealers will screw you if they have the chance, even when they're not supposed to be allowed to screw you.:mad:

Scott,

I think you fail to undestand the scope of the modifications I have made to my X. It goes WAY beyond just adding a compressor and air locker. My battery no longer resides under the hood and it is no longer Nissan. I have dual Optimas, one red top and one yellow top mounted in the rear. The entire electrical feed from the old battery has been replaced with 1/0 and 2/0 wiring. The alternator no longer directly charges the battery. It runs through an isolator that is bridgeable for jump starting from the auxillary battery. I have replaced the factory LSD with the air locker and the air locker is fed by an on-board air system that draws its juice from the auxillary battery. The four 100 watt lights are fed on the auxillary circuit as is the 100 watt high beam headlights. I could go on and on, but I think now you get the big picture. I don't know if you have been following along as I have modified my X, but I will post a note when I do the new update to my website and you can see for yourself what I have done if you haven't already done so.