What parts are better for me to get?

[LovetheX]

Basically what I am asking is whoever has this stuff what do you like or not like, and what would you recommend me getting or not getting, out of what I listed?


CALMINI ROCKCRAWLER Gears
or
Ring and Pinion Gears (spencer low racing)
or
Ring and Pinion (Automotive Customizers)

Which version is better to buy, what performs better, etc.? (I want to have 33x12.5x15 in. tires)


Limited slip differential, Front and Rear (AC)
or
ARB air lockers

Is the ARB really worth it, or will the LSD perform good enough?


Finally is this stuff necessary?

Computer Upgrade
and/or
K&N Filter Charger Kit

Any thing else anyone can think of will be greatly appreciated ( I wanna get my lift very soon but don't know whats the best and most reliable)

[OffroadX]

R&P vs. crawler gears: 33" tires are just on the bubble of benefitting from lower ring and pinion ratios. What year X do you have? If you have a non-supercharged 2002 or newer, you already have 4.90:1 gears and 33s shouldn't tax them much at all. The older ones with 4.636 gears are a bit more labored by 33s, but still manage alright except on long grades or at high altitude. The SC has the 4.636 too, but the extra power makes up for it.
Do you have an automatic or a manual transmission? if you have an automatic, the crawler gears aren't quite as necessary, but they will still be quite nice either way. Before getting them though, you have to consider what sort of 'wheeling you're going to be doing. If you're not planning on dealing with rocks or other "large" terrain that you need to be very slow and delicate over, you really have little use for them. If you find yourself smoking your clutch a lot on the trail, you'll find them a godsend.

The factory LSD is useful, but marginal. It can be easily tweaked to perform a LOT better (near-locker-like) pretty easily for about $50-100 in parts if you're reasonably competent working with vehicle internals, but results can vary somewhat. I'm planning on doing mine this spring. One caveat, it can make the rear end prone to side-stepping on slick surfaces if you're not mindful of your throttle.
Front LSD: Calmini and AC offer them. I know the Calmini one is a genuine OEM Nissan unit (used in the 300ZX) with a minor modification and is very effective. AC wouldn't tell me who makes/supplies the one they sell, and I'm therefore leery of it.
Lockers: you can't go wrong with ARBs. If you can afford it, go for it, especially in the rear. For the front, the Calmini LSD is cheaper, but not a lot. You should have the ARB in the rear before the front, so the compressor cost is moot up front. Install of the ARB will be a bit more costly.
If you're planning to get real serious about 'wheeling, the ARB is the way to go up front, otherwise the Calmini is certainly adequate.
NOTE: any front traction aid will mandate an aftermarket steering system (Calmini or SLR).

Computer upgrade is expensive, and best left until you have complete all other performance modifications so it can be programmed to take them into account and make the most of them.
K&N Filter Charger: The one that replaces the stock filter is about $40, but if it did anything for power on my Xterra, I didn't notice it. The full intake replacement kit (FIPK) runs $200+ and I don't think it's worth the money either, a handful of extra power you might barely notice, and the liability of easier ingestion of water off-road if you're game to tackle bumper-deep crossings.

Brent

[LovetheX]

Brent,

I have a 2001 SE xterra, automatic, it has a LSD in it, however i heard its an open lsd. Not an actual lsd, that provides traction to both tires when one slips (is that how the lsd for AC or calmini is?) What mod can you do to the lsd to make it perform better....should i go with that option?

And i wanna definitely do something about a lsd / locker, that is main priority, I don't really like the factor 4x4 system in the x.....i just don't feel it performs very good

As far as wheelin goes, I wanna prepare my truck....basically for the worst....so if i wanted to tackle something intense...i have the capability to, understand.

With the computer upgrade, will that help to adjust for the larger tire size and my speedometer being off (when i do get the lift and all)?

as you can probably tell i am very new to wheeling and 4x4s, seeing as how i may be asking dumb questions.

But as always thanks for the help, Jason

[Schludwiller]

The factory 4x4 system performs very well. Most of the time we don't even have a locked truck on the trails with us (one was sold, the other is in Oregon and we don't see him much). We tackle all kinds of terrain and even some of the stock trucks with decent tires do very well.

So if you haven't done much offroading, I would really hold off a bit to find out what you need before dumping a bunch of cash into your truck, unless you've got a lot laying around.

What would be better is to make sure you go out with other people (especially an Xterra club), to find out what things work well in the kinds of driving you'll be in most often. Then build up from there. Also it just isn't safe to go out alone, no matter how well equipped you are. One of our clubs drivers was out in the woods to take photos. The road gave way and his truck flipped upside down. And he had lockers front and rear. (obsiously it wouldn't have helped, but you get the idea).

[warmonger]

I agree with Schlud and will add to his statement a little. All the hardware in the world is useless if you don't know how to drive. Now, before you take offense to that statement, give me time to clarify. Just because one has a license or owned a 4WD prior to their X doesn't mean they know how to drive. The IFS X has certain quirks and limitations that it is good to know prior to heading out. The best way to learn those limitations is to drive the X with other experienced X owners who have been out enough to know the limitations and can teach you those limitations and how to overcome them.

Once you have felt out your truck, THEN you can decide what you want to add. You mentioned a lift, but along with that lift you will have to get steering system. If you plan to add a winch, you will need to add stiffer torsion bars when adding the lift to help offset the extra weight of the winch and winch bumper, and I could go on and on. In the military we used to have a saying that applies to off-roading especially and I am sure all here will concur "those who fail to plan, plan to fail". Think about that and use some of the folks here to test out your truck in an off-road enviroment.

[LovetheX]

The reason I don't feel the factory 4x4 works good is, because only one front and rear tire are powered when 4x4 is engaged. I have found that while driving in the snow, my x kinda is forced all over the road (has a tendency to kick out alot). I have driven other 4x4s before that don't have this feel to them. I still have the stock Grabber A/T (I think thats what they are called), so this could be why I feel it doesn't perform too good. These tires are very crappy.

This poses a problem, I didn't want to get new tires until I got my lift and stuff. And I didn't want to go off-roading till I got new tires. Do you guys feel it would perform ok with these older stock tires?

Warmonger, you replied by saying "You mentioned a lift, but along with that lift you will have to get steering system. If you plan to add a winch, you will need to add stiffer torsion bars when adding the lift to help offset the extra weight of the winch and winch bumper, and I could go on and on."

I have posted in the SUSPENSION and GENERAL categories about other things I am thinking about getting on my X. Please feel free to visit them and give me your input.

[Schludwiller]

You'll find this said in many threads here.

Tires first, then shocks, then sliders. (I'll look pretty stupid if I got that one wrong )

But basically those are the base modifications people should make before they go offroad (some could even skip the sliders if they're careful). After that there are many paths to go, and all of them usually lead to a type of sickness that's identified by 5 grand missing from your pocket.

You could buy 32" tires now so you'll still be happy with them after your lift. And NO, it will not perform well with stock tires. Tires are absolutely at the top of the list for mods to make on a new truck. People usually kick themselves for not buying them sooner, second only to shocks.

The only thing you'll have to think about with those three mods is what you're going to do later on with your suspension. 4 Bilstein shocks run somewhere around $260 so you don't want to throw them away when you get a lift. Although if you're in a club, you can usually sell, trade, or give them away (another good reason to be in a club, parts and help are in large supply). You could get 20% stiffer shocks up front as the length isn't effected by a lift (20% for an ARB/Winch). Rear shocks will need to be longer when you get a lift, so here's the decision. You could go stock length and plan on getting rid of them, or get longer shocks. BUT if you do this, then you'll need shackles or AAL's to take up the space on the shocks. The cheap route is a Rancho AAL to toss later. Lots of those floating around. Or you could put in shackles for $50, or put in SLR 3-leaf AAL's (which you wouldn't throw out). All of these will bump up the rear end so you can crank up the stock torsion bars to compensate but sacrifice ride quality or get Nisamo HD torsion bars which you would keep with a lift anyway. Then just drive the steering into the ground until you can afford the SLR or Calmini

That's just one path and you can probably see how it can just keep going. If you're still not sure, just get 32" AT or MT tires and remove your steprails. That will increase your trucks performance 40-50% over stock.

[warmonger]

Originally Posted by LovetheX

I have posted in the SUSPENSION and GENERAL categories about other things I am thinking about getting on my X. Please feel free to visit them and give me your input.

I rarely drop in here as you can already see. My primary point is planning, planning, planning. Beyond that, only you can decide where you want to go and how best to get there.

As for your rear sliding out on ice, that is common in LSD and locked diffs. When an LSD breaks loose on ice and snow, it breaks both tires loose which will cause a full break of rear traction. An open diff is actually one of the best things for icy roads as it reduces the spin-out problem by allowing only one wheel to spin at a time. You can still spin-out, but it is much tougher. Now mind you I may be from Florida, but my X has made numerous ski trips with me including one I just returned from that required me to use 4WD and chains thanks to the fact that the areas I frequent don't have snow plows. Just so you know, my X is dual-locked, lifted and rather well equipped.

[LovetheX]

Warmonger,

I am pretty sure my x has an open lsd diff. But, the rear still seems to kick out. I even got in an accident last christmas, due to the rear kicking out and it caused me to loose control and slide into a telephone pole. Shouldn't lockers/LSDs perform better? I am still confused.

And Schludwiller,

When I get work done on my x, I wanted to do it all at once. Buy everything I think i will need and put it all on, and then be finished. That's why i am trying to figure out the best parts to buy first, so it will make my lift and everything more dependable. And, since I am very new at all this, i am probably getting most of it done at a shop near my house. Another reason why i want it all done at once, so when its all torn apart, everything will go on in order and it will make labor charges a little cheaper.

[warmonger]

Originally Posted by LovetheX

Warmonger,

I am pretty sure my x has an open lsd diff. But, the rear still seems to kick out. I even got in an accident last christmas, due to the rear kicking out and it caused me to loose control and slide into a telephone pole. Shouldn't lockers/LSDs perform better? I am still confused.

No and here is why. A LSD will still spin both tires with a 60/40 torque split in most cases as long as BOTH TIRES ARE ON THE GROUND. If one tire is in the air, the LSD will send power to the tire with the most spin, the one in the air. A locker works the same way except that torque is split 50/50, no matter how many wheels are up or touching the ground. What this means on ice is that if one wheel breaks loose with both wheels on the ground, both wheels will break loose causing the rearend to swerve in the direction of least resistance.

An open diff on the other hand will send power to the wheel with the most spin no matter what. So if a tire loses traction on the ice, that tire will continue to recieve power while the other wheel sits uselessly doing nothing to solve the dilemma. Because only one wheel breaks loose, you are less likely to spin out. It is for that reason I chose to use ARB air lockers (never mind the fact that they are the only things offered for an X) instead of another type of locker. With ARB, the diff is open normally until engaged. That minimizes spin-out in icy conditions but increases traction when I need it.

A locker or spool is absolutely the worst thing to have on ice. The second worst thing is a LSD. Optimum is open diffs and chains if allowed.

[Schludwiller]

Originally Posted by LovetheX

When I get work done on my x, I wanted to do it all at once. Buy everything I think i will need and put it all on, and then be finished. That's why i am trying to figure out the best parts to buy first, so it will make my lift and everything more dependable. And, since I am very new at all this, i am probably getting most of it done at a shop near my house. Another reason why i want it all done at once, so when its all torn apart, everything will go on in order and it will make labor charges a little cheaper.

I understand your thinking, and I'll throw this out for you to consider. If you have a shop put all the parts on your truck, how are you going know how to fix them when they break down (and they will) while you're 20 miles from the nearest highway?

I try and always tell Xterra owners to at least try and put their parts in themselves (people get upset after they find out how easy shocks are to put in after paying shops to do it all these years). We have club mod days so that members can pass on their experience and knowledge to each other. Each mod-day our group gets better equipped to handle mechanical situations as info gets spread through the group.

I know some things require people with more mechanical knowledge than your typical Xterra owners, but see what you can break down and do yourself, or learn with the help of boards and other owners. Then you'll save even more money and be better prepared when parts break, or wear (and they will. )

[LovetheX]

You guys make good points!!!! Thanks alot for the help, but now I have figure out if i should do it myself? My main expertice is electrical stuff and computers (trial and error). Is putting lifts on and shocks, and everything else i may need basically the same way? Not saying i will do a half a** job and hope my wheels don't fall off. What i'm saying is, if i have the basic knowledge to follow a set of directions easily and do an ok job with mechanics, i should be able to do alot myself?

You guys have made me think a little harder about what all i want to get done and by whom i want to have it done by.

Thanks, Jason

[warmonger]

My advice is to leave the diff work to an expert. I am an ASE certified tech and I won't touch the diffs. At $650 + each, those ARBs are an expensive experiment. I did the lift, shocks, tires, etc on my own. But I have a full complement of tools and a shop at my disposal. You might want to do as Schlud said and hook up with a club and find those more experienced than yourself to help you out. That way you can learn and when something breaks you will know how to fix it. Notice I say when and not if. Serious off-roading will take its toll as Schlud said so be prepared to pay the price.

[Schludwiller]

Yeah, I wouldn't mess with the diffs either. We did a transfer case removal to get lower gears in, and that was ok, but probably as far as I would want to get involved. Some people have the Diff done and then do the wiring/hoses themselves.

The suspension is easy. If you own a good set of sockets then you probably can handle it (nice test, eh? ) It's removing bolts and following instructions for the most part. There are also how-to's on many of the Xterra club boards.

Enjoy!

[OffroadX]

I still don't get why Schlud suggests shocks as an early mod. The stock shocks, especially as young as yours are, will serve you well for a while yet. Wait until you lift and need longer travel shocks or add considerable weight to your X before replacing them, otherwise let 'em be until they show signs of wearing out. Get skidplates and/or rock sliders after tires would be my advice.

A clutch-type LSD is not a reactive device, it is pro-active. It works more to prevent wheelspin than to recover from it. A torsen-type (geared) is better at being reactive, as is a viscous type. Once the clutch-type starts to slip, it's open for all intents until you reduce power enough to let it re-engage. Same for the torsen really, but a tap of the brakes will get it to recover somewhat even if one side still has zero traction. The viscous type increases the pressure on the clutch pack when the friction from the spinning wheel heats the special fluid, thus trying to send more power to the other side. The only truly reactive device is the GM "Gov-lock" diff, which actually kicks in and locks solid when wheelspin reaches a certain RPM differential to engage a centrifugal device and locks it up.

The LSD mod involves dropping in 2 or 4 extra clutch discs into the clutch pack of the LSD. The discs run $25-30 each. This WILL make the rear of the X want to step out and slide much more easily than you already feel it does now, so isn't likely an answer for you. It's not a terribly complicated job, but then again, it is working with the differential and if you goof anything up it's a big deal to repair or will cost some money to have someone else take over the job.

I don't know if the computer upgrade can take into account speedo/odo correction, but my gut tells me no. Besides, why bother? You log less miles, that's a good thing.

That said, I'm with the others, don't throw a ton of money and stuff into your X until you've made the most of what you have already and know what your X (and you) are truly capable of. Do it incrementally, enjoy each improvement and the new challenges it opens to you, otherwise you'll have an X that can do all sorts of stuff and you'll find yourself getting bored with the same old "challenges" over and over with nothing to look forward to.

Brent