spark plugs and battery

[mabrown3]

1st question. the OE plugs for my 2000 Xterra run about $15 a plug. from what i understand, these are the denso iridiums, or NGK iridiums. is the only difference between the iridium plugs, and say maybe the standard NGK v-power, the life of the plug. i mean, do the iridiums perform better, i.e., give a stronger spark. i am in due for a tune up and lord knows, i dont want to put a plug in my X that would give me any less power. if there is no decrease in performance, i would much rather go to the $5.99 NGK's.

2nd question. would i be doing any damage to my starter system if i put 950cranking amp battery on my xterra. i currently run a power inverter, offroad lights, and sometimes a winch. i also never hesitate to give someone a jump start. so i would like a stronger, and more durable battery than stock

thanks for any input

[OffroadX]

The OE plugs are single-tip NGK 60K platinums on the 2000, later ones got NGK double-tip 100K platinums, none ever got Denso or iridium from the factory.

Yes, if you do your own plug changes and don't mind dealing with that pesky 6th plug more often, you can use the cheaper NGK V-power copper plugs every 30K or so. Copper has lower resistance than the platinum or iridium, and will give a stronger spark. I swapped mine out with the V-power plugs at 60K and I just turned 100K a week or so ago. No noticeable change really, but it saved more than a few bucks!
NGK has since come out with their value platinum line, the plugs are nearly the same cost as the copper V-power plugs. I called NGK a while back to ask about them, and the guy I spoke to said they are just as good as their normal more-expensive platinum plugs, last as long, etc. and there's no reason not to use them over the higher-priced ones. If you want a longer-lasting plug, that's definitely the way to go.

No, you can't hurt your starting system with a stronger battery. Devices pull the juice they need, and will not draw more even if there is more that could be drawn.

Brent