2001 Nissan Xterra - Suspension Install

As we reluctantly watch the boob tube, the ads for Nissan's Xterra are one of the few elements that pique our interest. Images of mud and rocks dancing to a rock-and-roll soundtrack announce, "I want to get away!" And we are so there, dude.

But as rugged and versatile as Nissan's Xterra purports to be, it's not really a hard-core trail rig. An independent front suspension doesn't make much of a case for it, nor does a transfer-case low-range gearing of 2.02:1. Never mind that plastic front bumper, or a number of other factors. So we decided that what we--or you--can't buy, we'll build. We've taken our bright-yellow '01 Xterra and subjected it to the Four Wheeler treatment. Over the course of the next few months we'll chronicle this SUV's transition from dealership dream to trail-ready rig--something even you might want to drive.

Our first step was getting more clearance for bigger tires. Searching for a proper lift kit, we settled on Rancho's 2 ½-inch lift for the Xterra. With some fender trimming, this kit gives us enough room to clear a set of 31x11.5x16LT Mickey Thompson Baja Claws mounted on a set of bitchin' Mickey Thompson Classic II polished alloy wheels. These tires really aren't much taller than the X's stock tires, but the Mickeys won't fit at stock height because they're wider than the stockers. Even as it is, they still rub some. Also, we wanted some additional ground clearance.

Rancho's kit replaces our stock upper control arms and adds bumpstop spacers and an add-a-leaf to each rear spring. The kit also replaces the Nissan's wimpy rear shackles. Also, we further enhanced our suspension with a set of adjustable Rancho RS 9000 shocks. While at Rancho, we installed the in-cab controls so that we could adjust our nine-position shocks easily from the X's cockpit. The stock Xterra achieves an RTI of 422 on a 20-degree ramp. With this kit we've decreased that number to 412.

Hmmm. Not good. So we whipped on a set of rear antiroll-bar disconnects from Nissan specialist Automotive Customizers in Florida. That brought the RTI on the usual 20-degree ramp to a very agreeable 522.

Up next for our Xterra: an ARB front bumper, lights, a Warn winch and a snorkel. Meanwhile, follow along as we bring our Xterra to new heights.

The Nissan Xterra is positioned as a vehicle for people who are into extreme sports like mountain biking, kayaking and surfing. But one look at its profile and you know immediately that getting into the back country may be more difficult than it looks in the commercials. Along comes Four Wheeler to take the Xterra to the next level.
The Nissan Xterra is positioned as a vehicle for people who are into extreme sports like m
Attach the new ball joints to the upper control arms and apply a grease to the inside of the tubes of the upper control arms. Then insert the bushings into each tube.
Attach the new ball joints to the upper control arms and apply a grease to the inside of t
Measure and record the length of each torsion-bar anchor bolt. Loosen and remove the tension on each bar. You don't have to remove the torsion bars completely.
Measure and record the length of each torsion-bar anchor bolt. Loosen and remove the tensi

Remove the front wheels and support the lower control arm with a jackstand. Then remove the shock and, if applicable, separate the ABS cable from the upper control arm. Loosen the upper ball-joint nut and separate it from the knuckle. Remove the upper control arm adjusting bolts and the droop stop from the frame bracket.
Remove the front wheels and support the lower control arm with a jackstand. Then remove th
Place the Rancho upper control arm underneath the ABS cable and bolt it to the brackets on the frame using the provided washer. Attach the bushing assembly to the frame bracket with the original control arm's bolt.
Place the Rancho upper control arm underneath the ABS cable and bolt it to the brackets on
Install your new shock absorber and droop stop, making sure to align the pad with the upper control arm. Tighten the components. Then attach the ABS cable to the front of the upper control arm. When done, tighten the adjusting nut on the torsion-bar anchor bolt.
Install your new shock absorber and droop stop, making sure to align the pad with the uppe

Remove the bumpstop and enlarge the mounting hole in the lower control arm to ½ inch. Once done, file down the outside corner of the OE bumpstop (A) to provide clearance for the sway bar. Then attach the new bumpstop spacer (B) to the lower control arm (See Following Image As Well).
Remove the bumpstop and enlarge the mounting hole in the lower control arm to ½ inc
When installing the add-a-leaves in the rear, first support the rear axle with jacks. After disconnecting the end links of the antiroll bar, remove the rear shock absorbers. Also, take the U-bolt nuts, spring pad and U-bolts off. Remove the leaf-spring shackles and the front eyebolt.
When installing the add-a-leaves in the rear, first support the rear axle with jacks. Afte

Use a pair of C-clamps to hold the leaf springs together. Remove the center bolt and carefully loosen the C-clamps. Set the bottom helper spring aside and insert the new center bolt and add-a-leaf. Return the helper spring to the bottom of the spring. Loosely secure the entire assembly. Compress the C-clamps and tighten the center bolt to 25 lb-ft.
Use a pair of C-clamps to hold the leaf springs together. Remove the center bolt and caref
Attach the Rancho shackle to the frame bracket and loosely attach the leaf spring at the front and rear. You may have to loosen the spare tire to do this.
Attach the Rancho shackle to the frame bracket and loosely attach the leaf spring at the f
Because the supplied U-bolts are thicker, you'll need to enlarge the holes in the OE spring pad to 17/32-inch.
Because the supplied U-bolts are thicker, you'll need to enlarge the holes in the OE sprin

Once done, attach the axle to the leaf spring with the new U-bolts. Install your new shocks and reattach the antiroll bar to the rear axle. Shave the bolt down so that no more than ½ inch remains exposed.
Once done, attach the axle to the leaf spring with the new U-bolts. Install your new shock
Remove the original bumpstop attached to the framerail. Place the spacer against the framerail and attach the spacer and bumpstop with the provided bolts. Reinstall the rear wheels and lower the vehicle. Tighten the leaf springs' front pivot bolts and rear shackle bolts. When you're finished installing and tightening the components, drive the vehicle a block or so to let the lift kit settle. Adjust the torsion bars to level the vehicle. This will require patience and a bit of trial and error. Afterwards, have the front suspension realigned.
Remove the original bumpstop attached to the framerail. Place the spacer against the frame
While at Rancho, we also installed the in-cab controller for the RS 9000s. Each shock has a plastic controller assembly that gets screwed onto it. Attach the lines to each shock and label them accordingly, then feed them to the engine compartment.
While at Rancho, we also installed the in-cab controller for the RS 9000s. Each shock has

Mount the locating hub against the firewall and attach each air line to its corresponding outlet.
Mount the locating hub against the firewall and attach each air line to its corresponding
Bolt the remote unit inside the cab and attach the lines appropriately.
Installing the rear antiroll-bar disconnect was easy. It took us about 35 minutes. The first step, shown here, was to remove the factory link between the axle and the antiroll bar. There are four connections to remove, all using 14mm wrenches.
Installing the rear antiroll-bar disconnect was easy. It took us about 35 minutes. The fir

Next, we drilled out the link-mounting holes--four of them--to a full half inch.
Then we bolted on the four disconnect links that come in the kit. This requires a couple of ¾-inch wrenches.
Then we bolted on the four disconnect links that come in the kit. This requires a couple o
Finally, we added the tubular link that will be removed when we want to disconnect the rear antiroll bar. Each one--there are two, one for each side--is held in place by a pair of spring-loaded pins.
Finally, we added the tubular link that will be removed when we want to disconnect the rea

SOURCES
Automotive Customizers Dept. FW Pompano Beach FL 33060	Rancho 500 N. Field Dr. Dept. 4WDSU Lake Forest IL 60045
Mickey Thompson 3-30/-928-9092 mickeythompsontires.com