2001 Nissan Xterra - Custom, Modified Suv

Last month our Project Xterra was fit with the requisite lift and tires to make it a vehicle worthy of the Four Wheeler name. All told, we added new Rancho RS 9000 shocks, JKS sway-bar disconnects, Rancho's 21/2-inch lift and new tires and wheels in our first installment. In addition, we pruned off those lame running boards.

This month, the next step of our Xterra upgrade sees us adding a mean-looking ARB bumper, Warn XD9000 winch, Rancho steering stabilizer, an idler arm brace, IPF Rally lights and covers and a TJM snorkel. As expected, the bumper and winch, along with the lights, idler arm brace and steering stabilizer were all fairly rudimentary bolt-on installs. Generally speaking, it's stuff you can do at home on any given Saturday.

The snorkel install, however, was a different beast altogether. Since the snorkel kit was developed for the Nissan Navara, a version of the Nissan Frontier, its installation on our X required some extra cutting and modifying. The vehicle's precleaner adapter tube, for instance, was too large to properly fit into our snorkel's intermediate tube. Also, we needed to bend part of the quarter-panel to fit the snorkel's intermediate tube into the wheel arch properly.

Despite the mild hassles, the snorkel, and by extension our '01 Xterra, looks great. Besides its quite intimidating profile, the X now possesses plenty of four-wheeling heart, highlighted by a super stout bumper, top-flight illumination and a Warn winch.

Bumper and Winch

Begin by removing the Xterra's lower steel and plastic bumper and disconnecting the running lights. Bolt the new bumper to the rig's chassis, first at the rear-most point, seen here as the thick silver-colored bolt. The ARB bumper then bolts to the frame at two additional points per side.
Bumper and Winch Begin by removing the Xterra's lower steel and plastic bumper and disco
Use a Hi-Lift to hold the ARB bumper up to the Xterra's upper plastic bumper. Mark the points where the factory bumper touches the bully bar. Remove both the ARB bumper and the upper factory bumper and cut two vertical rectangular slots into the plastic where the ARB needs to fit.
Use a Hi-Lift to hold the ARB bumper up to the Xterra's upper plastic bumper. Mark the poi
Time to install the winch. Warn's XD9000 fits snugly into the body of the ARB bumper. Bolt the winch to the bumper using the provided bolts, and then attach the solenoid to the top of the bumper. Although ARB's bumper comes with two mounting brackets for the solenoid, we turned the solenoid sideways and mounted it straight to the bumper itself. Finally, connect the color-coded solenoid terminals to the winch.
Time to install the winch. Warn's XD9000 fits snugly into the body of the ARB bumper. Bolt

With the help of a friend (or your Hi-Lift), bolt the ARB bumper back onto the chassis. Place the Xterra's plastic bumper behind the ARB and mark the points on the grille where the solenoid makes contact.
With the help of a friend (or your Hi-Lift), bolt the ARB bumper back onto the chassis. Pl
Cut into the grille to make room for the solenoid. The middle of the backside of the grille has a thick plastic fastener. Take extra care to cut this part with patience.
Cut into the grille to make room for the solenoid. The middle of the backside of the grill
The winch fairlead didn't exactly line up to the bumper's fairlead mouth. As a result, after holding the fairlead up to the bumper and marking our connecting points, we drilled 7/16-inch holes into each side of the fairlead. Then we bolted the fairlead to the bumper through the top using the provided ARB fairlead bolts, and through the enlarged holes. To complete the winch install, connect the solenoid to the car battery and the winch hook to the cable.
The winch fairlead didn't exactly line up to the bumper's fairlead mouth. As a result, aft

Steering Stabilizer

Begin by removing the front skidplate. Apply Loctite to the bolts and install the bracket to the steering's centerlink using the two provided U-bolts.
Steering Stabilizer Begin by removing the front skidplate. Apply Loctite to the bolts an
Turn the wheels to the right and bolt on the frame-mount bracket.
Install the steering stabilizer to the bracket and extend it all the way, and then push it back in about 3/4-inch and set up the bushings. Finish by bolting the stabilizer to the frame mount.
Install the steering stabilizer to the bracket and extend it all the way, and then push it

Installing the idler arm brace is very simple. Remove the bolts that hold the idler arm and centerlink. Replace them with the brace's longer bolts and tighten the three bolts that hold the idler arm brace in place.
Installing the idler arm brace is very simple. Remove the bolts that hold the idler arm an

Lights

Installing the IPF rally lights requires the removal of the Xterra's airbox. First unhook the latches that hold the top half down. Pull the air filter and unbolt the base of the filter housing and remove it.
Lights Installing the IPF rally lights requires the removal of the Xterra's airbox. Firs
Once you've pulled the airbox, connect the provided relay to the lights' wiring harness and bolt the wires to the electrical terminals in the sidewall of the driver-side fender. Snake the positive terminal through to the battery and the lamp's on/off switch through the engine compartment firewall.
Once you've pulled the airbox, connect the provided relay to the lights' wiring harness an
The bully bar offers four mounting points for auxiliary lighting. Bolt the lights to the ARB bumper, then position and tighten them. Use zip-ties on the wires for a cleaner look.
The bully bar offers four mounting points for auxiliary lighting. Bolt the lights to the A

After lengthening the positive wire, attach it to the battery. You may want to cut the battery terminal boot to make room for this and the winch solenoid's positive terminal.
After lengthening the positive wire, attach it to the battery. You may want to cut the bat
In the cab, we installed the on/off switch to the left of the steering wheel after making a slight horizontal cut into the dash at the best possible mounting point. Then we stuck the switch to the black plastic mount with double-sided tape.
In the cab, we installed the on/off switch to the left of the steering wheel after making
The final step in the light install is to snap on the IPF lights' covers.

Snorkel

Leave the airbox out and remove the left-hand lighting assembly. Remove the plastic inner guard from the wheelwell and get rid of the air-cleaner baffle from inside the quarter-panel. There are three bolts that hold it in, all accessed through the engine compartment. Two are easy to get to and unbolt, while accessing the third, located at the rear of the baffle, requires you to loosen the ABS housing.
Snorkel Leave the airbox out and remove the left-hand lighting assembly. Remove the plas
The snorkel comes with a template that you then tape to the fender in order to know exactly where you need to cut your holes. Drill the six rear-stud mounting holes out to 14 mm and the front hole out to 12 mm. Use an 86mm hole saw to drill out the inlet hole. Use a sander to file down the burs and smooth the edges, then apply a rust preventative to the exposed steel.
The snorkel comes with a template that you then tape to the fender in order to know exactl
Vacuum seal the air-cleaner intake. Disconnect the air sensor and pull out the black rubber precleaner air tube. Make sure it fits the snorkel's intermediate tube. Ours didn't so you can see here that we shortened it and cut a 21/2-inch incision into the rubber. Then we returned it to the precleaner and fit it through the inside of the fender into the intermediate tube securing it with a hose clamp. One bolt holds the intermediate tube to the fenderwell.
Vacuum seal the air-cleaner intake. Disconnect the air sensor and pull out the black rubbe

Loctite the bolts to the snorkel body, fit it to the quarter-panel and attach the upper snorkel bracket to it. Remove the door's weatherstripping. Mark the bracket-mounting points on the driver-side A-pillar and drill holes for the bracket screws. Then screw on the mounting bracket.
Loctite the bolts to the snorkel body, fit it to the quarter-panel and attach the upper sn
Tighten all the bolts and install the air ram to the top of the snorkel body. Reinstall the airbox and filter, fitting the precleaner adapter tube back into the airbox. Attach the inner guard to the left wheel arch and the install is completed.
Tighten all the bolts and install the air ram to the top of the snorkel body. Reinstall th
Rear Lamp Cover

The rear lamp covers are easy to install. Clean the lamp, apply the provided adhesive and attach the cover using the double-sided tape. First stick it to the rear of the lamp and then around to the sides.
Rear Lamp Cover The rear lamp covers are easy to install. Clean the lamp, apply the prov

SOURCES
ARB (Also Exclusive Importer of IPF) 20 S. Spokane St. Seattle WA 98134	TJm
Expedition Exchange 1155 E. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles CA 90021	Warn 5-03/-722-1200 www.warn.com
4 Wheel Parts Wholesalers 8-00/-421-1050 www.4wheelparts.com