1. Here, the author shows...
1. Here, the author shows off the Nismo's uncapped power near Johnson Valley, California.
Our '05 Nissan Frontier Nismo has been a favored member of our project fleet for almost three years now. With a potent 4.0L V-6, a sweet electronic rear locking differential, and seemingly perfect proportions, we haven't found a trail that we didn't feel confident attempting. From daily run-around duties to tackling the deserts of Southern California, the Nismo Frontier is well suited to our lifestyle. However, we noticed recently that JBA came out with a set of headers to complement their after-cat exhaust system. We salivated at the idea of increased power and torque in the already snappy package. The rumble of a deeper exhaust note wouldn't hurt either, so we set up a date with the folks at JBA and counted down the days. Once it was go-time, we headed down to JBA's Dyno shop facility in San Diego. After generating some initial baseline numbers, we parked the truck on a lift and the guys at JBA went to town. The install took a majority of the day, but the results were worth every minute.
2. This was the first time...
2. This was the first time we dyno-tested our Frontier on the 33-inch tires. We were curious to see how much the heavier tires and wheels affected our power levels.
3. The JBA Cat4ward header...
3. The JBA Cat4ward header system for '05-and-later Frontier pickups is available with ceramic coatings that are simply beautiful. We also like that they are 50-state smog-legal and that they are mandrel-bent from 409 stainless steel.
4. Here you can see the differences...
4. Here you can see the differences between the OE exhaust manifold and the JBA headers. Notice how the factory units combine two shorter tubes into one, versus the JBA headers, which use a collector flange and (almost) equal-length tubes for each cylinder. This helps smooth out exhaust flow and subsequent performance.
5. Take a look at the back...
5. Take a look at the back of the 3/8-inch-thick mating flange. These flanges are laser cut from one piece of 409 stainless steel sheet. Once the tubes are welded in place, each flange is finish-ground to ensure a perfect leak-free fit.
6. The collector flange features...
6. The collector flange features a 2 1/4-inch outlet, plenty big for a 4.0L V-6's output.
7. This is the JBA after-cat...
7. This is the JBA after-cat exhaust system designed for the '05-and-up Nissan Frontier with a V-6 engine. The system includes all necessary mounting hardware and is designed to be easy to install by end users. We like that it includes a 3.5-inch stainless steel tip and a high-flowing Y-pipe. The system is mandrel-bent from 2-inch stainless steel, or aluminized steel for the budget-minded.