13. With leaf springs and...
13. With leaf springs and front crossmember bolted to the axle, it was rolled into place using an old set of wheels to make moving it around easier.
14. This photo shows the flipped...
14. This photo shows the flipped U-bolts that get the plates up top out of the rocks. These plates also have additional surface area to be used for the bumpstops that were added a little later. The two weld-on perches differ slightly as one sits on an axletube, while the other sits a bit higher on the tubular part of the centersection housing.
15. Shock mounts for the frame...
15. Shock mounts for the frame are a simple solution and as close as your nearest Ford dealer. These are PN E5TZ 18183A and typically sell for under $15 each. The stamped-steel towers weld easily to the framerails to accommodate longer shocks.
16. With the flexy droop of...
16. With the flexy droop of the front axle, it was time to get a front shaft capable of a good joint working angle. J.E. Reel Drive Line Specialists built this CV-jointed driveshaft. It uses a flange to mate to the Nissan transfer-case output and a 1310 U-joint on the other end to bolt up to the Dana 44 pinion. Long-travel splines were incorporated as well to accommodate the pinion falling down and away from the transfer case under droop conditions. Note that it's generally a good idea to order the driveshaft once the axle is mounted and some real-world dimensions can be checked.
17. Before the front spring...
17. Before the front spring mounts could be fitted, a little more grinding was needed to a portion of the sheetmetal bracing that spans the forward ends of the front framerails.
18. Dimensions were checked...
18. Dimensions were checked again to confirm the forward mounting location for the front Calmini crossmember. With it clamped in place, a couple of floor jacks were used to lower the Xterra to set the vehicle weight on the springs and check that the shackle angle would be angled slightly backwards under normal ride-height conditions.
19. Once Andy was satisfied...
19. Once Andy was satisfied with the location of the front crossmember, Jim welded it in place to the frame. A few small gusset plates were also added to further strengthen the area where the front ends of the leaf packs will reside.
20. With vehicle weight sitting...
20. With vehicle weight sitting on the front axle and springs, the front-axle caster angle was measured and the pinion rotated with a floor jack to set the caster at about 6 degrees, which should allow good road tracking manners and steering return-to-center. The perches were tack welded to the axletubes and then later fully welded before final assembly and tightening of the U-bolts.
21. The Dana 44 had a flange-to-flange...
21. The Dana 44 had a flange-to-flange width of 60.5 inches. The wheels used on all four corners of the Xterra are 8 inches wide with a 4-inch backspacing. To gain the clearance needed between the back of the wheel and the tie rod, 1.5-inch spacers were added to each wheel hub in the front, yielding an effective flange-to-flange width of 63.5 inches.
22. The drag link connects...
22. The drag link connects from the bottom side of the pitman arm and runs across the front of the axle to a passenger-side high-steer arm that bolts on top of the knuckle. This is one of the tricky parts of setting up a swap such as this. You need the tie rod and drag link to clear the leaf springs under all travel and articulation conditions.
23. Here you can see one of...
23. Here you can see one of the Ford shock towers welded to the framerail using some additional steel plates to set the top of the shock far enough out to stand the shock up nearly straight while still allowing clearance between it and the tire. Calmini 11-inch-travel shocks were used.
24. A set of steel tabs were...
24. A set of steel tabs were used on each end of the axle to provide lower-shock mounting locations on top of the axletubes. Longer-than-stock stainless brake lines mated the 1/2-ton Chevy calipers to the stock Nissan steel brake lines. The stock master cylinder does a decent job of actuating the larger calipers on the Dana 44 axle.
25. A snail's view from below...
25. A snail's view from below shows the shackle angle at ride height, and the driveshaft dipping down from above the transmission crossmember to meet the axle.
26. With the stock Nissan...
26. With the stock Nissan pitman arm and the single high-steer arm on the passenger side, the drag-link angle is reasonably flat and resulted in minimal bumpsteer on the highway. The drag link and tie-rod parts are beefier than stock components, and the tie rod mates to the knuckles from above using the stock steering-arm holes. We should also mention that the height of the Xterra was balanced out with Calmini lift packs and Rancho 5112 shocks in the rear.
27. A closer view of the drag...
27. A closer view of the drag link running over the passenger leaf pack shows this setup has room to flex and keep the rod from hitting the spring pack or the U-bolt plate.
Conclusion
Once everything was checked and the final welding done, all the hardware was fully tightened, gear fluid was added, and the brakes were bled. A road test showed the vehicle was a bit nose-high to start, but handled well on the road once the toe-in was tweaked, and the front springs should settle just a bit more over time. After the swap, the final wheelbase ended up being close to stock at 104 inches, and the Xterra was shod with 33-inch BFG Mud-Terrains. Off-highway, the new setup proved to be flexy, but stable, and a considerable jump in trail prowess over the previous IFS.