Coming Soon: Front Drop Bracket Kit install and Regearing

Topics relating to Lift Kits, Suspension, Steering...

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Code Pathfinder
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Diff Rebuild and 6 inch lift kit UPDATE Part 5

Postby Code Pathfinder » Sun Jul 26, 2020 11:22 pm

Check out my YouTube channel that covers all of the things I am doing for this project!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBCvNq ... zr6Yt9B2Sw


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Code Pathfinder
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Steering Knuckle Problems

Postby Code Pathfinder » Fri Jul 31, 2020 8:43 pm

Alight so for those of you who are considering buying the Rough Country kit, You have been warned:

You must run an 18x9 wheel or bigger with 0mm offset and at least 5 inches of backspacing.

I did some test fitting the other day and here are the results:

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Knuckle mounted to my 16x8 wheel with 0mm offset, 4.5 inches of backspacing, and a 1.5 inch wheel spacer. At first glance you would say whats the big problem? Well picture 2 will explain that perfectly.

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Yeah that tie rod mount is really close.

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Very close

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very very very close :cry:

The factory tie rods wont fit and they contact the wheel when being installed. You may ask, how about you install them from the bottom instead of the top?

Well good question but, the tapered end is on the bottom of the knuckle not the top like the factory nissan knuckles.

I wont say with 100% confidence but, these knuckles may work if you run a bigger wheel spacer. In my case 1.5 is really all i want to go because the titan swap is already going to push my wheels out about 3.5 inches. It may work for your application but for mine, its not.

So whats a guy going to do? find out in the next post 8)

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Code Pathfinder
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The Knuckle Solution

Postby Code Pathfinder » Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:03 pm

So your hear to find out what the big solution is to my problem eh? Well here you guys go!

I have been in contact with a fellow Nissan enthusiast down in the state of Louisiana.

To show you guys how big of a enthusiast he is, here is his 2010 Frontier on 38s (yes you heard me correctly):

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What a Beauty 8)

Any who, ive been picking his brain about his front suspension setup and he told me he recently upgraded to the CJD Racing Steering Knuckles that ive wanted to buy for months. Here they are:

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As you can see, the knuckles allow for maximum clearance for his steering and shock components. Thus the reason most people go after them. Did I also mention that the knuckles can be used on our factory 16x7s :D The designer of the knuckles built them around our factory wheel so they would work for those who didnt want to throw cash at a new wheel and tire setup. The drawback to these knuckles is they are $1350 before shipping and tax. At the end of the day, you pay for what you get and these are nothing but the highest of quality steering knuckles.

So how does this help me?

Well it just so happens that the guy in Louisiana is getting rid of his old fab tech steering knuckles and hit me up to buy them.

I wasted no time in accepting that offer :D

I paid $150 for his fab tech knuckles and they will be in my possession sometime next week fingers crossed.

So now you ask, why are you getting the fab tech knuckles? Why not go with CJD?

Money is the biggest reason for me but also, the fabtech knuckles work with 16x8s with a 1.5 inch wheel spacer. YAY.

To prove that they work on 16s, here is the guys truck on 33s on 16x7s with the fabtech steering knuckles.

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Its not the best picture but it proves that they work on 16s.

I will say though that to run the fab tech spindles, you need their custom tie rod. the factory tie rods do not fit due to them curving.

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Which leads to another issue, I am titan swapping so how do i run these shortened tie rods from fabtech?

Once again, my cajun friend comes to the rescue :lol:

He also has a pair of PRG tie rod extensions that he will ship me along with the knuckles for no extra charge. BIG THUMBS UP TO HIM.

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Code Pathfinder
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Coilover Option for titan swap and drop bracket lift

Postby Code Pathfinder » Fri Jul 31, 2020 9:08 pm

Another interesting find I discovered this week was the rough country bracket coil overs will work with both a DB lift and Titan swap.

The coil overs needed to be 23 inches long from the top of the strut plate to the bottom of the shock eyelet in order to have the proper length for both DB lifting and titan swapping.

My measurement of success :lol:

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I measured around 23.5 inches total length which proves that these will work as a coil over option for our suvs and trucks that are DB lifted and titan swapped.

Even better, they only cost $350. A fraction of the cost compared to bilsteins and radflos.

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Code Pathfinder
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PRG Swaybar Brackets and balljoint concerns

Postby Code Pathfinder » Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:16 am

After a slight delay in shipping due to the virus that's wreaking havoc across the world, I finally received my PRG products Billet Sway Bar Brackets with the new polyurethane bushings.

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Here they are installed (side note, the swaybar bolts can be very seized or rust welded depending on the region you live in. I highly recommend you use PB blaster and a torch to get the bolts loose. Be careful not to torch the radiator hoses and tranny cooler lines as well. I had to drill out the bottom bolts and use brand new ones with new nuts behind the original welded in flange nut. The replacement swaybar bolt and nut size is M12x1.25.)

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So after I got the new brackets installed, I moved on to getting my lower control arm ball joints installed on my new Titan LCA's. The old Ball Joints did not have grease fittings on them and that to me is a nuisance.

The installation was simple but I ran into an issue on one of the control arms. The ball joint took no effort to install on the drivers side LCA and would not stay in place. The entire ball joint assembly would spin freely inside the ball joint hole on the control arm.

I fixed this issue by wrapping some electrical tape around the ball joint and it really snugged up the fitment of the ball joint. it had to be pressed into place after I wrapped it with the electrical tape. IS THIS OK TO DO OR WOULD YOU GET A NEW CONTROL ARM INSTEAD?

The passenger side LCA ball joint had to be pressed in and was a perfect fit no issues.

Drivers side LCA (problematic ball joint issues)

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Passenger side LCA (non problematic ball joint issues)

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Skylar1692
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Re: Coming Soon: Front Drop Bracket Kit install and Regearing

Postby Skylar1692 » Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:37 am

Awesome write up! I'll be following your build. I'm curious to see how your rear alignment works out after you lift the back. I did the Titan swap myself. In the rear I used the armada springs, Armada shocks, 2" subframe drop bracket (and I have the offset superpro bushings) then tried using the Rancho spacer and the Alignment was no where near going into spec. Had to remove the spacer and barely was able to get it into spec. The guy at the truck shop doing the alignment said the only way to go get it in spec would be to angle and weld a "tab" on the end of the coil bucket to move the bushing over? Something like that. Anyway, best of luck with the build!
-Justin

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Re: PRG Swaybar Brackets and balljoint concerns

Postby ShipFixer » Wed Aug 05, 2020 5:26 am

Code Pathfinder wrote:
Tue Aug 04, 2020 6:16 am
I fixed this issue by wrapping some electrical tape around the ball joint and it really snugged up the fitment of the ball joint. it had to be pressed into place after I wrapped it with the electrical tape. IS THIS OK TO DO OR WOULD YOU GET A NEW CONTROL ARM INSTEAD?
I can't see how electrical tape will resist the edges of the LCA for very long. What are the edges like...a flat surface to spread the load, or what?

I would do the PRG Delrin steering rack bushings while you've got everything opened up, just gotta take off the sway bar one more time :-D

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Code Pathfinder
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Fabtech Knuckles, Hi Lift Jack, and much more! Part 1

Postby Code Pathfinder » Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:31 pm

Alright, lets kick this post off with some good news.

My fabtech steering knuckles arrived from my Cajun buddy down in Louisiana.

They needed some work paint wise and I did need to drill and tap a new hole for the ABS wire clip but otherwise they are wonderful.

The best news of all, THEY FIT MY 16x8 WHEELS :D :D :D :D :D

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Here it is test fitted and boy there is a huge difference in tie rod clearance.

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Yeah these are going to work out just fine 8)

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So you might be asking yourself, how come the fabtech ones work and the RC ones don't?

I asked the same question and it was pretty obvious once I compared the 2 side by side.

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rough country on the left, fabtech on the right.

The big difference is that the RC tie rod mount is straight while the fabtech tie rod mounts curve away from the wheel. Giving your wheel more clearance between the tie rods and the inside edge of the wheel.

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fabtech curved tie rod mount.

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rough country straight tie rod mount

So the good news for now is that the fabtech knuckles will be used in my build process. CJD knuckles will come down later in the road.

End of Part 1

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Code Pathfinder
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Fabtech Knuckles, Hi Lift Jack, and much more! Part 2

Postby Code Pathfinder » Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:35 pm

So I did some investigating into the ball joint issue I had mentioned earlier in this thread and it turns out its a common issue.

A user asked me what the surface was of either the ball joint or the hole in the LCA.

The ball joint hole in the LCA has a smooth surface finish on the inside. the ball joint has sort of a gripped metal finish so the gripped metal grabs onto the smooth inside surface of the LCA hole.

For now, the Electrical tape hack will work for me but eventually Ill swap out those ball joints and get MOOG ball joints. The ones I had bought were cheap Ebay ball joints so im not surprised that there was an issue with them at all.

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Code Pathfinder
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Fabtech Knuckles, Hi Lift Jack, and much more! Part 3

Postby Code Pathfinder » Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:38 pm

In the mail, I had also got myself a Hi Lift jack kit with mounting brackets and the wheel lift accessory.

here it is in action for the first time.

Image

I am aware that it was leaning in the photo. I should clarify DO NOT DO THIS! You want your Hi Lift jack as parallel with the wheel as possible to prevent it from tipping or sliding over.

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Fabtech Knuckles, Hi Lift Jack, and much more! Part 4

Postby Code Pathfinder » Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:47 pm

Finally, I wrapped up the week by installing a new pair of heim end links that were sent with the knuckles I bought from my Cajun friend.

Here is what heim links look like after 2 years of MN weather :x :lol:

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Here are the brand new ones installed and ready to rock and roll 8)

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I know there is two debates that I get flung into all the time with fellow 4x4 nissan members.

1. why are you running a sway bar up front?

2. why go with heim over factory end links?

answers:

1. I run a swaybar up front because I don't tend to off road the pathfinder daily. It is more of a daily driver for me than an off roader which sounds crazy but that is reality. To me, there is no benefit of running no sway bar while daily driving the rig. Things can get sketchy going down the highway and changing lanes going 70+

2. The heim Sway Bar End Links are designed to replace and upgrade the crappy factory end links that are a common failure point on both the Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Pathfinder, and Nissan Xterra. The heim end links are much stronger than the stock parts they replace and work much better on lifted or leveled vehicles. The main benefit of the heim Sway Bar End Link is the ability to handle more mis-alignment than the stock end links can.

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Re: Fabtech Knuckles, Hi Lift Jack, and much more! Part 4

Postby ShipFixer » Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:40 am

Code Pathfinder wrote:
Sun Aug 09, 2020 10:47 pm
2. The heim Sway Bar End Links are designed to replace and upgrade the crappy factory end links that are a common failure point on both the Nissan Armada, Nissan Titan, Nissan Frontier, Nissan Pathfinder, and Nissan Xterra. The heim end links are much stronger than the stock parts they replace and work much better on lifted or leveled vehicles. The main benefit of the heim Sway Bar End Link is the ability to handle more mis-alignment than the stock end links can.
If you happen to remember, what's the length difference vs. the OEM links? I have looked at the Heim end links before but it doesn't look like they are meant for zero lift, or are maybe a bit too long when completely screwed in? But hard to tell.

I have Moog replacement end links now and they still move freely with no play after something like five or six years. No zerk fittings though, and I think all four of my end links use different wrench/allen key combinations :? Not necessarily something I need to fix but would like better if there's an option.

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Re: Coming Soon: Front Drop Bracket Kit install and Regearing

Postby silverarrow27 » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:12 am

I have a rear set of PRG links that will be going into the rear and when I bought it, their site says:

"These are replacement sway bar end links for guys running tall leveling kits or extended travel upper a-arms. These are 1/4" to 1" longer than stock to prevent the endlinks from rotating past the center point on full suspension extension. These will work on all of the Nissan truck platforms. These ship ready to install on the Titan/Armada platform, to fit on Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder they will need to be adjusted to the shortest setting and one link rotated....very easy to do. See the last pic."

Which is a bit confusing because they market it as an OE replacement.

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Re: Coming Soon: Front Drop Bracket Kit install and Regearing

Postby Code Pathfinder » Tue Aug 11, 2020 6:50 am

silverarrow27 wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:12 am
I have a rear set of PRG links that will be going into the rear and when I bought it, their site says:

"These are replacement sway bar end links for guys running tall leveling kits or extended travel upper a-arms. These are 1/4" to 1" longer than stock to prevent the endlinks from rotating past the center point on full suspension extension. These will work on all of the Nissan truck platforms. These ship ready to install on the Titan/Armada platform, to fit on Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder they will need to be adjusted to the shortest setting and one link rotated....very easy to do. See the last pic."

Which is a bit confusing because they market it as an OE replacement.
Per Performancelifts.com

https://performancelifts.com/prg-nissan ... -link.html

"For those of you with stock height Nissan vehicles that travel off-road this is an excellent upgrade if you are tired of replacing your broken factory end links or worn out bushings"

I do believe these will work with OEM height R51s without an issue.

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Re: Coming Soon: Front Drop Bracket Kit install and Regearing

Postby ShipFixer » Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:11 pm

silverarrow27 wrote:
Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:12 am
I have a rear set of PRG links that will be going into the rear and when I bought it, their site says:

"These are replacement sway bar end links for guys running tall leveling kits or extended travel upper a-arms. These are 1/4" to 1" longer than stock to prevent the endlinks from rotating past the center point on full suspension extension. These will work on all of the Nissan truck platforms. These ship ready to install on the Titan/Armada platform, to fit on Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder they will need to be adjusted to the shortest setting and one link rotated....very easy to do. See the last pic."

Which is a bit confusing because they market it as an OE replacement.
Yeah, I think I've looked at those previously. I just ordered a set for the front, I'm not sure they fit the back though? The OEM part has a different number. I haven't removed the rear sway links in a loooooong time so can't remember if they are roughly the same?


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