Northwest Frontiers

Elbe

Jasonsjunk — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:53:09 -0600

Elbe is a place I frequent being in W.WA. Trails are medium to hard if you're on the ORV trails, if you're on the backside of the mountain however there are nice scenic roads with ample camping and recreational spots. Its off 706 literally 6 mi from elbe(city) going to Mt.Rainier across from an elks lodge. Its an access road but almost always you will see trucks on there way up. It does get pretty hairy on some trails, and others i wouldnt touch unless you have an exo skeleton but fun none the less. When you get to the stageing area if you turn left and follow that road itll take you to the backside. If you turn right it will take you to the trails, and there is a trail map at the staging area for difficulty and routes. Here are some sites to look at. http://www.pnw4wda.org/trails/washington/elbe_hills.html, http://www.nmaoffroad.org/orvguide/orv5.html
Here are some medium trail pics

Pics from the backside Where its nice and scenic. You pretty much make youre own fun here.

There are no trail maps or anything but its not that hard to find youre way back.

A website with alot of wheelin spots http://www.nwlink.com/~aerik13/wa_spots.html.

Submitted by Kamikazie

2nd Gen Frontier Hitch Wiring Relocation Mod

Jasonsjunk — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:52:37 -0600

When I bought my truck I didn't get the factory tow package. I chose to install an after market receiver and using factory wiring harness and install it in a different location that I think is much better than OEM.

For the hitch I decided to go with the Hidden Hitch, I like the way they do the safety chain loops; they are above the receiver and don't hang down to grab onto rocks and such. I bought my hitch from JC Whitney (Frontier hitch link) I got my hitch shipped to my door for $129. There are many online retailers that will offer free shipping from time to time which can make thier prices better than a local shop. For the wiring harness I went to Courtesy Nissan (Link to 2nd gen wiring harness), the factory harness is $65 + shipping and includes all of the necessary relays and the round 7 pin plug. For 2nd gen Frontiers it is highly advisable to get the factory harness, besides being plug and play it seperates the trailer wiring from the wiring in the tail lights so you wont have problems down the road.
To install the hitch have someone hold the hitch in place while you thread 6 bolts into the threaded inserts already present in the frame rails. Torque the bolts down to 60-70 ft-lb, personally I torqued mine to 68.

Next I moved onto the wiring which is located behind the passenger side kick panel. To remove the passenger side kick panel first you have to remove the door sill panel. To remove the door sill panel just pull up on the left hand side of the panel (assuming you are outside on the passenger side) and pull back towards you on the right hand side. There are three white clips that hold the sill panel in place make sure none of them are still in the truck body when you remove the panel. To remove the kick panel it pulls straight out towards the driver side. There are two clips that hold it in place, if you flex the panel a bit you can get some fingers in there to help work the clips loose. I started by installing the harness with the relay's that goes into the passenger side kick panel .There are three relays two blue and one brown. For trucks with the manual transmission you use all three relays for autos you use one blue and one brown. The location that the blue relay goes into is marked with a piece of white tape below the connector. If in doubt just install all three as it wont hurt anything. The pictures below illustrate where the harness gets plugged into (pics sourced from HERE)

After the interior wiring is buttoned up I moved on to the 7 pin round plug in the rear. I chose to install my plug up in the bumper near the license plate. I got the idea for this mod from the clubfrontier forums, I am not claiming credit for the creation of this mod.
First I started by taking the plug apart.

There are little tabs that hold it together I was able to get the whole thing apart in a few minutes using a couple of small flat blade screw drivers.
Next required me to drill a hole in my bumper, I did this using a 2-1/4 bi metal hole saw. You can probably get away with 2-1/2 but I wanted a tight fit.

Once I finished drilling the hole in my bumper I flattened out the bottom of the round hole so I could keep as much as possible of the tabs that are on the back of the round seven pin plug. The tabs and the two screw holes are what secures the plug in place. If you choose to just use the screws to hold everything in place it will still be just fine.

Next I trimmed a bit off of the wings in back of the plug and wiggled it into the hole I made. BTW I used a small drill grinding wheel to modify my hole, you can get these small grinding wheels for about $3 and it did the job since I don't own a dremel.

Once the plug was in I snapped the wiring for the back of the plug in place and connected it to the plugs that are located on the frame rail. You need to remove the dummy plugs that are there before you can plug the harness in.

After everything is finished it looks good and better than factory, Nissan should have put the plug here from the start. I know many other truck manufacturers like Dodge and Chevy are doing it this way.

Jason

1st Gen Intake Mod

Jasonsjunk — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:37:59 -0600

HOW TO-get the most out of your stock intake.(1st Gen)

It will take you a while to read this but it can get done in much less than an hour. Don't be afraid to try this yourself. You can and will succeed!

First, I have OWNED a K & N FIPK so I am not just relaying information. I want to tell you guys how to (IMHO-in my honest opinion) get the same performance of an after market intake using your stock intake system.

Start by cleaning your MAF (Mass air flow) sensor. I included a video. This guy on the vid is not me so I am not claiming to be the guy on here. Nor is that an Xterra, but the concept is nearly the same. Bear with the guy, he is about in depth as I am with the instructions. The MAF cleaner claims to give 4-6 hp at the wheels. :?

Video- http://videos.streetfire.net/video/4...6f015c3dac.htm
Here
(circled) is the MAF sensor. Pull it with a couple of philipps head screws.

Now remove your resonators and plug the existing holes.
Here are a few videos of vehicles with their resonators removed. Do not worry, we will sound throaty not ricey.Promise!:P
http://www.youtube.com/results?searc...&search=Search
My favorite is this before and after:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tVAZeEgFVg
You will see the term "T-Pipe" used quite frequently throughout this post. Here it is. It is located between the left front headlight and the air box.

You must buy the following test plugs. You can find these in the plumbing section of Home Depot. I only have 2 because I JUST installed a snorkel. You have to get 2 plugs -- one 2" plug and one 1.5" plug. MAKE SURE YOU GET THE GALVANIZED METAL PLUGS!

Start by popping your hood. This is what you will see. (duh) The circled area is where you will be working.

In the end, you should have these 3 thingamajigs out.

From left to right, there is the baffle (located in between the inner and outer fender). In the center is the resonator attached to the main intake hose and mounted on the wheel well, and on the far right is the resonator mounted to the top of the radiator from the T-Pipe.
First, remove the resonator attached to the main intake hose. It is outlined in the picture below.

We will start by loosening the hose clamp circled in yellow by using a Phillips-head screwdriver.

Loosening the hose clamp:

Next we will LOOSEN the lower resonator screw. Use a 10mm wrench, or a nut driver, or a stubby screwdriver such as the one pictured here:

You will need to get to the screw in the following picture. It is located underneath the brake booster on the wheel well.

This is a picture of the screw's location (after the entire resonator was removed) within a larger view of the engine.

The screw and resonator should look like this once you have loosened the screw and freed the resonator.

Next you will need to disconnect the two electrical plugs close to the inner fender to give you the working room you will need to remove the resonator.

Don't forget to plug them back in when you are finished.

There is a black plastic clip holding a zip-tied wire loom to the resonator. You will take a pair of needle-nose pliers to pinch the bottom of the clip and remove the wiring from the resonator as shown.

Now, you will remove the remove the upper mounting screw for this resonator.

Once this screw is removed, simply pull the resonator out of the engine compartment as shown below.

Resonator removed. At this point, go ahead and reconnect those two electrical plugs that you almost forgot to remove.

Make sure you also remove the hose clamp as shown below.

Now you will place the 2" PLUG in the hole on the intake hose as shown below. To do this, simply place the plug all the way into the hole until the top metal is flush with the hose and tighten the wing nut. DO NOT TIGHTEN EXCESSIVELY. There need only be a snug fit, too tight and it will pop back out.

THIS CONCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF THE FIRST RESONATOR. CONGRATULATIONS, 1/3 OF THE WAY DONE!!!
Next we'll tackle the radiator-mounted resonator. It is outlined in yellow below. The inset on the bottom left is provided to give you an idea as to it's location within the larger context of the engine compartment.

First, remove the screw that fastens the resonator to the radiator:

Next, simply pull the resonator (which is loosely connected to the "T-Pipe" at the other end) out of the "T-Pipe" and then out of the engine compartment.
Next, you will remove the T-Pipe. First, remove the T-Pipe from the air box as shown:

Before going any further, remove the air inlet temperature sensor plug and then remove the sensor itself from the T-Pipe. Once it is removed, you will see a blue-painted element. DO NOT TOUCH THE BLUE ELEMENT! Treat the sensor with care and lay it aside in a safe place. The sensor's location is pictured below.

Next, twist the circled opening on the T-Pipe (that you just removed from the air box) towards the sky so that you can see directly inside the T-Pipe from a bird's point of view. You s

This next part is going to require a little bit of elbow grease on your part. Grasp the end of the T-Pipe farthest from the fender and pull towards the sky, then towards the fender so that you will twist the 90-degree bend in the T-pipe out of the inner fender wall as shown. The T-Pipe will not be inclined to cooperate. You're probably going to have to wrestle it out of the engine compartment.

After you've pulled the T-Pipe completely out of the engine compartment as shown below, you'll need to make one small cut.

Find the smallest opening in the T-Pipe where the radiator resonator was connected. You are going to trim it at the ridge indicated in yellow in the picture below.

You can trim it using a common steak knife, as shown below:

This is what the pipe should look like after the cut. You will only be cutting about 1cm off the pipe.

Next, you will remove the nut shown below. After it is removed, push the stud all the way through the inner fender wall so all that you see is hole. This nut attaches to the baffle that you will be removing in the next step. This is the easiest time to do this. I highly recommend a 3/8" driver with a 10mm deep socket for this task because of the limited space available to remove the nut. PUSH THIS STUD COMPLETELY THROUGH THE HOLE IN THE INNER FENDER WALL SO THAT IT FALLS INTO THE WHEEL WELL!

Finally, plug the end you just cut with your 1.5" plug, just like you installed the previous plug. Then, reinstall the T-Pipe back through the fender wall and reconnect it to the air box. This is also kind of a PITA
THIS CONCLUDES THE REMOVAL OF THE SECOND RESONATOR
Finally, you will remove the baffle, located in between the inner and outer fender walls. For reference, the baffle is shown below; however know that YOU DO NOT HAVE TO REMOVE THE FENDER FOR THIS JOB. This picture was taken during a different project is shown merely for reference.

First, you will need to remove the four screws holding up the fender trim, as shown below. Use a stubby screwdriver for this

Now that the fender trim is removed, start pulling down and pushing in one the outer fender lining to create space.

If the clips become completely detached, reattach them in the following manner

Pull down the outer fender liner, as shown below.

Look up into the fender and make sure the front end of the baffle is detached from the inner fender wall. Reach up to the top of the baffle on the aft end and yank down. YANK ON IT!!!! Put your back into it. It is only held on with double-sided tape. You should see something resembling the picture below.

Crank your wheels hard right.Once you have detached both ends of the baffle, and after much coaxing, your fender will give birth to a brand new baby baffle. simply slide it out of of the wheel well as shown below.

Now, reattach the fender lining and the fender trim. Alright! You are done!
YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REMOVED ALL THREE INTAKE RESONATORS. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

I am only going to recommend the K & N drop in filter. From my experience this filter has been absolutely wonderful. I always feel a HP gain and it is guaranteed to do so. I am not mistaking this for throatiness either. It does give the exhaust a deeper,meaner sound which you will dig. Also, there is an increase in gas mileage that has been noticed in both my vehicles. It has been tried and true numerous times. One of the best things about it, is that there is a million mile warranty. This filter is completely re-usable and I would never go back to a stock filter after this and I just put one in my MR2. I paid around $50 for it. Google it and price match it . Copy and paste this part number.
K & N air filter (V6 Xterra VG33 engine): 33-2031-2

Rear Diff Breather Install 2nd Gen Frontier

Jasonsjunk — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 07:22:13 -0600

The Nissan factory diff breather for the rear axle is too low for adequate protection and in many cases the breather gets clogged and fails to do its job which shortens the life of the seals. The solution is to extend the diff breather up higher to a better location and install a filter that won't get clogged like the stock breather valve does.

I chose to extend the stock diff breather location up behind the passenger side tail light. The breather location is high enough that if I get water sucked in with the breather up there then water in my rear diff is the least of my worries.

To get the rear tail ight assembly out you have to open the tail gate and remove the two screws that hold it in place. Then you gently pop the tail light assembly out of its bracket.

To prevent dirt or any other contaminants from fouling my differential fluid I used a fuel filter I purchased from a local auto parts store. Basically any fuel filter you can get to fit will work and it doesn't have to cost alot I think I paid like $3 for the metal one I installed. This filter should last for the life of the truck. After I zip tied the filter in place I routed the hose down under the bed. It is important to get a good length of 1/4" hose because you will use up plenty when routing it out of the way and trying to avoid the exhaust. I purchased nine feet total and I think I used 7-8 feet of hose.
Here are some pics of how I routed my hose. You must be careful of two things: 1) make sure the hose cannot come in contact with the exhaust. 2) Make sure there is enough slack in the hose to make up for flex of the rear axle when you are offroad.

So now you ask what do I put in place of the stock breather? Well Nissan actually has a part that works for this although they don't sell it for this particular application. The Nissan part number I used is 38323-C601A Courtesy Nissan has the part for $3.42 plus shipping but any local Nissan dealer should be able to get the part. Also if you have a way to measure the threads any metric hose barb that has the right threads will work as well.

This is a cheap easy mod that will save you money maybe even your rear diff! Replacing axle seals isn't fun or cheap and the damage done by water in your gear oil can trash a rear diff and that is big $$$ so if you put a boat in a lake or submerge your rear axle in any way then I highly recommend this mod for you. It is probably a good idea for everyone since the factory breather is such a poor design. My truck only had 7000 miles on it when I did this mod and the truck had sat for 24 hours and there was still pressure in the axle housing when I removed the factory breather. Pressure building up in the axle housing will cause the seals to fail prematurely so I am glad I got this done when I did. Remember to use some Teflon tape on the threads when you install the breather!

Have Fun!