Mortonm's 2001 Xterra Build

[mortonm]

If you dont have time to go offroading, bring the offroading to you?

Snow day here in Southern Ontario, we had about 12 inches of snow in 8 hours, made for some messy roads, lots of stuck vehicles. My brother and I actually had to help a lady in a first gen Sequoia out, her tires were that bad.

This was a day where most people stayed home from work or school, but looked a good day to me to shift into 4WD and go have some fun. My brother and I drove around for a couple hours helping out some people who were stuck and just generally enjoying the snow.

Here are a couple pictures, inlcuding the first which shows deep the snow was. Bear in mind we had 0 snow on the ground as of 4am, and this picture was taken in the early afternoon. Tire size 235 85R16 or nearly 32"

for what its wroth the tires were awesome in the deep snow, cut right to the bottom, never had any issues or even thoughts of getting stuck and some of the drifts were deeper than the 12 inches

One another note, my brother and I are planning a trip to middle PA the first week in September, should be a week long trip. Don't need too much to get ready for the trip but I am in the process of tracking down some LED lamps to replace the stock fogs.

 

[Lecoq]

Mmmm Snow! I wish we had as much as you guys...

 

[mortonm]

Mmmm Snow! I wish we had as much as you guys...

its already melting all away...5oC today and rain

 

[stioc]

Wow, I didn't realize how much snow there was when my sis (who lives near Toronto) told me they were snowed in a few days ago. I'm shivering in 38F here in the mornings when I take the dog out for walks.

Good to hear the tires did well in deep snow and that you guys helped out other stranded cars, nice work!

 

[Janseman]

Looks like the perfect way to spend the day!!!

 

[Co-opski]

Tire size 235 85R16 or nearly 32"

for what its wroth the tires were awesome in the deep snow, cut right to the bottom, never had any issues or even thoughts of getting stuck and some of the drifts were deeper than the 12 inches

Like the updates!
I'm a fan of the tall and skinny tire also. My 235/85 have done well in all the snow we have. When the road gets chopped up and rutted the tall skinny’s do cut to the bottom and give a more stable feeling.

 

[mortonm]

Wow, I didn't realize how much snow there was when my sis (who lives near Toronto) told me they were snowed in a few days ago. I'm shivering in 38F here in the mornings when I take the dog out for walks.

Good to hear the tires did well in deep snow and that you guys helped out other stranded cars, nice work!

I think I heard it was the quickest accumulation of snow in the area since the late 70s. Not largest snowfall just highest deposition rate. This time of year here its below 0 deg C (32) most every day. Enjoy your 38 haha

 

[mortonm]

Like the updates!
I'm a fan of the tall and skinny tire also. My 235/85 have done well in all the snow we have. When the road gets chopped up and rutted the tall skinny’s do cut to the bottom and give a more stable feeling.

Seen your build thread...love your frontier and your duelling 235 85s. We don't get anywhere near the snow you do but enough to have some fun now and then

 

[mortonm]

I was cleaning out an old memory card, came across a few pictures from last summer that I never posted

All of these trees were really straight, and I think the "road" was called Bell Tower Line or something similar, Im assuming Bell had been using it as a logging road in the past to remove telepone poles

My brother and our neatly packed truck :sombrero:

 

[Allof75]

Great pictures! I love the 1st gen Xterras, and it's great to rock the stock!

 

[Silver dude]

Love your rig! makes me wish I had tall narrows. Very practical and useful mods. Cleanly done. Silver looks great, though perhaps I'm slightly bias.:sombrero:

 

[mortonm]

Love your rig! makes me wish I had tall narrows. Very practical and useful mods. Cleanly done. Silver looks great, though perhaps I'm slightly bias.:sombrero:

you were my twin for awhile, before yours grew up. Love the desert runner wheels also. You have 265 75R16 tires?

I would love to do a 2 inch lift with lockers and a winch bumper but I just don't have a need for it right now. I am interested, however, in putting a winch between the factory rails up front. Something similar to this, but obviously mine is pre-refresh so the trimming will be different.

 

[stioc]

I would love to do a 2 inch lift with lockers and a winch bumper but I just don't have a need for it right now.

The X's have decent ground clearance and with 32" tires you're probably riding higher than my Pathy with a 'supposed 2" lift.

Nice pics BTW.

 

[mortonm]

The X's have decent ground clearance and with 32" tires you're probably riding higher than my Pathy with a 'supposed 2" lift.

Nice pics BTW.

Thank you. With the 235s it actually has quite a nice clearance. Thankfully it doesn't flex well so I don't have any rubbing.

I removed the rear sway bar and that helps out back. For me, its enough. Ill probably gain an inch just replacing the torsion bars and leaf springs.

 

[Silver dude]

you were my twin for awhile, before yours grew up. Love the desert runner wheels also. You have 265 75R16 tires?

I would love to do a 2 inch lift with lockers and a winch bumper but I just don't have a need for it right now. I am interested, however, in putting a winch between the factory rails up front. Something similar to this, but obviously mine is pre-refresh so the trimming will be different.

Dessert runners are 15"s so I'm running the 32 11.50 15's. I agree the winch bumper is rarely used. I've used it to its full extent in Moab, Utah if it wasn't for that trip I can't say its helped much here in the midwest. If I did it again I'd likely go with a lighter weight custom bumper. I like the custom winch mounts with the factory bumpers as well. Yeah a winch inspires confidence just like lockers. I bought a winch for those solo expedition trips a piece of mind purchase. Front locker makes a huge difference in the enjoyment of offroading makes it much more comforting and easy. As far as suspension goes I'd keep it low in height the higher you go the harder and more strange it handles. Also wears out front end components much faster. A lift kit almost requires steering upgrades. If your going to put money in anything steering is a good investment as stock it just can't take the blows of offroad travel.