Poor man’s Toyota SAS

[Bmiller5]

I miss the days of forums like these, the social media domain has taken over and I’ve fell victim to it over the years.

Anyway, I’ve daily drove this 2000 Nissan Frontier 3.3 for about a year, with little intentions on doing anything to it as it drove and ran so well.

I then found a cheap commuter, as this 3.3 v6 gets pretty awful fuel mileage for its size/weight. 2006 Jetta TDI with a bumped rear end — $1200 I couldn’t resist.

I found a few solid axle swapped frontiers online, realized the aftermarket support was minimal for a build like this and thought well it can’t be that bad.

Onto the lift it went, and I went to removing and cutting all IFS components out. These torsion bars were seized in place very bad.

I didn’t take too many photos of this process, I was eager to get it all out and clean up the frame.


Frame plates! I know, I shouldn’t rounded my ends instead of squaring them off.. hopefully it doesn’t cause any issues.

Couldn’t help myself, I wanted to see how the full width D44 fit under it. PVC mock-up is genius

I’m currently further in this project, but I will add what I have periodically from here on out. 👍🏼

 

[Clb]

A Datsun

Build threads rock, keep us informed

 

[IowaOffRoad]

I'm in for this! I've always like Nissan, credible little trucks that get overlooked. Unfortunately similar rust issues 'round here like the Toys and 'suzu's I like. Only beef with the Nissans are the engines aren't as reliable as one would expect from the Japs, though the 2.4 ended up a pretty good engine and the 3.3L seems to be decent if you keep up on the maintenance. to you building one, looking forward to it!

 

[rattlewagon]

Heck yeah . Chop it up!

 

[bgaidan]

Mine started out as an nearly identical truck...right down to the year and color.


I didn't build it, but this is what it looked like, freshly SAS'd in '03.

I moved to the other side of the country for a solid decade and hadn't seen/wheeled with it since. It came up for sale a few years ago and I snatched it up. This is what it looks like now:

 

[bgaidan]

BTW, you'll obviously get way better flex with the big bronco suspensions over the stock IFS, but those arms are going to severely limit your travel.

If you can swing it, something like the Duff arms would make a huge difference.

I've wheeled with a 2nd Gen xTerra that ran these and it did really well.


Or there's always the DIY method

 

[Bmiller5]

I decided on an adjustable hoop shock tower for simplicity and due to the frame shape. Hanging them up to see exactly where I wanted sit, only one pair of hands on this made it a little tedious but I managed.

Mounting the bottom of the coilover to the radius arm, the bracket I made bolts to the top of the headunit and rear arm.

I had to cut a lot of the wheel well out, but these actually fit pretty well inside the bay. I’ve removed the ABS block as you can see.

Changed to a 2002 Dodge Ram 1500 brake master cylinder, as I’ve heard good things about this upgrade.

 

[chaplinfj60]

very cool

 

[AdrianD]

HP44, nice
Is the Chevy 6-bolt pattern the same as the Nissan pattern?

We've got these in Europe, diesel powered.
This one blew a headgasket due to a completely corroded water pump impeller:

 

[IowaOffRoad]

HP44, nice
Is the Chevy 6-bolt pattern the same as the Nissan pattern?d

Depends on the Nissan. Most classic Nissan/Datsun used the 6x5.5
Some of the newer ones used the 6x4.5 like on the Dakota from '89-07? don't remember when Dak went back to 5 bolt.

 

[bgaidan]

Is the Chevy 6-bolt pattern the same as the Nissan pattern?

Depends on the Nissan. Most classic Nissan/Datsun used the 6x5.5
Some of the newer ones used the 6x4.5 like on the Dakota from '89-07? don't remember when Dak went back to 5 bolt.

Everything from early 80's to '04 used 6 on 5.5. Same as Chevy's and 80's/90's jeeps (I feel like jeep when to 5 lug in the late 90s?) I don't know what the 2nd gens have for a patter, but for some reason I thought it was metric, not 6 on 4.5?


A wagoneer D44 is the ideal "simple" swap axle for a most people. It's nearly the perfect width and has the right pattern. It's what most of the axle swap kits like Calmini use.

The early bronco HP44 is a decent fit too, but a little narrow. You can swap everything from the knuckles out with chevy parts and get another 1.5" out of it, but you'd still need a little bit of spacers.

The big bronco/F-250 with the cast wedges that the OP uses is quite a bit wider than stock so you either need big spacers/adapters in the rear or just swap in the matching 9". It also leaves you stuck with the cast wedges or something to adapt them to radius arms like I posted earlier. But these axles are a quite a bit cheaper and easier to find than their welded wedge or leaf sprung counterparts.


My frontier has a non-cast wedge HP D44 with all custom links, coilovers. The X has the calmini kit with a Waggy D44. And the hardbody way in the background that will probably never actually get finished has the same cast wedge axle that the OP is using. I actually have a KP60 or a pair of super duty 60's that will likely go under that instead....some day.

 

[Bmiller5]

Tried to come up with the strongest, not so bulky method to extended these arms.

2.5” 1/4 wall DOM roughly 42”
1.5” 1/4 wall slid inside

And some enduro joints from Barnes 4x4

They ended being around 46” total length 👍

This was a site to see, keeps the motivation levels high!

 

[Bmiller5]

I contemplated cutting out the original torsion bar crossmember, and creating something from scratch… but I didn’t.

I’m sure the crossmember will pull apart before my brackets go anywhere.. we will see!

Anddddd installed!

 

[Bmiller5]

This was frustrating.. but I got through it.

There is very minimal room forward and to the side of this bolt, and it was an absolute bear to get loose.

Some galvanic corrosion to blame??

Onward..

TX10 tcase with 3.7:1 gear set!!

One of the largest for no reason transfercase I’ve ever dealt with, for such a small pickup. 🤣

 

[MSO Ash]

One of the largest for no reason transfercase I’ve ever dealt with, for such a small pickup. 🤣

Haha this gave me a chuckle. Standard Nissan thinking. Looks like they took a Patrol t case and mirror imaged it for left hand drop. Cheaper than making something size appropriate.

 

[GLTHFJ60]

Subscribed.

That's a pretty trick little lift platform, using dual opposing pneumatic rams. Custom job? If not, what is it?

 

[bgaidan]

Haha this gave me a chuckle. Standard Nissan thinking. Looks like they took a Patrol t case and mirror imaged it for left hand drop. Cheaper than making something size appropriate.

I think the patrols have a TX12, which is bigger than the TX10. I remember reaching out to Mark's back in the day to see if they could adapt their TX12 gears or adapters to the TX10 and they weren't interested.

If you want to get really stupid, double up a pair of TX10s.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Everything from early 80's to '04 used 6 on 5.5. Same as Chevy's and 80's/90's jeeps (I feel like jeep when to 5 lug in the late 90s?) I don't know what the 2nd gens have for a patter, but for some reason I thought it was metric, not 6 on 4.5?


A wagoneer D44 is the ideal "simple" swap axle for a most people. It's nearly the perfect width and has the right pattern. It's what most of the axle swap kits like Calmini use.

The early bronco HP44 is a decent fit too, but a little narrow. You can swap everything from the knuckles out with chevy parts and get another 1.5" out of it, but you'd still need a little bit of spacers.

The big bronco/F-250 with the cast wedges that the OP uses is quite a bit wider than stock so you either need big spacers/adapters in the rear or just swap in the matching 9". It also leaves you stuck with the cast wedges or something to adapt them to radius arms like I posted earlier. But these axles are a quite a bit cheaper and easier to find than their welded wedge or leaf sprung counterparts.


My frontier has a non-cast wedge HP D44 with all custom links, coilovers. The X has the calmini kit with a Waggy D44. And the hardbody way in the background that will probably never actually get finished has the same cast wedge axle that the OP is using. I actually have a KP60 or a pair of super duty 60's that will likely go under that instead....some day.

You guys need to look into JK fronts. The weak point is the thinner tubes and inner c's, both of which are easily upgraded diy or kits. Everything else is bigger and stronger or at least equal. No lockouts may be a downside to some, but one less thing to buy/upgrade or break.

This was frustrating.. but I got through it.

There is very minimal room forward and to the side of this bolt, and it was an absolute bear to get loose.



Some galvanic corrosion to blame??


Onward..

TX10 tcase with 3.7:1 gear set!!

One of the largest for no reason transfercase I’ve ever dealt with, for such a small pickup. 🤣

Title says poor man, then you post pics of the rig on a lift with all the nice tranny Jack's and shit.

This is a poor man's shop

Seriously though. Looks like a fun rig. Toyotas have gotten so stupid expensive, they are no longer a budget option for most. I didn't know they made a 3.7 gearset for them. That should be pretty decent with an auto.

 

[bgaidan]

You guys need to look into JK fronts. The weak point is the thinner tubes and inner c's, both of which are easily upgraded diy or kits. Everything else is bigger and stronger or at least equal. No lockouts may be a downside to some, but one less thing to buy/upgrade or break.

Unless something's changed, those are way more pricey than a plain old Waggy or Ford front. Especially if you have to retube and do the C's.

Waggys have always been the go to. You can usually get a complete front for a few hundred bucks. They match nearly perfectly to the rear and with chromos they're good for 35's. Any bigger than that and the current trend is supoer duty 60's.

 

[YotaAtieToo]

Unless something's changed, those are way more pricey than a plain old Waggy or Ford front. Especially if you have to retube and do the C's.

Waggys have always been the go to. You can usually get a complete front for a few hundred bucks. They match nearly perfectly to the rear and with chromos they're good for 35's. Any bigger than that and the current trend is supoer duty 60's.

Maybe, but they're not 40 years old and need a bunch of money dumped into them just to be usable. They're also much stronger over all when done.

Tubes and c gussets are not a big cost BTW

Anyway, enough derail.

 

[Bmiller5]

Subscribed.

That's a pretty trick little lift platform, using dual opposing pneumatic rams. Custom job? If not, what is it?

It's actually a motorcycle lift with the tire mount plate section removed.. I can't remember the brand off-hand but I will check.

I put casters on it, and use it for all kinds of different things. A mobile adjustable height workbench, if you will. It's very handy.

 

[Bmiller5]

I realized after viewing the photos I have of the front end, I didn't take many good ones as I was mocking it all up.

Oh well, here are some.

Track bar bracket from Barnes4WD.. fit really well.

Also see here the coilover mounts I made, bolted to the radius arm headunit. Looks really close to the trackbar bracket, but its just a poor angle.

As you can see, nothing looks straight in this poorly shot photo, but.. it is lol

Going through the motions, everything did well. My trackbar is shorter than I'd like.. but with the wedge I am really limited on space on the passenger side.

Maybe I'll cut them off one day for a 3 link.. but for now this will work and work well.

Time to tear down and put this axle together!

 

[bgaidan]

So one cool thing we recently learned is that the RufStuff radium arm kit for super duty 60s is nearly a bolt-in swap for the full width bronco radium arm axle.

Buddy managed to kill both the front ring gear on the HP D44 and rear 9" locker on once obstacle at Uwharrie last year. He had the Duff radius arms on a wedge axle. We convinced him it was time to go tons so he picked up a pair of axles and ordered all the shit from Ruff Stuff. We were ready for some moderate fab work to knock it all out in a weekend but as we dug in to it, everything just lined up perfectly to his old brackets and mounts. We didn't have to touch the rear link mounts and were even able to reuse the old track bar and mounts. Even the coilovers hit perfectly on the RuffStuff mounts on the 60.


Basically knocked this out in two weekends. And one was almost entirely dedicated to setting up gears.