Well this is awesome ain’t it? A Nissan Frontier on 40s with a straight axle swap. And sheesh look – I’m a one love type of guy on a personal level, but let’s also be real for a second: In today’s world of hand-sanitizing, canceling, forced-conformity, and disintegrating straws… this bangin’ Nissan 4×4 is a much needed recalibration on my ‘kickass-ometer’. It’s almost a real-life incarnation of our childhood dreams… when we ran big-wheel toy trucks into each other & ramped them over the dog. Back then, through the lens of childhood, awesome was just instinctual. And guess what – that spirit is still inside you today. But the modern world is trying to confuse it, dilute it, and/or stomp it out. Ahh because that voice/spirit… it doesn’t necessarily conform, comply, or follow the herd. Rather, that voice/spirit comes with pesky strong will & adventurism.
There’s something instinctively radical about midsize trucks on monster-truck tires…
This is what we couldn’t wait to grow up for. We didn’t dream of neutered crossovers that turn themselves off at stoplights. There’s not one gnarly thing about that. And while we’re on the topic: You can’t contain gnarly with sensibility, reliability, safety ratings, MPGs, or ‘green’ propaganda. Additionally, you can’t quantify gnarly with specs, horsepower ratings, or 0-60 times. Gnarly has entirely its own rating scale. And it’s a rating scale that, in my opinion, more of us need to understand.
Because frankly, what are you doing?
Working day-in and day-out… so that your gnarly side of life can be mid at best? What are you working for? To sit in traffic comfortably… in a country-club GMC with a leather steering wheel as soft as your hands? I know that wide-eyed gooney is still inside you. Stop pushing him to the back burner… until never. Gnarly starts now.
Nissan is – well – kind of the red-headed stepchild of the off-road world…
And it’s safe to say Nissan did most of it to themselves. Like many modern car brands (and many modern men), Nissan turned themselves into a forgettable, lack-luster appliance. And the passionate, vibrant, spirited fire that brought Nissan up in the 20th century… they iced it. Extinguished their own flame. Nissan started making cars for people who don’t like cars, and they lost the connection & charisma. Even the GT-R became a numbers-chaser over an experience. But it’s not all Nissan’s fault, because…
On the same token, we as enthusiasts started listening to the internet too much…
And once free-thinkers… became followers of followers. Buy the Jeep; buy the Toyota. Yeah ok fine. But is that all there is to life… a clear & easy path? Is that really even in the true spirit of performance? Or is there a renegade, rule-breaker aspect to it? Like my dad always says, “If it was easy, everyone would do it.” We need a generational mindset shift, and we need to start chasing the hard, sweaty, challenging type of fun again. Do it because it’s NOT easy…
Damian Randall drove a Nissan Hardbody truck back in the day…
And that began his affinity with Nissan trucks. It’s not really something you can justify or categorically defend lol… but you like what you like. Truth is: Nissan makes a pretty solid midsize truck, and always has. When it comes to Nissan vs Toyota though, the difference is: Most Toyota owners will spend whatever it takes to be part of the in-crowd. Whereas most Nissan owners will bitch about aftermarket prices and try to find a way to rig it themselves. And sure – Toyota reliability is 2nd to none… but doesn’t that get a little boring sometimes?? Lol – where’s the adventure in knowing nothing’s gonna go wrong? Anyway, back to Damian’s story.
His Nissan Hardbody led to a few different Frontiers…
And then – along came this 2015 Pro 4x. It’s safe to say, this truck snowballed. 40s and a straight axle swap (SAS) was never the plan out the gate. But you know what, that’s cool. Let life snowball sometimes. That’s where the good stuff happens. It’s critical to FAFO every now & then. Don’t let yourself get paralyzed with questions, concerns, and what-ifs. As Joe Dirt says, “Life’s a garden, dig it.” A lot of the young generation shies away from car culture today 1) because they’re dweebs. But 2) because of the cost. For some reason, the young generation analyses the final cost before they take the first step. And then they say naaaah and go back to watching Ken Block videos on their expensive iPhone with an expensive monthly payment while door-dashing overpriced noodle soup or whatever TF they eat. My generation on the other hand – we jumped right in. We weren’t worried about the financial strains of where the path ultimately led… if the path was awesome… we jumped on it. Simple as that. We figured the rest out as we went.
Nissan Frontier – Straight Axle Swap (SAS)…
So Damian started with a small lift on his Frontier Pro 4x, and set off to hit some trails. Eventually, he did the Titan suspension swap. If you’re not up on that, check out this Xterra. Essentially you can directly swap Nissan Titan suspension right to the front of your Frontier or Xterra… which is a cool Nissan hack. Eventually however, Damian found the limitations of his Frontier. And that was usually in the form of broken differentials and CV axles. So that’s where the straight axle swap (also known as solid-axle-swap or SAS) came into play. Nestor Camacho (solid name BTW) from Shadow Wolf MFG makes a solid axle swap kit for the gen-2 Nissan Frontier. So Damian took his truck down to Shadow Wolf in Florida for the SAS kit.
The axles under this Nissan Frontier…
Are from a Ford F250 Super Duty. Circa 2004-2005. Both axles are beefed up (see modlist at the end) with stronger shafts, Yukon gears, Ballistic Fab shave kits, etc. The front sits on Radflo 10” coilovers. And the rear is on Fox shocks with Alcan leaf springs (+4” and +200lbs) and Nisstec adjustable shackles.
The F250 Super Duty solid front axle really opened the door for durability…
And allowed him to do things that would have been limited (or otherwise unwise) with the OEM set up. Namely – the massive 40-inch Cooper tires. Yes – there are a lot of supporting and/or steering mods to go along with all that, which can be seen in the modlist. And it’s worth noting – Damian also shot the works and got an Atlas 2-speed transfer case with twin sticks.
To restate what I mentioned a bit earlier…
Everything snowballed. Maybe avalanched would be a better word. In this world, one modification led to the next. Maybe it opened the door to modifications that wouldn’t have been possible… and/or sometimes it forced it by finding the next weak link lol. But either way, this gen-2 Nissan Frontier was a journey… that’s built for the journey. And it’s one hell of a head-turner too… dont sleep on that aspect of it. We all love Toyotas & we all love Jeeps… but this thing can pull into a Jeep meet & steal the show. It just hits different.
And that used to be Nissan’s golden ticket in their heyday – curveballs.
Spunky/fun cars & trucks that were largely interchangeable and swappable… and had a spirit of performance & connection. If you follow automotive news, you already know Nissan is in real financial trouble. Their future is uncertain. And losing themselves is what led to their present situation. But I see a potential silver lining. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And some signs point to Nissan finding their balls again amidst their turmoil. There’s official chatter of the Xterra coming back. And from that chatter, it seems like Nissan understands the assignment. A simple, rugged, body-on-frame, capable (but not overpriced) 4×4 – in yellow. Yes – the suits said yellow is critical. Even the current model Frontier is still a normally-aspirated, no-nonsense V6… in a world moving to overcomplicated forced induction + hybrid powertrains. There’s an appeal to that kind of simplicity in a rugged 4×4. So here’s to hoping that Nissan finds themselves again their darkest hour. It’d be a win for all of us.
2015 Nissan Frontier Pro4X
Drivetrain / Engine
Stock VQ40 V6
Stock transmission (2011+ came with the stronger trans)
Advanced Adapters Atlas 2-speed transfer case (4.3 : 1 low range)
Rugged Rocks Atlas transfer case Nissan adapter kit
Adams drive shafts
2005 Ford F250 Super Duty front axle
2004 Ford F250 Super Duty rear axle
Volant cold air intake
Z1 Offroad coil packs
Z1 Offroad catback exhaust
Doug Thorley short tube headers
Ultimate 9 EVC-X throttle controller
Suspension / Axles
Front Axle
2005 Ford F250 Super Duty Dana 60
Shadow Wolf MFG solid axle swap kit (SAS kit)
Ballistic Fab shave kit
Yukon Gear and Axle zip locker
Yukon Gear and Axle 4.56 gears (shaved)
Dana Spicer 1550 axle shafts
Warn locking hubs
Barnes 4WD weld-on high steer arms & high steer kit
American Iron Dana 60 ball joint eliminator kit
PSC hydro assist ram kit (1.75 bore X 8” stroke)
Yukon Gear and Axle 1350 Yoke
Radflo 10” coilovers with 7/8” shafts
Locked Offroad 2” hydraulic bump stops
Adams 1350 custom steel driveshaft
1st Gen Nissan Xterra/Frontier steering box – ported for hydro assist
Trail Gear hydro assist power steering lines
Modified OEM power steering pump for more flow and higher line pressure
Rear Axle
2004 Ford F250 Super Duty sterling 10.5
Ballistic Fab shave kit
Yukon Gear and Axle zip locker
Yukon Gear and Axle 4.56 gears (shaved)
Artec Industries JKU ABS sensor adapter kit
Fox Shocks
Alcan leaf springs (+200lb with 4” lift)
Nisstec adjustable shackles
Yukon Gear and Axle 1350 long yoke
Adams 1350 custom steel driveshaft
Tires / Wheels
Cooper STT Pro tires – 40×13.5×17
Vision Manxx 17” beadlock wheels
Apex Performance tire deflators
Interior
Custom rollcage
PRP custom suspension seats
Custom seat brackets
PRP 5.3 racing harnesses
KC Cyclone dome lights
Atlas transfer case twin sticks – with a modified mount for custom location in center console
Protection / Armor
Hefty Fab skid plate set
Shadow Wolf MFG oil pan skid
P&P Engineering front bumper with light bar
White Knuckle Offroad rock sliders
Wam rear bumper
Wilco Tailgater tire carrier
Custom bed-mounted tire carrier for 40s
Warn 9000lb winch
Factor55 FlatLink E (Expert) closed winch shackle & Factor 55 fairlead
MISC Accessories
GateKeeper Off-Road knuckle pod light brackets
LimeLight Knuckle lights
Dual Viar 2.5-gallon air tanks
Switch Pros SP-9100 controller
ARB twin air compressor system for air lockers
Z1 Off-Road under-seat storage container
Bullet Point dash phone mount & roll cage Switch Pros mount
Z1 Off-Road tie-down cleats
Mods To Come
VK56 Nissan Titan V8 engine (already has the donor truck)
Auto Transmission built by Level10 transmissions
Derale liquid coolers with brushless fans
JBA Short tube headers from Cajun B-Pipes
Custom xxhaust from headers to catback exhaust
Uprev Tuning & Wiring from Brennan Becker at Driven Desires (he does the VQ to VK harness adapter kit)
