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Squeaky SAS thread

4speedfunk

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,250
Location
Tardville
No head shaken here! It's all improv when u do stuff like this. I'm just glad somebody is lettin em hang! It's lonely out here in SAS land.

Whatever length the links end up being...keep the 100/80 ratio between lower and upper lengths. Long lowers with a short upper will surely suck....it will cause over-rotation of the housing as it droops.
 
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06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
I'll keep the ratio...don't reinvent the wheel while I did something to reinvent the wheel lol

This will be interesting. For those who want more lift and run steeper angles or just longer links this could help or I'll tell you to avoid at all costs.

Either way today I work at my job so I won't be starting till 6 then work late into the night
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
Problem is driveshaft clearance in the picture above I notched it, it does clear but barely. I want some more legroom can I continue to cut the back side like I did to the front then plate it all in and be ok from a strength standpoint?

IMG_0374.jpg


IMG_0375.jpg


I had to do some serious crossmember hacking for the front drive shaft, but it's held up so far.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
That's good news. Hopefully mine will to. Problem is that I cut the stock one off completely. It bolts up to the underside of the framerail and hangs down so I cut it off for longer arms and more clearance. Now I have to make a custom one
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
Progress is painfully slow as I have been working 8 plus hours a day. Tomorrow I go back to part time due to school starting in a few weeks and Tuesday is my next day off hopefully I get a ton done then
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
sounds good. I will let you know as the weekend gets closer.

The past 2 days have been frustrating and I didnt want my frustration to stop me in my tracks like it did the other days.

Tonight I had a good dinner, went in with a clear head and the mindset of assessing the problem, finding a solution, evaluate the pros and cons of the solution and implement it. I got most of the crossmember done. The passenger side still needs to be done but the driver side is ready to be welded. I will be heavily gusseting and adding in support where I can to strengthen this piece. This will most definitely be a trial and error process on what works and does not work with the crossmember. To date I do not know of a single H3 that completely chopped out the crossmember and made a new one for better clearance and less hangups and longer links...and to be honest I think theres a good reason why shops like Off road evo didnt even bother making a custom crossmember for longer control arms and the reason being is that its a BIG PAIN IN THE ASS! I dont think its necessary per say as it has not held me up much over the years but I am sure once I am driving it offroad and beating the snot out of it I can share the experiences I have had. Hopefully the effort put into this will help offroad.

I am hoping tomorrow will pick up some speed seeing I finished my last week of full time hours before summer ends. Now I should be gaining quite a few hours in the day to get this thing going.

Steering box comes in tomorrow...

Photobucket wont upload my pics. I will post some later.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
Wow what a long ****in day....I had the day off of work so I worked in the driveway instead.

Day 1 was cutting off IFS and tacking on 3/16 frame plates
Day 2 was wasted at metal store and starting crossmember
Day 3 I worked most of the day so only continued the crossmember
Day 4 was the same as day 3.
Day 5 was the same as day 3 and day 4 :no:
Day 6 (today) I was off and had my buddy come over. He finished the crossmember while I packed the bearings for the axle, grinded down the spindle studs for the use of ThorParts ABS hubs then he left and I finished welding the crossmember, then I started the steering box got that done, and finally got the ****IN AXLE UNDER SQUEAKY!





So is the crossmember worth it? At this point...NO! lol In the future I will probably say yes it was worth it. Of the few people in SAS land everyone throws the control arm mounts in front of the crossmember because it mounts below the framerails and prevents the arms from going further back. I have looked at doing a high clearance crossmember in the past but the torsion bars have always been the limitation but now with them gone you can move it up. It looks like clearance gains will be about 1/2-1in from the center point of the crossmember and about 2+ inches from the framerail to the sides portion. Which is awesome considered you can get more clearance without raising the COG. If someone was to do this in the future I would HIGHLY recommend using something else then 2x4x3/16. Its big and bulky and can be a pain to route stuff. If I was to do it again you can go the easy route and chop the ends off the stock crossmember (you wont gain clearance but you can get longer arms) or use 1 3/4 .120 wall DOM round tubing...

Ebay buy for a nissan xterra box, 2001 IIRC.



Steering box was not too bad other then the fact that the sleeves can be a pain in the ass to get lined up. I used steering sleeves to prevent the box from crushing the framerails when tightening em down.

here I used plate on the inside of the framerail and plasma cut the holes for the sleeves. I used 3/4 OD x.075 wall steel for the sleeves.





Ignore the bolts if you can see them...they are temporary for mockup of the steering box.

and finally the axle found its home...

 

High Five H2

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,627
Location
West Texas
how did you do all the calculations for control arm length and spring rate and all that? what kind of springs are you going to use? I downloaded the 3-link calculator from pirate and messed around with it some. it looks complicated. I'm hoping that it's actually really simple and that it just looks that way though :)
 

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
Calmini makes a steering box kit for those Xterra's to fix an inherent weakness in the design... Might be worth checking into while your under there


Sent from handheld smoke signal device
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
thanks ramrod. I looked into it. Its in the linkage not in the box. I am only using the box.

For links I am sticking to the the 80% rule. Uppers are 80% of the lowers.

Tips for steering box. drill or plasma one hole. then hold it up mark the 2nd. then the 3rd. It can be a PITA if you miscalculate the holes.
 

RamRod

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,914
Location
AB, Canada
Oh right! It's been a few years since I owned my last Xterra forgot I suppose


Sent from handheld smoke signal device
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,505
Location
Meridian, ID
What is the width of that axle? Does it match up with the H3 rear axle?

It matches the stock H3 width.

looking good. Can we get a side shot with the axle at ride height?


What are you using for link tube?

Yea, I will get one tomorrow.

For link tubing I am using 2x.25 wall for lowers and I have 1.75x.120 wall and extra 2x.25 wall for the upper. Not sure what I will use yet...Go big or go home right? Use the 2x.25wall?

I really like how this is turning out, great job Chris. Squeaky is going to be one bad H3

Thanks man!

Today I got the tie rod done, one link done, finished up the steering stuff. Its coming along...I will try to finish the other links tonight. Work got in the way
 

Panzer07

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,548
Location
Ontario, CA
Maybe I could catch a quick glance on squeaky on Saturday I'm heading up to Bakersfield with the wife for one of her friends daughter birthday.
 

H3slate

Brush raked
Messages
983
Location
Tualatin, Oregon
Are you going to have the same bolt pattern for wheels?

Do you need any adaptor to connect the xterra steering box to the H3 steering linkage?

The build looks great! Makes me want to get a little crazy with my truck.
 
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