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Discussion starter · #41 ·
When the car was brand new, I pumped the tyres to recommended pressure and measured from the ground to the top of each wheel arch with 75% fuel. This is a key measurement because all our modification laws on suspension lifts are based on original ride height, and this is not a figure that is published by Nissan.

Since my extra goodies were added and I've done 3500km, the suspension has sagged 2cm (0.8") each end.

The maximum ride height increase I'm allowed, through any combination of tyres, suspension lift and body lift, is 5cm. Given I've already sagged 2cm, that effectively gives me 7cm to play with if I want to - more if I wait for the springs to settle further.

I don't need anywhere near that height, but I would like to restore my lost 2cm of travel, and the front in particular is much too softly-sprung with that huge bar fitted.

I spent the day yesterday buzzing around the city checking out various options, including my until-now favourite option of a King Springs/Bilstein Shocks package ordered online and fitted locally.

I discounted Ironman and Tough Dog because their sales chaps seemed about as sharp as a river boulder and both were surprised to hear the NP300 has coil springs at the rear. If I were a suspension specialist it would literally be my business to know that.

I considered EFS but their local agent couldn't be bothered returning my call.

My last stop was ARB to discuss OME suspension. The chap there was immediately knowledgeable about my car and gave me a realistic assessment of how it would perform in the role I wanted. He was the only one of the lot to focus on spring rates and rebound adjustment rather than raw lift numbers, and he even got my car onto some axle scales to help work out how much rear axle load I have. His package price wasn't the cheapest but wasn't the most expensive either.

So that's booked in for a couple of weeks' time.

With so much ARB stuff on my car I should get some signwriting done and have them sponsor me...
 
Discussion starter · #43 ·
This is what's in the pack - you'll also need 5mm and 6mm hex bits, a 16mm ring spanner, and a T40 Torx bit.

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There's some transit damage where the silver legs rubbed against the barrier. I'm pretty sure the advertising said it was powder coated, but perhaps I recall incorrectly.

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The side rails install in front of the factory tie down points using a 25mm spacer. You then fit M8 bolts through the side rails and thread them into the spacer. No thread lock is supplied and I've lost my Loctite, so we will see how this holds up. This is the hardest job of the lot because the side rails are hollow, and it's damn easy to drop the M8 bolts into them. You then have to **** around with a magnet for 10 minutes to get it back, since the interior of the rail is filled with stuff and the bolt won't just roll out the end. I did this, *ahem*, on all four corners...

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The three little lobes on each side rail are LED lights. The switch is in the end of each rail. I will be wiring mine to come on with the existing roof light, which has a micro switch on th glass hatch, so I just left the wires loose for now. The use of the crimped spade terminal is ok but I'd like to have seen this heat shrunk, or at least taped.

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The actual barrier piece screws in with two hand knurls. Once fitted both sides and contacting th floor it's very robust - I gave it a good kicking and it didn't move or flex. It can be fitted anywhere from the far back, as a tailgate fence, or you can reverse it and fit it flush with the front wall.

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Each of the slots on the side rails is a threaded captive nut, which takes a standard metric bolt. Once I settle on a final location for the barrier I will fill the remaining slots with tie down eyelets I think.
 
Discussion starter · #44 · (Edited)
Alright, I finished up this install today.

The lights in the Ute Barrier are switched on the positive, the light in the canopy is earth switched. So connecting them up wasn't as easy as I'd hoped:

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I had to basically turn a simple single wire job into a mini wiring harness. The original ARB harness is not fused. I don't trust my wiring so I added a 10A fuse on my additions:

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The end result:

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Got yourself a good looking new NP300 there mate, these trucks are starting to really grow on me, though I'm wondering if and when they will do a V6 version similar to the STX550/Outlaw.
Maybe its just the pictures not doing it justice but not a fan of the black front ARB bumper against the white body work paint. Did you not fancy a colour coded one or was there not one available/reason for the black bumper?
 
Discussion starter · #46 ·
Got yourself a good looking new NP300 there mate, these trucks are starting to really grow on me, though I'm wondering if and when they will do a V6 version similar to the STX550/Outlaw.
Maybe its just the pictures not doing it justice but not a fan of the black front ARB bumper against the white body work paint. Did you not fancy a colour coded one or was there not one available/reason for the black bumper?


Hi, thanks for the kind words! The look has really grown on me too, initially I thought it looked a bit derivative, like they mashed the Triton and Amarok together and said "that'll do".

I went black partly because it's cheaper, partly because I prefer the look, and mostly because it's repairable with a satin black spray can.
 
Discussion starter · #47 ·
A few non-photo updates...

1) I have the upgraded suspension going in on Friday. This is a workshop job so it comes with a warranty. I have kept the factory rear spring rate and have gone for a stiffer front spring, with both being 50mm longer than standard. That ought to translate into a ride height increase of around half an inch, once my existing sag and extra weight are considered. The holdup has been waiting for an adjustable swaybar. I'm a bit vague on suspension geometry but apparently this will help preserve my wheel alignment.

2) I have ordered the parts for my second battery system and they begin to trickle in. I've opted for a marine-style plastic battery box pre- fitted with a 12V socket, terminals, a voltmeter, and two Anderson plugs. Just add your own battery...

I've also got a Redarc 20A DC-DC charger for it. I have a piece of MDF covered in marine carpet that used to mount my radio in the Patrol, so I will resurrect that to mount the charger and other accessories on the tub wall.

I ordered a hydraulic crimping tool and lots of cable, terminals, thermal breakers and so on to do my own installation. After the tub light wiring job I think my ratchet crimper just isn't up to the job.

3) I've locked in two weeks off work next month to try a shakedown run. The goal will be to run up the coast through Queensland as far as the Tropic, then back down inland. It will be my 18mo's first trip and my wife's longest (I used to do this kind of thing on a motorcycle), so we won't stray far off the beaten track. I'll pick up a rented trailer on my way north and we will camp every night, but we won't spend more than two nights in a row bush camping before coming in to commercial sites with services. Need to keep wifey sweet on the idea of a proper desert expedition next winter :)

The shakedown trip means I probably won't have time to install my battery properly before we go. Plan B is to fit the battery box with a 130AH cheap lead acid battery and run it as a total loss system. It will operate a fridge, some LED camp lights and a small inverter, and only overnight (I'll use the factory 20A tub socket when driving), so I reckon I should get about 3-4 days out of that setup. I should be near electricity at least every 3 days, so my old faithful CTek 240V charger can top me back up then. (Mental note: pack epic extension cord.)

I'll post pics of my trip preparation as I go. I intend to overpack to simulate the load and space constraints of a longer trip further into the bush.
 
Discussion starter · #48 ·
The suspension is done. I've ended up with a 45mm ride height increase at the rear and 40mm at the front. From stock (pre-accessory) measurements that's +25 rear and +20 front.

The visual effect is much larger than that, although these photos (taken at twilight) do it little justice.

I have to do 500km and then have them re-torqued so if the wife blesses it tomorrow I might go for a quick thrash and get some better pics.

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Discussion starter · #49 ·
Ok, better pics as promised. This morning I decided to try and follow an old road near my house that was first bypassed by the Pacific Highway in the 1960s and then by the M1 Motorway in the 1980s. It still serves a couple of fishing hamlets so it gets some "maintenance" from the council but you wouldn't take your Rolls up here, that's for sure.

I found the limits of my front suspension travel a dozen times and the limits of the Nav's ground clearance a few more. I had the diff gouging a track between wheel ruts here and there.

Pics are confined to the spots where I could get out without sinking. My son slept through the whole thing.

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Discussion starter · #51 ·
have just been inspired liking the idea of the tent/camping mats in the rear so you can kneel Aldi have them on offer at the mo my tubs getting a new carpet!
Yep, the loose square in there is to slide back on to the tailgate for when I have to climb up knees first! I'm not as young and supple as I once was :(
 
Discussion starter · #53 ·
How odd... I was halfway through posting this and then it kicked me out. Apologies if this comes up twice...

It's a beautiful morning this morning and every front yard in my street is full of people mowing their lawns.

Not me: I fitted my shade awning. Roadside shade wherever I need it and keeps the rain out of my canopy in camp at night.

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Discussion starter · #54 ·
We leave on our shakedown trip on Monday. I spent a morning last week fitting a UHF CB radio for highway traffic.

The radio itself is an iCom 440 removed from my Patrol. Nice and compact remote head unit which I installed under the rear seat using a Velcro strap.

The handset has a Velcro patch on the passenger side carpet, which the seat usually hides to deter sticky fingers. When in use I hang the handset into the cup holder. The cable goes back to the main unit under the passenger seat and then under the rear floor mats. Easy solution.

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Next step was running the coax cable and power supply through to the engine bay. I used the existing firewall cable duct on the passenger side, which pops out behind the glove box. You can sort of see it here.

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The antenna mounts to the bull bar in the traditional place.

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Discussion starter · #55 ·
One last little job tonight before we go: I connected two 30L water jerries to a hose outlet at the tailgate. It's only gravity feed but it works.

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I had to drill little holes in the tops of each jerry to allow venting. I fitted 4mm hose barbs to reduce sloshing but there are still a few drops after a rough drive. Later I might fit some 4mm hosing to the barbs to extend them and prevent that.

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The top hose is too short so the bottom jerry won't empty fully under its own steam. I'll fix that when we get back if the concept works otherwise.

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Discussion starter · #56 ·
I have a thread running on my shakedown run elsewhere, but one on-the-road mod has been the addition of a 90x90cm elastic cargo net under the canopy roof. This keeps wet towels etc off the rest of my stuff, exposes them to some heat to dry, and keeps them clear of the dust that the tailgate sucks in like a Hoover.

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Discussion starter · #57 ·
So, 17 nights on the road later, some thoughts for future work:

-The factory rear tow bar, while better than the lumbering POS the UK market gets, is still too low and, because it lacks a plug in the leading edge of the receiver, fills with rammed mud when it drags on the ground. Might need a rear step/tow bar combo.

-While I await the coins for that, the dealer fitted the trailer wiring socket upside down. The spring loaded cover swings down, not up, so when plugged in it gathers dust and tiny rocks and then flicks them into the socket once the plug is removed

-I need to learn how to use a GoPro better, all my videos are ****

-I have to finish up my aux battery charging system

-More aggressive tyres next time; the Nav is not as well-balanced as the Patrol and allows rear wheel spin too easily in soft ground even with the ATs aired down to 18psi

-If I tow a trailer in sand again, I need a hand winch so I have the option of uncoupling it to drive the car out of a bog without having to drive back in again to pull the trailer out

-Most urgently, I need a larger fuel tank. I did about 100km dragging the trailer through sandy tracks and beaches in low range, similar sort of conditions to the Simpson Desert, and fuel consumption was 17.6L/100km - that's a reliable tank range of only 409km. 613km if I factor in the 40L extra I had in the tub. Not enough - I want at least 800km range in these conditions, and carrying any more jerries in the tub is a bit space-prohibitive. There's a 150L replacement tank available and with my 40L in the tub would give me 900km range at 17.6 - that will do. I think it's about a grand... Better go be nice to the wife!
 
There's a 150L replacement tank available and with my 40L in the tub would give me 900km range at 17.6 - that will do. I think it's about a grand... Better go be nice to the wife!
If it's like the ones I've looked at then you also need to factor in relocating the spare wheel as they fit underneath the tub where the spare is...
 
Discussion starter · #60 ·
LRAs tank is 135l fits in the normal location

I think this must be what I've looked at. Must have remembered the capacity incorrectly.

There is a lot of space forward of the existing tank, not sure why you'd have to go backward into the spare wheel space unless mounting is difficult.

135L and boosting my tub capacity from 2x20L to a single 50L plastic cell would both save me space and get me the range I want, 946km working on 90% of capacity.
 
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