Posted: Aug 04 2006 at 12:55am | IP Logged

I have just purchased my fourth Nissan Truck.  2001 2wd 5 spd.  I use these trucks to haul a freezer full of frozen fish.  Lots of frozen fish, total weight of the box and contents is 1400 to 1900 lbs.  I have used overload springs before but airbags have been used on a number of our other trucks, mostly Silverado 1500 and 2500.  Firestone makes a kit, but Air Lift air bags have worked better.  We have had Firestones explode or develop issues because of line routing problems.  Air Lift  does not have one for this year and 2wd.  Has anyone used the Firestone kit and does it hold up with this much weight?  I plan to use Bilstein shocks because they have held up for up to 200,000 miles in previous trucks. 

Also what gear lubes for the trans and diff have proved best?  I know what does not work, I have had a 90 2wd driven to 200,000 miles with one clutch.  A 94 2wd that I blew the first trans at 125,000 miles, was ready for a new one at 300,000 when I got T Boned,  97 2wd with 383,000 miles today has blown 2 trans one at 125,000 and another at 200,000.  Major cause was input main bearing failure.  The sounds of death have just started again.   Is there anyone out there that puts lots of weight in a Frontier?

Posted: Aug 04 2006 at 7:31am | IP Logged

I have overloaded mine a couple of times, though I didn't have anything to help it.  With Technology today, Firestone are pretty good bags, much better than they used to be.  Plus, if you order from the right source, you can get a extended warranty on them.

Try, www.4wheelparts.com  They have the 4wheel Extreme Warranty on a lot of things.  No questions asked when you destroy something. 

As for lube, try something synthetic.  Trucks did a show a long time ago where they changed out all the fluids for Royal Purple, and gained a lot of HP and Torque back.  If I remember right, 7 HP, and 15 lbs.ft of torque. 

Posted: Aug 07 2006 at 10:02pm | IP Logged

I just put Timbren rubber springs on my 2004 4#4 for the camper thet work great.$200 canadian,good for 3000lbs,no sway. timben.com