Favourite Upgrades?

[Drat76]

So, I recently bought my beloved 2015 NP300, ST-X. I have managed to put a few thousand K's on it already, done some off road adventures and even a decent river crossing which completely convinced me of both how awesome this truck is and my desperate need for a snorkel. The snorkel was always on the mod list, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to reach out to the world of Navara enthusiasts and ask you all:

• What are your favourite mods?
• What mods would you do differently if you could do it again?
• What would you avoid?
• What would you like to do but haven't yet?

My Navara is a stock NP300 ST-X so I am building this from the ground up and the sky is the limit right now.
I am interested in all your thoughts, advices and opinions.

Cheers

 

[Old.Tony]

The single best thing I did to mine was replace the suspension. We went to Uluru in 2010 and found the rear springs had inverted (towing a caravan with about 150kg ball weight, and 4 jerry cans of diesel in the back too).

We decided in about 2012 (and I'm glad we did) to go for dual-rate leaf springs in the rear, so that when the car is unloaded it wasn't hugely stiff (speed bumps in car parks are a nightmare) but it could still carry the load we wanted to take. Obviously shocks were also changed, to ARB's Nitrocharger Sports shocks. These springs and shocks are still on the car today, and still performing flawlessly.

 

[Camionpilot]

Leaf springs ....how quaint , so your Np300 [ d23 ] are not on coils but still in the horse and cart era ..? lol

 

[KevinE]

Leaf springs ....how quaint , so your Np300 [ d23 ] are not on coils but still in the horse and cart era ..? lol

Tony has a D40. So he has leaf springs.
The D23's here are coiled in the rear, so like yours, they're not suited to the heavy work of the type that Tony does.
Spain? How quaint

 

[Drat76]

The single best thing I did to mine was replace the suspension. We went to Uluru in 2010 and found the rear springs had inverted (towing a caravan with about 150kg ball weight, and 4 jerry cans of diesel in the back too).

We decided in about 2012 (and I'm glad we did) to go for dual-rate leaf springs in the rear, so that when the car is unloaded it wasn't hugely stiff (speed bumps in car parks are a nightmare) but it could still carry the load we wanted to take. Obviously shocks were also changed, to ARB's Nitrocharger Sports shocks. These springs and shocks are still on the car today, and still performing flawlessly.

Thanks for your reply Old.Tony. I know there are some complaints about the rear suspension in the series 1 NP300 being a bit on the soft side which I will definitely look at improving on if I get a lift. Cheers

 

[Camionpilot]

Nothing quaint about Spain ..lol . . the heaviest work mine does is tug my quad around now and again .

 

[Old.Tony]

Leaf springs ....how quaint , so your Np300 [ d23 ] are not on coils but still in the horse and cart era ..? lol

LOL well the question was asked about favourite upgrades and even the coils up front on mine have been upgraded, and I'm pretty sure even the NP300s have shocks - so if anything, I've offered my favourite and gotten the conversation going!

 

[viclord]

My recommendation will be along with the suspension, add a bull bar and bash plates.

 

[Camionpilot]

Fitted Bilsteins all round a couple of month s ago, tricky to find in the EU as they seem to be batch built , so you have to hunt around ...!

 

[Fivefivezero]

New intercooler and new hot and cold piping

 

[Rhino1174]

I must admit mine is sitting in carport waiting to be installed when I get time it’s a bullbar and winch I’m sick of roadkill messing up plastic bumper and I’ve always said if I put a new bullbar on I not doing half a job so I got myself a winch just in case

 

[Camionpilot]

Aaah is that to drag the road kill home ..?

 

[Billy54]

Bilstein's all round, Heavy duty leaf springs with air bags. Smart bar on the front with driving lights, fogs and no winch. Yokohama Tyres rotated front to back every 5k with oil change [tradie truck, gear in the back with ladders on top] I get a good wear on the tyres.

 

[Drat76]

New intercooler and new hot and cold piping

Yeah, the intercooler and pipes is climbing on my to-do list. What brand did you go with? Did you fit the new intercooler in-front of the radiator? I like the idea of getting it out from underneath the car into a more protected location.

 

[Drat76]

I must admit mine is sitting in carport waiting to be installed when I get time it’s a bullbar and winch I’m sick of roadkill messing up plastic bumper and I’ve always said if I put a new bullbar on I not doing half a job so I got myself a winch just in case

Bull bar and winch is definitely on the must have list. Have you picked out a brand and style of bull-bar you prefer? I am thinking a single loop bull bar, not sure which brand yet.

 

[Rhino1174]

Aaah is that to drag the road kill home ..?

Honestly I had to remove a bullbar to fit a winch to my daughters car 12mths after she put it on and I learnt my lesson do it all at the same time it’s so much easier and if my past experiences in this Tasmanian mud go I going to need it better to have a winch and not use it than need a winch and not have it!

 

[Rhino1174]

Bull bar and winch is definitely on the must have list. Have you picked out a brand and style of bull-bar you prefer? I am thinking a single loop bull bar, not sure which brand yet.

I ended up with a bar from ps -4x4 in Victoria was best price to Tasmania and adr airbag compliant also got myself a 12000lb dominator Xtreme winch for the money they well worth a try especially with a 7.2 hp motor now the reviews on them seem to be very positive compared to others on market for under $400 you hard pressed to go past them

 

[pistol-W]

Tony has a D40. So he has leaf springs.
The D23's here are coiled in the rear, so like yours, they're not suited to the heavy work of the type that Tony does.
Spain? How quaint

I live in Spain with leaf springs, due to mine being a work horse...

 

[UP04 WRK]

New intercooler and new hot and cold piping

I really want to do this! where could you recommend buying these upgraded pipes? thank you

 

[Fivefivezero]

I really want to do this! where could you recommend buying these upgraded pipes? thank you

I got them all off Ebay from different sellers.
Plasmaman for the hot pipes, forefront industries for the cold pipes, not sure about the intercooler brand.