x-trail gearbox

Accept it's limitations or sell it and buy a 4wd like the GV.

I agree. You will be better off selling it and getting into something else, even if it is a few years older than turning the X-trail into Son of Frankenstein. It will be asking it to do something it was never really designed to do and you are looking at big $$ to fix the short comings.

How about some more aggressive tyres and accept the short comings for now?

G'day Muddy,

I used to have an entrail, brilliant car, but when I started getting into serious 4 wheeling I sold it and bought a Patrol Turbo Diesel. That is after almost burning out the clutch on some rock crawling around a headland, and almost getting drowned with the 4wd system cutting in and out in soft sand on an incoming tide.

I would have loved to get the car lifted a bit, and have low ratio gears put on it, but as has been mentioned it wasn't designed for serious offroad work and would most likely fail in other areas. I'd highly recommend looking for a 4by designed for serious offroad work. You'll save yourself a lot of grief.

Having said that, I do still have a set of 4 x 15 inch rims (standard x-trail rims & hubcaps) with Yokohama Geolanders on them. I used to put them on for offroading. I'm looking to sell them if anyone is interested.

Thanks,

Aaron.

It wont really work will it ?

Isn't the Xtrail full of lecky trickery that makes it 4wd on demand , rather then a select 4wd or constant 4wd.

Adding low gears wont matter a jot , if , as described above , it slips in and out of 4wd.

I doubt adding a transfer box would be even possible.

Normal 4WD (offroad variety): engine:gearbox:transfer case:front and rear shafts:diffs:axles:wheels.

XTrail: engine:gearbox:(internal shaft to front diff)diff:front shafts:wheels

Where are you going to mount the transfer case? In between the gearbox and internal front diff?

Don't think so.....

Muddy X refer to post 28996, NOT GOING TO HAPPEN mate, as said already on previous post and by the people above that have replyed sell it and buy a vehicle for what it is meant for. Yes they are a great soft off roader but as you mentioned before about chewing bearings out on the alternator I reckon that is also telling you something, I have never had to do the bearings in my alternator at such low klms from injestion from mud, my brushes were rs thats the only reason I had to replace myn, once only it is now coming up for 300 000klms. You are going to destroy the xtrail and it will be worth zilch, sell it before you do any major damage and buy a proper 4wd as in low range/transfer case pathfinder, challenger, suzuki,hilux, 4 runner if you want something about that size, otherwise you jump up to patrol/landcruiser size. There are heaps of grand vitaras around V6 2.5L or go the 2L both very reliable and very capable and you can get alot of parts for them if required except Im quit sure they no longer make a snorkel for the Vitara's any more. Decide what you want to do with it, eg rock hopping, just on the beach, or the occasional water crossing, etc then buy to suit your needs. Xtrails are in the catorgory as holden cruise, toyota's rav 4, ford escape, mazda tribute, suburu forrester etc they are for the beach,sand,fire trails, not for trying to plough through mud the depth as your bonnett. Dont like to see some one destroy a 30k + vehicle trying to make it do what it's not meant for. BUY A NEW 4BY BEFORE YOU KILL THE XTRAIL Regards Vitara

Muddy,

Gee you must like that x-trail. Just like your post regarding the snorkel, I think your wasting your time and money. UPGRADE TO A MORE CAPABLE 4WD !!!

Mark

What is the limit you are willing to waste on this truck?

IMHO the others are all correct.

But if you want to go the whole hog, it will set you back $10k+ by the time you replace everything to allow you to have low range, you will have to find a gearbox that fits, then have it custom fitted to the car, then holes in the floor for shifter and the new gearbox shifter, then the different tailshafts, then the new front end to accomodate this, + new cross members, + engineers then go try and get an engineers for it.

Then you will end up with something that owes you a GU, and you will get VW Beetle price for, and still wont be as much use as a Zook.

YMMV.