How Much Does It Cost to Beef Up the Suspension of a 2014 Nissan Frontier

Posted by Mark Williams | August 7, 2018

The mid-size Nissan Frontier is the merely pickup truck sold in the U.S. that can exist had for less than $twenty,000, and for that reason it deserves attending. At a time when some pickup truck prices are climbing into the stratosphere, information technology'southward nice that in that location's a pickup for buyers who merely want a no-nonsense, functional cargo hauler that doesn't consume a banking company account whole. We even did a video near all things we like about it. Withal, nosotros would be remiss if we didn't also point out the trade-offs of purchasing a truck like the Nissan Frontier.

Nosotros recently spent time with a 2018 Nissan Borderland S King Cab with a 6-foot bed and a 4x2 drivetrain. Aside from the $150 floormats, the price of this base-trim Frontier was $nineteen,965 including destination. This truck was powered by a 2.five-liter inline 4-cylinder engine (making 171 pounds-feet of torque) and a five-speed transmission transmission. It came with manual sideview mirrors, transmission door locks and manual window cranks.

The biggest weakness of this economical pickup? It's intermission. Non just does the Nissan Frontier provide a limited payload capacity — a paltry 827 pounds, meaning effectually 635 pounds if I'm driving — merely it besides has some of the most punishing front and rear pause jitters we've felt in a long time. On the plus side, the Frontier is probably the single best example of how far today'south pickup trucks have come. That'southward because the Borderland is essentially unchanged since 2004 and is in desperate demand of an upgrade. Thankfully, we know the all-new 2019 Nissan Frontier (based off the impressive global Nissan Navara) will be showing upwardly side by side twelvemonth.

Below are the pinnacle five things we promise will exist fixed in the 2018 Nissan Borderland.

Suspension

The front coil and rear foliage springs are fine, but we constitute ourselves making sure nosotros never let the gas tank get too low because the extra weight dramatically improved the ride quality. We're guessing loading a few hundred more than pounds in the bed would accept done even more. Nowadays all trucks should deliver a expert ride when empty and loaded — and do information technology with a much higher payload rating. With two smaller adults in the Nissan Frontier, we'd barely be able to legally comport 500 pounds of payload, which is roughly the aforementioned capacity as a compact crossover.

Rear Hinges

We know many people however like the extended-cab option (chosen King Cab for Nissan) whether full-size or mid-size, just not if the rear doors open to only ninety degrees. Such an opening makes it almost incommunicable to access the rear in-cab storage or seating area in a tight parking lot. Larger double-jointed hinges provide more than convenience and minimize the unsightly gaps that result from Nissan'due south old-school strategy.

Steering

Whether the problem is in the joints, the rods or the total steering mechanism, the shudder and vibration transmitted through the steering cavalcade and bike is, at times, a scrap unnerving — especially with so many improvements by the Nissan Borderland's competitors. And it's hard to detect another 4x2 mid-size pickup with the aforementioned amount of steering wander and numbness every bit the Borderland's. Whatever the effect, the Nissan Frontier's steering needs an upgrade.

Ameliorate Bed Tech

Today's pickups practise double duty, often serving equally family unit hauler and work truck. No single area of the vehicle better defines how well information technology will tackle those tasks than the bed. With just 4 standard necktie-down points, the Nissan Frontier's bed makes it difficult to safely strap downwards large or small-scale cargo boxes. Likewise, the bed's tailgate is heavy and lacks any kind of lift or drib assist. To make the bed more useful, more tie-down hooks and tailgate assist should be available for all trim levels, not just some trim levels.

Interior Upgrades

The interior of the electric current Nissan Frontier is seriously dated, and this is where it'south easiest for Nissan to make improvements and shut the gap with competitors. Better material choices and improved multimedia engineering will assist just providing more than standard features volition aid a swell deal as well. Become rid of the transmission mirrors, locks and window cranks, and permit customers know you lot want to give them every bit much as possible for a reasonable cost. They'll appreciate information technology.

Cars.com photos by Marking Williams

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Source: https://news.pickuptrucks.com/2018/08/nissan-frontier-5-things-that-need-fixin.html