This blog is dedicated to our development Nissan NP300 Navara and the modifications followed out during our time of ownership.
MEET GENERAL GREY | STEDI NISSAN NAVARA NP300 ON DAY 1
Here we are on day 1: our brand new MY17 Nissan Navara ST. About as stock as they come except for the fender flare kit which is a Genuine Nissan item. 2 weeks blew by as we sat idle waiting for the postman to turn up with some boxes.
WHEELS | BULLBAR | SIDE STEPS
Things escalate quickly with some of the key items turning up.
WHEELS & TYRES: 18inch GRID GD04 in Gunmetal Grey wrapped in BF Goodrich All-Terrain K02 285/60/18
FRONTAL PROTECTION: Rhino 4x4 Evolution Bullbar
SIDE STEPS: Rhino 4x4
SPOTLIGHTS: STEDI TYPE-X PRO LED Driving Lights
NOTE: Shown in the above photo are our original Type X V1 LED Spot Lights which were later upgraded to our Type X Pro.
HIGH BEAM TRIGGERED 8" ST4K LED LIGHT BARS
While we were waiting for our roof rack to arrive we snuck in a couple of cheeky ST4K-12 LED Lightbars, which fit perfectly inside the Rhino bar cavity. These were wired into the high beam using the STEDI Plug & Play NP300 Specific Wiring Harness.
LED FOG LIGHT UPGRADE
While we had our head stuck under the car, we upgraded the LED fog Lights which offer a significant upgrade over the included generic LED fogs. Our Type-C Fog Lights also fit the Rhino 4x4 Bull Bars.
ROOF RACK & REAR BAR
Next up was the installation of our Ironman Rear Bar (Thanks to Mick at Extreme 4x4 in Hoppers Crossing) & Rhino Rack Platform with Backbone. At the time Rhino-Rack did not offer a backbone specifically for the NP300, so we went ahead adopted the backbone designed for the Holden Colorado. Word on the street is that Rhino-Rack is in the process of releasing an NP300 specific backbone. Word of caution guys, we recommend waiting for the official Rhino kit to be released, as the installation is not for the faint-hearted. The drilling points are very close to airbag canisters and require precision.
Our 10W Mini Osram Work Lights were bolted directly into pre-existing holes found on the Rhino-Rack. Our 10W Mini Work Lights are a staff favorite among our team due to their very low 0.5A power draw, compact design, perfectly suited beam shape/performance for the application. We used nylon washers to give us the ability to pivot the work lights by hand as and when required.
2 INCH LIFT
The lift kit was supplied by www.performancesuspension.com.au. Upfront we lifted 3" to compensate for all the added weight. The lift kit consists of height-adjustable Bilstein front struts fully assembled with Kings coil springs and PSR HD top mounts, PSR adjustable upper control arms, and HD front sway bar link pins. The rear 2" kit contains Bilstein struts all pre-assembled with Kings coil springs and HD strut tops, King Springs 2" rear coils, Bilstein rear shocks, and headlight aim bracket.
STEDI ST2K LIGHT BAR MOUNTED BELOW RHINO PLATFORM
Our ST2K-16L 40.5" LED Light Bar was commissioned to take care of the mid to long-range wide-beam. Using the STEDI LED Light Bar brackets designed specifically for the Rhino-Rack Platforms. These brackets will allow you to mount straight or curved light bars directly in front or directly below the platform. The best part is that the bracket a 100% bolt-on without the need to drill holes through the bracket. We also went ahead and swapped out the Allen bolts to hex head bolts, which allows fine adjustment without having to lift the rack away.
The ST2K range offers an incredible amount of mid to long-range volume and ties in perfectly with the other auxiliary lights we already have fitted.
REAR TUB LIGHTS
We needed some tub lighting with minimal power draw, for those long night photography & video sessions. Our LED Rock Lights provided the perfect amount of illumination with a negligible current draw. As can be seen in the image on the right, our rock lights installation is a great example of picking the right work lights for the right application. Each rock light draws less than 0.1A and offers more than adequate tub illumination.
IF IT'S WORTH DOING, IT'S WORTH OVERDOING.
We couldn't think of any good reasons why we shouldn't run 4 x STEDI Type-X LEDs on the bull bar, so we did. The two small outer shown are our 7inch Type-X and the two centers are our 8.5inch version. Each driving light was fitted using our 48mm Tube Mounting Brackets.
NISSAN OE TYPE PUSH SWITCHES | A PERFECT FINISHING TOUCH
Like any pro-installation OE, style switches are the ultimate finishing touch. We have two options for the NP300. Shown on the left are our shorter dash console Nissan switches. The Right Images show our taller Nissan switches mounted near the cup holders.
ARB TWIN AIR COMPRESSOR | AIR ON BOARD
We've got a talented pool of team members at STEDI, some of whom have an extensive background in the 4x4 fitting. Liam from our team managed to mount an ARB Twin Compressor underneath the passenger seat with adjacent remote coupling. We reshaped the steel remote coupling mounting bracket and made provision to mount one of our round dime switches. This location still allows for the seat to slide without any inhibition.
NAVARA NP300 EXHAUST UPGRADE
All the bolt-on modifications were really weighing down on power delivery and so our first step to resolving this was to free up some of the restrictions of the standard exhaust. Jaques Spamer who is regarded among the NP300 community as being the go-to guy for pipework supplied us with a beautifully crafted bolt-on kit. The end result was a far more responsive engine.
CHASSIS MOUNTED DUAL BATTERY SYSTEM | NP300
Our team extensively uses General Grey for field testing and night photography & video projects, which takes place in pitch-black conditions without any ambient light whatsoever. This often means that the car is power by lights whilst the engine is not running. Enter the ARB Chassis mounted auxiliary battery kit. Thanks again to www.traxindustries.com.au for supplying the REDARC BCDC charger and their wealth of expertise in getting the install carried out correctly.
NP300 ENGINE TUNE | +35% GAIN IN TORQUE & POWER
The final step in recovering some of the lost performance was an engine dyno tune. We opted for BSC Performance to carry out a towing optimized map that emphasis low down torque gains. Our baseline dyno was 101.5kw, and as shown in the above dyno graph we ended up with a very healthy 136.4kw and a massive 580nm at the rear tires. Needless to say, this has completely transformed the performance of the General making it far more drive-able, and more importantly has successfully corrected the power to weight ratio. Having now spent quite a lot of time behind the wheel, this has to be one of our most worthwhile modifications. Not only have we have seen an excellent improvement in fuel economy, but the additional torque now means only a light squeeze of the throttle is all that is necessary to get things going. We recently headed up to the hut at Mount Terrible (1325m above sea level) via Donald Track with the 4 passengers and a fully loaded tub the General powered up the track with very little throttle input up what is considered to be a very steep and prolonged climb.
BLACK MAXTRAX FASTENED TO RHINO RACK
We used the Rhino Pioneer Maxtrax Flat Bracket to secure a set of Maxtrax MK2 recovery system. We opted for black to achieve a stealth look. On a separate note; We are often asked where & how we ran our cables for the roof-mounted lights. For those with a keen eye, you may have already spotted the flat twin-core making its way down from the roof channel and then in between the windscreen seams. A few dabs of silicone were used to keep the cable in place.
ARB ELEMENTS FRIDGE WITH SLIDE
The overall dimensions of the ARB Elements Fridge (60L) with the slide check out perfectly in the tub. As can be seen in the photos below the fridge fits without bulging the tonneau covers. A quick release of the rear flap reveals fridge temps.
REAR AUXILIARY WORK LIGHTS
Our ST3301-2L work lights shown above are fitted to the rear sports bar using our 76mm Vice Tube. Check out the night shot below - These are the perfect auxiliary reverse lights for reversing on those tight bush tracks. Check out the night shot below.
HIGH OUTPUT 1000 LUMEN LED REVERSE LIGHT
New to our range of LED conversion kits are the 1000 lumen high output globes. Available in T10/15, T20, and BA15S they will suit just about any car on the market. Compared to our other conversion globes they offer a much brighter illumination with a slightly different installation method. A good customer has thrown together a short video briefly describing the installation as well as giving quite a useful comparison between the factory halogen globes.
STEDI NP300 NAVARA WIRING HARNESS
Those that have dealt with the Nissan NP300 and know the delicacy when making any modifications such as adding driving lights would say the similarity is like skating on thin ice. To make this process plug & play with the Nissan NP300 Navara we offer a complete harness that works straight out of the box removing any confusion. For customers that already have a STEDI Smart Harness, either included with a light or purchased separately, our NP300 High Beam Adaptor can be purchased stand-alone.
NOTE: The NP300 High Beam Adaptor will only work with the STEDI Smart Harness. Using other harnesses may result in IPDM failure.
