Infiniti launched the QX56 in 2004 to compete in the fullsize luxury SUV market, with such models as the Escalade and Navigator, and matched them in terms of size, power, and luxury. However, the QX56 lacked the established aftermarket that Cadillac and Lincoln owners were able to enjoy. It was only a matter of time before the market caught up, and when Pro Comp stepped up with a new suspension lift kit for the Nissan and Infiniti, the owner of this '04 QX56 was ready.
We've featured a couple of Nissan lift kits-including a Frontier that's elsewhere in this issue-and we appreciate their front suspension design. It's so simple to work on that it makes lifting one an easy proposition. At least, they usually are.
The Infiniti showed up at Out of Control Off Road with a nice set of Zenetti wheels and To
Although this was the first time we've photographed a QX56, we assumed the front suspension would be similar to the Titan's, which it was, so the only unknown factor was the IRS setup also used in the Armada. It too seemed to be an easy design to modify, especially considering the Pro Comp lift came with detailed instructions with photos. Unfortunately, this Infiniti was a pre-production model. Not only did several of the bolt holes not line up, but it appeared to have been driven in a wet, salty environment that practically welded fasteners into their places.
Out of Control Off Road in Irvine, California, had just opened its doors for the grand opening at the time, but they were up to the challenge. Brian had to use a breaker bar at times when his impact wrench wouldn't budge the stuck hardware, but the kit went on without any major modifications other than drilling. Check out how Pro Comp hardware transformed a mild-mannered QX56 into an off-road juggernaut.
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The Explorer Pro Comp lift the owner chose to install came with all of the required fasten
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Front suspension disassembly began by removing the brake caliper and rotor, then removing
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Next, Jesse and Brian dropped the front differential.
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Pro Comp's 3/16-inch-thick steel fabricated crossmembers bolted into the lower control-arm
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With both Pro Comp crossmembers in place, Brian reinstalled the factory lower control arms
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An improvement in looks and performance, Pro Comp's coilovers were bolted in by using the
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Both 2WD and 4WD Nissan and Infiniti hubs were bolted on, rather than pressed in, which ma
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A screw jack was used to lift the lower control arm to mount the spindle into the upper co
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Compression struts were mounted with the supplied polyurethane bushings into the rear cros
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This gold iridite adapter and longer end link were used to mount the factory sway bar to t
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The addition of braided stainless steel brake lines and new bumpstops completed the front
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Moving to the rear, six bolts held the IRS subframe to the rest of the frame. They were ve
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Next, the compressor for the auto-leveling rear suspension was unbolted.
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With the entire rear suspension assembly supported on jacks, Jesse was ready to attack the
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An abrasive cut-off wheel was used to remove the canister from its bracket.
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The first piece of new hardware in the rear, auto-leveling drop brackets, was placed in th
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A bumpstop drop bracket was sandwiched between the auto-leveling drop bracket and rear sus
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On the opposite side, Jesse drilled a hole into the factory bumpstop mount to bolt in the
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After holes had been drillled, the three pieces on each side were bolted together.
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Reinforced arms and mounting tabs provided additional mounting points from the rear suspen
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Jesse drilled holes through the rear suspension assembly after it was fully lifted into po
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Mounting the shock brackets was actually a little tricky, since each side was similar, but
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The shocks will mount onto the lower control arms and provide additional damping to compen
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Bolted securely in place, the shock mounts are definitely strong enough to handle the load
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Brian returned to the compressor where he marked and cut the bracket as directed by the in
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Pro Comp included drop brackets for the compressor, which were bolted on by using supplied
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Here's the finished rear suspension, complete with braided stainless steel brake lines, bu
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Wrapping up the loose ends, the evaporation canister was secured with extended mounting br
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Finally, the safety strap, which was a steel cable in our pre-production model, differed f
A set of cast 18-inch Pro Comp Series 6089 chrome wheels were chosen for the Infiniti, whi
From the Driver SeatSince this QX56 was a pre-production model, there were some difficulties installing the lift that we normally don't encounter. Brian and Jesse had to fabricate a wider bracket for the IRS safety strap, and some bolt holes had to be drilled. The Pro Comp instruction manual included photos, and what we saw underneath this QX56 didn't match, so it looks like Pro Comp wasn't to blame. Aside from that, the bolts on the underside of the Infiniti were coated in a thin film of stubborn rust that forced Brian to use a breaker bar to loosen several fasteners. Even the impact wrench wouldn't budge them.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
| Time Spent Working: | Approximately 12 hours |
| Degree of Difficulty: | High |
| | (this was a worst-case scenario, but almost every nut and bolt fought back.) |
| Tools needed: | Air Impact, metric sockets, metric wrenches, drill and bits, breaker bar, |
| | line wrench, support jack, and a cut-off wheel |
| PARTS USED: |
| Explorer Pro Comp 6-inch Lift PN K6002BMX | Retail $1,700 |
| Pro Comp Xtreme A/T 265/65R18 | Retail $360 (four needed) |
| Pro Comp Series 6089 wheels | Retail $200 (four needed) |
| Total Cost: | $3,940 |
| | (not including tax or labor) |
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