When The Datsun Pickup landed in the States, it quickly became one of the most popular economy trucks of the day. In the early '80s Nissan rebranded its line of vehicles and dropped the Datsun name, but it wasn't until the company released the fullsize Titan in 2004 that it gave American truck manufacturers a run for their money.
We contacted Trail Master, which has been in business for more than 30 years now. To help us with our Titan vs. Tundra testing, Trail Master supplied us with a couple of Titans, a suspension or two, and a good look at its manufacturing facilities.
We then traveled to Lamb Nissan in Scottsdale, Arizona, where we installed a Trail Master 6-inch suspension system on an '07 Titan. It's a relatively easy bolt-on installation, but takes the better part of a day. After the install we hit the highway for a road test and found the suspension to be responsive, comfortable, and highway friendly. The next day we headed down to the Crown King Trail to put Trail Master's feature truck with the same suspension and a 3-inch body lift through its paces in a head-to-head trail run with the Tundra. The suspension and body lift allowed the fitment of 37-inch tires, which gave it enough ground clearance to make it through some difficult obstacles. The tires were one size too big and rubbed a little, but overall we like the way the suspension handled and performed on the trail and highway. Most of all we liked that the suspension held up to some tough wheeling and didn't fail. If it doesn't break, it's certainly a product we approve of!
The Trail Master 6-inch Titan...
The Trail Master 6-inch Titan suspension system is a complete bolt-on kit, with the exception of some minor metal trimming up front. The suspension works in combination with factory components like the front coils and rear leaf springs. The kit includes everything needed for installation including the sway-bar links, front crossmembers, and new knuckles.
The Trail Master system uses...
The Trail Master system uses a two-piece drop-down crossmember and new knuckles up front to achieve lift. This means that the disassembly of the front end is extensive. Detailed instruction are included, and it's a relatively straightforward installation, but it may be a tad more involved than what a weekend wrencher may want to tackle.
There is some very minor cutting...
There is some very minor cutting needed to install the aft crossmember. The removal of 11/2 inches of material from the factory crossmember bracket is necessary. This isn't a difficult cut, but care should be taken so the structural integrity of the mount is not weakened.
The factory coil springs and...
The factory coil springs and shocks are retained and fitted with a new spacer. This helps lift the truck and maintain a ride that's close to factory specifications.
It's extremely critical to...
It's extremely critical to make sure all nuts, bolts, and fasteners are torqued to the proper factory specifications. If you are installing this kit at home, have a buddy follow up on your work and double-check your torque specs.
The rear of the truck is lifted...
The rear of the truck is lifted with blocks and retains the factory leaf springs. You can bet Nissan spent millions researching and testing spring rates, so leaving the factory springs in place in most applications is a good thing. The key to lift blocks is making sure they aren't too tall. Once they reach a certain height they become unsafe. The Trail Master blocks are made from quality ductile iron so reliability and safety are not an issue.
The 6-inch suspension system...
The 6-inch suspension system comes with Trail Master's premium nitrogen-gas-charged shock. The shocks are vehicle-specific and tested to produce the best ride and handling characteristics for each application. They have a low-pressure nitrogen-gas charge to reduce foaming, which definitely helps when wheeling over harsh terrain.
Here is the payoff of the...
Here is the payoff of the Trail Master suspension system. The Titan looks aggressive, and 35- to 37-inch tires can be installed, giving the truck the ground clearance needed to function off-road. Because Trail Master designed this kit to retain the stock coil and leaf springs, the ride stays pretty close to factory...
...We say "pretty close" because...
...We say "pretty close" because the shocks are slightly stiffer and the tires have stiffer sidewalls, which make the ride a little more firm. This is not a bad thing, considering you don't want your lifted fullsize truck to ride like a slinky rock buggy.