[jimc068]

I'm wondering if the placement of the muffler has ever caused a problem with clearance during off-road situations. . .thanks. . .JC

 

[SIM]

If you mean the resonator located roughly at the middle of the MO, yes it is surely a big no-no for any serious off-roading. It could be removed however to gain a few inches but the entire piping is way too low, just as if the Nissan engineers, looking at the final MO, realized that they forgot to include an exhaust system...

 

[MightyMo]

There is a flange just after the CAT and a flange just before the muffler, so she is just BEGGING for the whole middle section to be replaced, including both the mid muffler and the lame loop that hangs down as the pipe goes around the rear suspension. I will get to it in due course if nobody else beats me to it.

 

[Steve Richards]

I think I'd be more concerned with the plastic gas tank hanging down there unprotected....

 

[GMTURBO43]

I'd be worried about no locking differential.

I'd be worried about no 4-Low.

I'd be worried about the tires.

I'd be worried about the paint.

I'd be worried about the transmission.

 

[MightyMo]

Aw, you guys are no fun at all...

The gas tank is plastic and of course designed to survive high speed rear end inpacts, I can't imagine running it over a rock would be an issue, and anyway the Mo has such a short overhang in the rear that you would have to back into something REALLY steep to even try and hit it.

The Mo *does* have a locking diff...the center diff. Many SUVs have wide open front and center diffs and an LSD rear, but I would take a locking center over that every day.

No idea what the paint and tires have to do with anything...but as for the lack of 4-low and concerns about the tranny, well, don't go rock crawling or tackle the Rubicon Trail with this thing, but that should already be obvious.

 

[SIM]

The thing that is mostly obvious to me is that the MO was designed and built to stay on the road and to attack dirt and icy roads as an extreme sport. :2:

 

[senza]

MightyMO - where is the "locking centre differential" located?

 

[MightyMo]

It's the electrohydrolic clutch between the drive shaft and the rear diff. When locked the power is evenly split front to rear, so even if you have the front or rear slipping you will still get some power delivered to the other end.

I know from a purists stand point it may not seem fair to call it a locking mechanical diff, but it does the same thing (lock, free spin, or chose your shade inbetween) and is lighter than a real diff which is why they do this in the rear of the Mo and in the front of the G35x/FXx5/Skyline.

-c

 

[senza]

MightyMo - The electrohydraulic clutch is exactly that; a clutch that engages the rear differential...it in itself is not a differential...you are correct that when engaged, it provides equal power to front/rear differentials....keep in mind that in slippery conditions, both front and rear diff's are "open", and if one wheel front and back spin, you will lose traction....a LSD on the rear would be a nice option...

 

[MightyMo]

I'd take an LSD up front personally, it's always getting power no matter what the AWD clutch is doing, and it's more likely I think that Quaife or somebody would make one for the Altima that might be made to work in ours too. I'd gladly pay $1-2K for such a thing...

 

[SugarRushMurano]

senza, i agree with you...

MightyMo - The electrohydraulic clutch is exactly that; a clutch that engages the rear differential...it in itself is not a differential...you are correct that when engaged, it provides equal power to front/rear differentials....keep in mind that in slippery conditions, both front and rear diff's are "open", and if one wheel front and back spin, you will lose traction....a LSD on the rear would be a nice option...

Look at vw touareg when it is a luuxry suv and the AWD have LSD options too. Hwo come nissan does not see such market in Murano.
Maybe Goshn (nissan ceo at present) does not want murano to canibalize xterra?

 

[senza]

Canibalizing XTerra/Pathfinder could be part of it...most likely Nissan wants to keep costs down and they definitely don't market the Murano as an offroader...the existing drivetrain setup , with upgraded tires, works great ...you just have to recognize its limitations...

 

[MightyMo]

I did a another full day worth of off roading just this past Sunday exploring the Old Dale Mining District in the BLM territory just east of Joshua Tree NP. Again, no issues at all. I allllmost got stuck in sand once, but some momentum driving and careful placement of my tires in the rutts allowed me to pull through...an LSD would have been helpful! I also dragged the center muff on sand/gravel quite a few times, I look forward to ditching that thing soon...