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Wicked Nissan Hardbody Buildup on Hydraulics

Chassis By Aaron Iha Bringing the Heat
By Mike Alexander
Photography by Aaron Iha
Nissan Hardbody Full Tube Chassis
1. Every build begins with... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Full Tube Chassis
1. Every build begins with an idea. That idea is turned into a design. Then, that design is put into action. To the untrained eye, this may look like a bunch of random tubing, but to us this is the makings of a wicked full-tube chassis.
Nissan Hardbody Jigged And Squared Rearend
2. The frame is jigged and... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Jigged And Squared Rearend
2. The frame is jigged and squared on the table and begins to take on a life of its own.
Nissan Hardbody Toyota Supra Rearend
3. The rear will house a Toyota... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Toyota Supra Rearend
3. The rear will house a Toyota Supra rearend, but this isn't your typical independent rearend setup.
Nissan Hardbody Fitted Rearend
4. The rearend is fitted and... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Fitted Rearend
4. The rearend is fitted and mocked up.
Nissan Hardbody Front Hydraulic Mounts
5. Nothing is "guess worked"... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Front Hydraulic Mounts
5. Nothing is "guess worked" here. Everything is designed and drawn in the computer to ensure the suspension will function properly. Here's a look at the front hydraulic mounts.
Nissan Hardbody Engine And Transmission
6. The engine and transmission... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Engine And Transmission
6. The engine and transmission are mocked up so that the crew can build the crossmembers to fit.
Nissan Hardbody Tranny Mounts
7. The tranny mounts are planned... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Tranny Mounts
7. The tranny mounts are planned ahead to leave room for the exhaust to run down the driver side.
Nissan Hardbody Brace Tubing
8. The TIG was heated up and... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Brace Tubing
8. The TIG was heated up and more brace tubing was added. The rear hydraulic mounts and trailing arms were also built.
Nissan Hardbody Mounted Cab
9. At this point, the cab... 
   
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Nissan Hardbody Mounted Cab
9. At this point, the cab was mounted and the bed was fitted to check out placement for the rest of the frame work and fuel cell mount.

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