2012 Nissan Frontier: Strut Channel Install
This article details the design & installation of a 5' section of Strut Channel into the bed of my 2012 Nissan Frontier Crew Cab SV 4x4. This is a functional (although different) stand-in for the Utili-Track™ that comes as an option on some Nissan Frontiers. Frontiers that did not come standard with the Utili-Track™ cannot have it easily installed because the bed-frame is different. Inspiration for this project came from Tyson Cook's DIY Writeup - Utilitrack with Unistrut over at the Club Frontier Forums. I chose to install this Strut Channel because it gives a good base (that does not permanently modify the vehicle) to mount a Ham Radio Antenna (which I'll add to the bottom of this article as soon as it is done). After a parts order from McMaster-Carr and 5 trips to various Home Depots & Lowe's I finally had what I needed. I'll try to streamline the process for anyone wanting to follow my example.
Assumptions
- You want a really clean looking install and are willing to put in a bit of extra work
- You have a drop-in bed-liner
- You don't want to make any permenant modifications to the vehicle
Grocery List
- 1 section of Strut Channel
- '1 5/8" depth (& width)
- 5' length (fits perfectly)
- Solid (slotted will cause the section to be off-center but requires no drilling)
- Aluminium (we don't want it to rust)
- 5
