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 (one) section of Strut Channel
- 8'1 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 M8x1.25 45mm Hex Bolts
- 5 3/8" x 1/2" x 1" Steel Spacers (only Lowes had these, not Home Depot)
- 5 M8 split washers (lock washers)
- 10 M8 flat washers
- Glue (I used [http://www.gorillatough.com/index.php?page=anti-clog Gorilla Glue because that is what I had lying around but other adhesives like Super Glue should work just fine)
- 7/8" Spade Bit
- 23/64" Drill Bit
- Small Drill Bit (smallest you've got: for pilot holes)
- Metric Ruler with at least 30mm (preferably 60mm) of marked length
- (optional) Drill Press
