Slartibartfast Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 Front end's coming together. Passenger's knuckle and re-booted CV are back where they should be. Idler and pitman modified to fit the Grassroots link. The pitman wasn't sure it wanted to come off, but the fire wrench convinced it in the end. And yeah, I'm running the zerks in just far enough to point them in the right direction. I got a different brand of lowers that are threaded, but don't come with zerks for some reason. Luckily the zerks from my clapped-out centerlink fit those. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I just drilled my pitman arm on the truck. I couldn't get the nut loose. Broke my 2ft breaker bar trying... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobsteriffic Posted March 27, 2018 Share Posted March 27, 2018 I was out wheeling her a little bit on some trails and decided it was time to head home. On the way down the trails, I noticed my RPM's were stupidly low, and then saw the fuel and engine temp gauges slowly going down as well. Next thing I knew all my gauges were dead except the speedo, no fan or blower, but my radio worked. Really bizarre. Drove it all the way back into town and pulled into a parking spot to try to restart her. No dice. Everything was dead. At this point I was freaking out so I decided to start searching the forums, and sure enough, I found this thread. And like user fast5speed said, it was a blown ignition meter fuse. Swapped it out with a spare I had, and everything fired up as normal. This forum is literally the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you all! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 I just drilled my pitman arm on the truck. I couldn't get the nut loose. Broke my 2ft breaker bar trying... Yeah, that SOB was on there! Even with the half-inch impact I had to heat it up with the torch before it budged. And that's on a truck from a non-salt state. I don't have a handheld drill with a big enough chuck to take the 5/8" bit, though, so it had to come off whether it wanted to or not. The drill press had a hard time with it. I can only imagine what a PITA it would've been with a hand drill. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onespiritbrain Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 At this point I was freaking out so I decided to start searching the forums, and sure enough, I found this thread. And like user fast5speed said, it was a blown ignition meter fuse. Swapped it out with a spare I had, and everything fired up as normal. This forum is literally the gift that keeps on giving. Thank you all! Dude good forum detective work Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Yeah, that SOB was on there! Even with the half-inch impact I had to heat it up with the torch before it budged. And that's on a truck from a non-salt state. I don't have a handheld drill with a big enough chuck to take the 5/8" bit, though, so it had to come off whether it wanted to or not. The drill press had a hard time with it. I can only imagine what a PITA it would've been with a hand drill. I had one of those big makita hand drills. Thing is a beast and it will tear your arm off lol: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Front end's back together and greased. New ball joints, TREs, Grassroots link, CV boots, and shocks. The steering feels really stiff, but hopefully that's just the joints in the Grassroots needing to break in. Next up, DIY alignment to get it straight enough to drive to a shop for a real alignment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 What shocks did you go with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 KYB Excel-G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobsteriffic Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 Dude good forum detective work Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk As much as I love these forums, the built-in search function is pretty bad imo. Doesn't bring back results half the time. I've resorted to just googling "NPORA *insert problem keywords here*". So my search to find this thread was "NPORA No gauges no start" and sure enough it came back with results. Seems to work pretty well! Cheers 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted March 28, 2018 Share Posted March 28, 2018 KYB Excel-G. I installed those on my friend's pathfinder, found them very soft compared to the stock shocks. Let us know how they are. For my stock 95 resto project, I just ordered 4 new adjustable ones from nissan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 For my stock 95 resto project, I just ordered 4 new adjustable ones from nissan. Fancy fancy!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted March 29, 2018 Share Posted March 29, 2018 My random front end clunk was really annoying me. Decided to pull the wheels off and see if anything was loose. Nothing was (although thank you Micah, I'll have somebody who knows what to look for better than me check out my tie rods, they seem a little suspicious), however I decided to replace my 3 year old sway link that had no zirk fittings anymore. It was never really greased, so I figured it probably wasn't doing too good. Got the student discount from Advance Auto, and $15 and a couple of hours later the front end is almost silent! Still a little noise, but not like before. (Only took so long because the bottom bolt wouldn't budge with the breaker bar and I couldn't get the impact in, so I decided to drop the whole sway bar.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 New adjustables! Damn. I don't even want to know how much those cost. The Gs do feel a little soft, just from bouncing the truck by hand. I'll update when I've driven it on the road. To that end, I did something approaching an alignment this evening. I don't really have a way to measure caster but I got the camber somewhere in the ballpark and the toe to where the tires won't shred before I get to the tire shop. My only concern at this point is that there's enough drag in the steering that it's not self-centering. It's not locked or anything, but if I let go of the wheel, it doesn't center. To those of you who've installed Grassroots links: is this normal? Does it wear in? Or is this something I should dig back into before driving this thing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citron Posted March 31, 2018 Share Posted March 31, 2018 Caster effects the centering. Generally speaking, the more caster the quicker the wheel centers and the easier the vehicle holds a straight line. The less caster, the more responsive the steering. That's why sport bikes have little caster but cruisers have a lot. Sport bikes are for cornering at speed and crusiers are for straight line down the freeway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I wish it was as easy as the caster being out of whack. The steering is noticeably stiff under all conditions (even when it was on jack stands and I was turning the steering so I could access the centerlink bolts to torque them). Hit a bump with one wheel, the steering wheel doesn't move. Something ain't right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Citron Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 Ahh. Yeah that doesn't sound right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Very busy day. On Friday I suddenly had a very bad idle that wouldn't go away. Come to find out it was the piston return springs, so pulled the valve covers off and threw some new ones in today. All working as it should now! Idles smoother than it every has. Happy Easter as well everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Make sure you top off the blinker fluid afterwards! I think I figured out the problem with my steering. The idler arm doesn't meet the centerlink properly, so when I bolt them together, the joints bind up. Looks like the rod for the idler arm is a little bent (I can see daylight on one side of the top bushing but not the other), and I'm not sure the Bandit 4x4 bushings I installed last summer aren't changing the geometry either (which would explain why my old idler arm brace didn't fit after I installed them). New idler should be here Wednesday, and hopefully that offering of burnt cash is enough to appease this blighter so I can get it back on the road. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 (edited) New adjustables! Damn. I don't even want to know how much those cost. The Gs do feel a little soft, just from bouncing the truck by hand. I'll update when I've driven it on the road. To that end, I did something approaching an alignment this evening. I don't really have a way to measure caster but I got the camber somewhere in the ballpark and the toe to where the tires won't shred before I get to the tire shop. My only concern at this point is that there's enough drag in the steering that it's not self-centering. It's not locked or anything, but if I let go of the wheel, it doesn't center. To those of you who've installed Grassroots links: is this normal? Does it wear in? Or is this something I should dig back into before driving this thing? They weren't that expensive. I think it was about 600 including shipping. You pay that much for 2 struts on most cars anyway... I had replaced all 4 with monroe sensatrac and they are mush. Did you over tighten the bolts? Precise1 had that issue and so did I. I backed them off to the next hole in the castle nut and it has been fine. I still fine it is a bitch to turn when the tires aren't rolling though. And I have never sent mine in for an alignment, just did it myself in the driveway. Edited April 2, 2018 by adamzan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrelcocko Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 I sold the old gal! She was a great SUV. Never left me stranded. Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 I sold the old gal! She was a great SUV. Never left me stranded. Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk You did??? Please tell me it's an April Fools joke! Otherwise, I guess you do have two more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrelcocko Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 You did??? Please tell me it's an April Fools joke! Otherwise, I guess you do have two more... It's true bro, needed the money. It's like a break up. Lol! Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrelcocko Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 It's true bro, needed the money. It's like a break up. Lol! Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk She's gone but I'm still here. Love the R50s like no other. Damn good vehicles. Sent from my SM-S337TL using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted April 3, 2018 Share Posted April 3, 2018 New front calipers. The passenger's front got real hot just before I tore into the front end (one of those "why is there smoke coming out of my truck?" moments). The caliper had released by the time I got home, but the rubber boots on the pistons looked pretty chewed up, so I assume corrosion got in there and bound up the pistons. They weren't that expensive. I think it was about 600 including shipping. You pay that much for 2 struts on most cars anyway... I had replaced all 4 with monroe sensatrac and they are mush.Did you over tighten the bolts? Precise1 had that issue and so did I. I backed them off to the next hole in the castle nut and it has been fine. I still fine it is a bitch to turn when the tires aren't rolling though. And I have never sent mine in for an alignment, just did it myself in the driveway. Hmm. I tightened them to the 95 lb/f spec'd on the Grassroots site and then I think I had to give one of them a little extra budge to get the cotter through. Thanks for the heads up on that, I'll keep it in mind when I put the front back together! I think I've got the angles close, but I'd like to get it on a real rack before trusting it with new tires. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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