rocky2

I don't think a TBS is useless, perhaps minimal at best and too expensive for the gains. In the old school days we called this design a "high-rise intake manifold". Increasing the plenum, (a chamber intended to contain air, gas, or liquid at positive pressure volume) is the desired effect and is beneficial just not cost effective unless you machine one yourself. Take the gasket and trace/copy the dimensions and bolt hole pattern and get a block of aluminium and have a shop quote you the job, make a bunch of them and sell them on NPORA and recuperate your cost. A 1" TBS is minimal and slightly noticeable performance gain, but not worth $100. I'm sure dyno charts will show performance gains but it's hard to rely on manufacturers claimsand all dyno runs are not the same. You can get more HP at sea level than at Pikes Peak 14,000 ft. So it's easy to see that air volume does help but argueably at what level. I put a TBS, 70mm throttle body(bored from 68), Jet performance chip, CAI and Magnaflow exhaust on my sons 4.0L Jeep motor and if you add up the claimed HP gains of each item you would think that I got close to 100HP gain. No way did that happen but the motor does run better, sounds better and feels stronger. My 2 cents!!

I always thought that welding the diff was a poor mans locker. Easy but permanently locked and no going back. You also need a good penetrating weld and someone competent enough to do it. A crappy weld and you'll be in there again and probably ruin something else. I myself will be going with a lunch box locker soon.

I think it braces the SFD blocks themselves so they do not flex or collapse. Especially if using 4" blocks and as write-up states under a side load. Welding the blocks is also a good insurance and blocks designed like "shift220" used seem bomber as well. The missing link is designed to brace the LCA flex. What I thought was cool is how he bent the tube over the drive shaft and welded a brace to the SFD blocks.

Feast your eyes on this mod http://forums.nicoclub.com/new-r50-5-lift-kit-r-d-t435802-60.html

It would be great to incorporate, somehow if at all possible, a longer strut and the SFD, so we wouldnt have to have a coil spacer!! Did it!!

Check out my Koni insert thread!

Got the pathy a hitch accessory http://www.etrailer.com/Ball-Mounts/Tow-Ready/TR63046.html

Touche' But he'll have to get another 1st aid kit and attach it to the rear next to the fake side step.

Tell him to sell it and buy an R50 Pathfinder

I will only speculate that using the AC coils (sorry SilverPath) in conjuction with the 1" NX4 strut top spacer caused at least 3" of overall strut length increase. Thus increasing the angle of the LCA and the hub followed. \ / I hope that's not offensive XPLORx4. Camber angle was increased toward the positive direction. When you lower a vehicle camber angles go the other direction, negative. / \ Think about this scenario: You put the KrFabs 4" strut top spacers on without the SFD. What will you get? But don't be hard on yourself, you learned to drive on the wrong side of the road anyway. Peace Mate

If the KYB's part #'s are the same, not sure though, the Koni 86-2582 will work. But seem hard to find at this time. Used the stock bolts

Yes by all means go for it "drewp29", take lots of pictures and post them, give us your alignment numbers (camber) when done, tell us what you think and be safe!! Your opinion matters and will put this topic to rest for me and "silverpath" (hopefully that makes you laugh a little) Ha Ha You'll dig it and workin on your ride is really what its all about. Trust me on offsetting the top bolt hole for camber adjustment. Try it on your old struts for a visual and practice piece, all the high end struts use this approach to adjustment. The top out issue is really more of a nuisance and sounds weird (struts if damaged only $63.00/piece) but you can live with it or incorporate limiting straps, rod extensions or inserts later down the road. The CV's won't blow up or anything like that, just might start to click once in awhile. The manual hubs will help when disengaged but the issue is still there locked or unlocked. Again only $50.00 for an axle assembly. Good luck and looking forward to your write-up.

The AC kit is cool, just a pain in the Ass, it makes the ride feel stiff and gives you lift but these are my concerns. You gotta Love a lift kit that suggests you buy camber bolts to remedy the impending results of using their lift ie. increasing the angle of your Lower Control Arms (LCA) and CV joints, which creates positive camber (bulldog look), never mentions the top out problem you are going to experience (due to limited stroke, you're stretching the strut) "I love how everybody here has some sort of excuse for this" and the need for Manual locking hubs to lessen the effects of increased CV angles, (still there just covered up) and the rear rake you're gonna get, cause the motor weighs the front down and the rear springs are not paired correctly IMHO. The SFD was pretty easy and you're going to wish that you went for 4" in the end. But maybe I'm wrong and the AC lift is the cats meow!! I did the same thing as you, looked around on the web and went for the AC kit, and have not regreted it just would have done it differently if I had to do it again. Read "theexbrit" s write up if you need more opinion on this matter. Or you're just baiting me to respond and we digress

I think you are on the right path. Go after the u-joints in the front drive shaft. Rotate the wheels just to make sure one is not balanced correctly or has thrown a weight. Check the rims for signs of a hit and/or bent. Check the CV boots for cracks or signs of damage. Jack the vehicle up, grab the wheel at the top and bottm and move it around checking for any play and/or loseness. Take the wheel off and check the tie rod ends and ball joints. Have someone sit in the vehicle and turn the steering wheel back and forth. Check the steering rack and its attachment points. The rubber bushings are known to deteriorate especial the driver side where engine oil during oil changes spills and over time ruins the bushing. Grasp the tie rod with your hand as the helper turns the steering wheel back and forth. Play can be on either side, inner or outer in the tie rod. But if it occurs under acceleration in 4WD, it's probably u-joints or CV joints Good luck and report back!

Ahh Good eye It was like a Harry Houdini move to get my ratcheting boxed end wrench in there. 4"x2" boxed steel would have been alot easier to get a wrench in there and tighten. I'm serious about the 10 year old statement!! A) Take the strut out of the vehicle, take the spring off, C) drill a hole in the bottom, D) cut the top off, E) slide the guts out, F) put a spacer in, G) slide the insert in H) tighten bolt. Hopefully that was not too condescending!! Come on!! And that's what forums are all about, learning new moves, I know that I have. Put your eyes on this http://www.pirate4x4...pathfinder.html So lets duel or rattle sabers!! Oh and yes top side camber adjust is cool but as you say not cost effective. So back to original post "CAMBER ADJUSTMENT" Offset the top bolt hole!! http://forums.vwvort...vice&p=78633901 Merry Christmas Brother Rocky2

Excellent, I could not agree more. But dutifully must take issue with the statements, "this includes longer struts" and "but I believe it is more complicated than it needs to be" and most notably, "What is the advantage of advocating a solution to a problem that is solved more easily?" "this includes longer struts" your right AC coils should not be used, causes too many problems without SFD to match. "but I believe it is more complicated than it needs to be" The Koni insert mod or a strut extension can be done by a 10 year old. "What is the advantage of advocating a solution to a problem that is solved more easily?" It was a blast solving this issue, machining my parts and laying in the garage tearing my pathy apart. Peace Brother

Dear XPLORx4 I hope you are not suggesting that top out of the strut is a safe guard to CV failure during extreme articulation. Once you put AC coils or any longer coils on the strut assembly, the strut assembly is longer, taller, bigger or whatever you want to call it. The ship has sailed, the train has left the station, the fish is on the hook. You have already lengthen the strut assembly. I'm advocating lengthening the rod in the McPherson strut apparatus in order to center the rods piston in the available stroke. Think about it for a minute. Let's say that you do a SFD, blocking the subframe and putting extensions on the top of the strut and using the stock springs, have you increased the CV angles? NO Think about the rear of the vehicle for a minute................. Put a block under the spring at the axle perch location use the stock spring and then lengthen the shock. All is good ! Now we have a different situation when using AC coils or any longer coil that needs to be remedied. Why not just use the stock length rear shock which will top out during extreme articulation and you can prevent the spring from unloading and falling out of its perch. Not a good idea ! Therefore I most humbly retract my previous statement that "Make a longer strut". And submit: Make a longer strut rod if using longer springs on a McPherson strut and do a SFD to correct CV angles But then again maybe I'm wrong and should just go 4wheeling and stop commenting on this site.

I think something is missing in the conversation. First of all the best way to lift a vehicle is with increased wheel diameter, ie. bigger wheels. Then you raise the body to prevent or mitigate wheel rub. Springs should only be stiffened not longer. The longer coil spring is making the strut top out and increasing the CV angles. Because the rod is extended to within 1 to 2" towards the top of its stroke with longer coils the wheel can only go downward so far before stroke is topped out. You can only depress the spring so far before the coils either touch each other or the tire rubs, meaning wheel upwards into the wheel well. Yes, a longer rod will make stroke longer and further wheel articulation and increase CV angles. That is why I matched my SFD to the AC coils. 2" SFD = 2" AC coil lift. My CV angles are almost perfectly straight with AC coils, extended strut mod and 2" SFD. SO I guess I can go up or down with wheel articulation and not exceed CV angles either way. So please help me understand this.

Welcome to the machine ! It's like Neo getting out of the Matrix, not everyone can handle the reality. You are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see or touch. A prison for your mind. It's similar to the strut top-out issues that the AC coils create. I read so many people accepting it or justifing it and nobody figured out how to fix it. MAKE A LONGER STRUT I told "02psychopathy" that I lived near him and would be willing to help him out in anyway and he said thanx all was cool until yesterday when he discovered he assembled the strut incorrectly. I'm trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You're the one that has to walk through it.

You do not need camber bolts, but they're cheap enough. The struts should be slotted to allow the adjustment. The bolts just make it a little easier. If your struts aren't slotted, they can easily be slotted. The top hole where they bolt to the knuckle is the only one that needs to be slotted if yours aren't. http://forums.vwvort...vice&p=78633901 It still baffles me that such a universal and accepted design modification and/or engineered adjustment procedure is not common practice here at NPORA

So what was the problem ?

The spring perch on the strut is notched and the V shaped notch is on the wheel well side of the strut, opposite of the knuckle mount spot. The top cap where the bearing and rubber insulator sit is notched ( small V shaped notch) as well, both should be aligned and/or clocked as the expression is used. It's in the Haynes manual for reference. When these reference points are aligned the strut unit is angled properly, in the vertical plane. The L and R indicators can be rotated if necessary hence the bushing. http://www.kyb.com/service/installationtips/installationtip02.php

Ordered it off some generic sticker shop on the web. www.stickershoppe.com

Nice I remember this video and unfortunately had mine done for $500 a couple of years ago before I saw this, so thanx for putting this up and hopefully someone else can save alot of money.

I offset my top bolt hole!!!