hawairish
-
Posts
2,684 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
318
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Calendar
Posts posted by hawairish
-
-
Yep, you'd be surprised. The LCA bushings on my Frontier had a serrated edge that purposely gripped the surrounded metal. The reason for torquing rubber bushings on the ground with normal vehicle weight is because it sets the bushing to its operating load range. Otherwise it gets preloaded. Not needed for poly because they are greased up enough to allow rotation.
-
Yeah, I would've liked to stick with the 300 ft-lbs as well...but I had mental conniption since I had bought 12 discs/plates to rebuild two LSDs, and 6 were adding 200 ft-lbs to one LSD, while the other 6 (at the exact same thicknesses) were adding only about 40 ft-lbs to the other. Financially, I just couldn't accept that. I probably could've gotten the same numbers by putting warn discs back in.
What I really needed was another 4x 1.6mm pieces, but I had settled on 4x 1.5mm pieces because of national availability. Of course, should I plan to revisit this, I means that I should be able to swap in another 1.6mm piece and get back up to 300...hmmm.
Agreed on the mics over calipers. The mm resolution was in hundredths which is probably fine for this (cheapo HF digital calipers...but they've served me well), but the real problem is that the discs have just a slightly smaller diameter than the plates, so the plates don't see constant wear at the edges, and the calipers pick that up a little. The FSM does indicate to use mics on specific points, in particular the centers vs. inner/outer tabs, to measure wear. But the pieces aren't a perfect uniform thickness anyway (even brand new), so I measured at about 4-6 points to determine what I could as a min, max, and average. Kind of an arbitrary process altogether...I started pairing things up to make the stack as perfect as possible, but it really became a lost cause once it was in the axle and being tested.
I'd also like to think that the LSD will improve over time, for some time anyway. The raised areas of the new discs appeared to more rounded...as these flatten out (before they were too thin/smooth), perhaps the friction area increases a little. I'll give it a few more days and pull a tire off to retest.
-
Ideally I'd like to add a small battery (primary) for starting, and use the existing battery (secondary) for all other electronics.
From what I can tell from other installs, the main battery is for normal OE duties (starting and accessories), and the 2nd for other other accessories (lights, winches, fridges, RigRunner, etc.)
I plan to add a fused power distribution panel at the rear of the vehicle for camp-related items. But if the vehicle is off, I might want cabin or exterior lighting and the radio on...wouldn't I want those on the 2nd battery, too?
My positive terminal has a main lead and two smaller leads. I haven't followed the wiring yet, but I'm presuming that the main wire goes to the alternator and starter, one smaller goes to the fuse/relay panel under the hood, and the other smaller goes to the interior fuse panel. Is it as simple as putting the larger on the primary battery, and one or both smaller on the secondary battery?
If this is the case, I'd then probably want the heavier duty OE items like A/C and headlights on the primary battery, and all the all the interior electronics and future stuff on the secondary?
I also like the idea of using a marine battery switch for linking the battery, should I need to jump the battery. I know this is what the T-Max does with the Link button, but for some reason I think I'd prefer a hard switch in the engine compartment and one less set of wires to run into the cabin. Any thoughts here?
-
I feel ya, on that respect. Seems like noone works on their own stuff anymore. It's become more of a consumerist society. Need something? Buy it. Something needs done? Hire someone.
If I can't do it myself, I'll spend time figuring out how. Unless it comes to attic work or specialty work. I have more time than money...and I work slow. hahah!
It's a sad reality. And I can't even find anything that I need locally these days; I have to buy everything online. But I'm also somewhere in between...I usually buy something and use it for some unintended purpose. I'm no fabricator, but I bleed MacGyver.
-
2
-
-
For safe measure, I'd take a torque wrench to every bolt down on the struts, ball joints, and LCAs points.
But I have to side with the shop a little on this one. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt for a moment that they were installed correctly...they replaced the rotors under warranty, which is great, but I'd like to think that they would've looked into the issue a little further instead. They'd know pretty quickly if there was a problem after 2K miles...and I'd like to think they'd do it to cover their arses. They probably saw nothing, but replaced them for customer satisfaction. If they can't find a problem twice, I don't blame them for not wanting to do it a third time. The odds of getting two bad sets of rotors and/or faulty installation? I think your problem is elsewhere, unforunately.
Braking vibrations can be felt with even new brakes. Worn suspension bushings, unbalanced tires, tire toe-in/out (misaligned or bent TREs), loose steering rack, bad brake bias, air in the brakes, ABS faults...all potential contributors. I even clean off the magnetic ABS sensor tips on each hub just to make sure the signal is as clean as can be.
Have you tried rotating the tires to see if the vibration subsides?
-
Maybe the subframe spacers are upside down?
Kidding...those don't matter!
Is the crossmember under the engine (between the front mounts of the LCAs) level too? You may also try measuring under the R200A flanges to see if the axle sits level, though this wouldn't affect the angle of the LCA, only the CV).
-
I disagree. It wasn't hard at all. I did it myself, in a single car garage at a condo...only had to have help lifting the front differential back into place. Granted, I'm not afraid of getting dirty and comfortable working with air tools and wrenches.
Yeah, not hard, just a lot of work. I've done all mine with a floor jack and jack stands (including that diff). Help is a luxury item I've rarely seen over the past 15 years when working on my vehicles. Unless you count my wife dropping my to make sure my truck isn't resting on my face, or my kids taking my tools when they see an opportunity (i.e., my feet hanging out from under the truck).
CDN_S4 had an exception because of rust, of course, which presents some other challenges.
But I wouldn't let difficulty of the SFD install dissuade you, DJ, if you really want to go that route. I would instead focus on parts availability. We might go without a failed or replacement part for a couple of days...you might go a couple of weeks.
My real point is that I think your project may snowball quickly if you don't know what you're looking for nor how to achieve it. (Uh...so maybe snowballing isn't a good reference for Qatar, but I don't have a sand-related analogy
).Have you seen these?
Where Can I Find Old Man Emu Supension In Doha?
Ironman 4x4 Middle East (Ironman produces a lift spring that two guys here are running. They have a medium and heavy duty option...Ironman4x4.com)
Making a strut spacer locally should be trivial. Get a strut mount, trace the shape, make it uniformly X thick out of steel/aluminum/poly, use longer bolts on the strut mount, install.
If you have Nissan Patrols or other LandCruiser series over there, you might even have better/cheaper options than WJ springs. We don't have those here, so we can't really chime in, but I've seen some references to Patrol springs before on NPORA and the PCoA forum (the Australia forum where they also have Patrols/LCs). You'd need to do a lot more homework.
-
I agree hole heartedly with hawairish. A SFD is a pain in the butt. Ask me how I know. The end result is awesome but if you aren't planning on running 33's WITOUT cutting into your liners and fenders, I would recommend sticking with the OME coil lift, and spacers.
And I completely agree with CDN agreeing with me.
I've installed an SFD on my own truck 3 times already (original install, spacer swap #1, and spacer swap #2...it all requires the same amount of work), including all my own homework to make them in the dimensions I wanted. It's a lot of work. I bought the truck used with OMEs at all corners and 245/70/16s. I was very pleased with that setup.
-
Expanding on my last comment about not getting the SFD...if you have routine vehicle inspections that prohibit that sort of modification, definitely don't do the SFD. It's not something you can just quickly remove from the truck to pass inspection.
What exactly are you looking to do with your truck? Your initial post only seems to suggest that you want to replace all your suspension components, but it's not clear why.
Is there a particular tire size you're looking to run? This dictates how much lift you'll need. You mentioned larger all-terrains...what's available there?
If all these basic parts are so difficult to find locally...even regionally...then what's your back-up plan if something fails?
Like I said, I'd go with the OME setup, put 31" tires on, and see how it works out for your trips.
-
2
-
-
I will manage to purchase the Jeep WJ coils/springs locally in Qatar. Are they supposed to be stock size or what?
Rear:
Bilstein rear shock absorbers for a 2002 Ford F-350 2WD - Will they fit and will i be able to drive even if I do not have the SFD kit right now? http://www.amazon.com/Bilstein-24-185325-Rear-Shock-Super/dp/B003I82DIS/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1437988048&sr=1-1&keywords=Bilstein+%2324-185325
They are around 69US$ each.
Spring/Coil will be from a Jeep WJ which brings me again to my same question if it will be of the stock length or not?
Front:
What should I use for the front struts and coils and the strut mounts???? Direct links will be highly appreciated
Regards,
DJ
I've not done the WJ springs personally, but everything I've read suggests they are lift springs (i.e., not stock springs). The FAQ link I provided should answer that.
The F250 shocks will likely need to have the bushings swapped:
The upper bolt size on the F250 is close to the lower bolt size on the R50
The lower bolt size on the F250 is close to the upper bolt size on the R50
The need entirely depends on the bushings and sleeves supplied with the shock; some bushings may already be pressed in, some might not.
Don't install the longer springs until you've got the rear springs in. The compressed length may cause bottoming out and damage the shock.
I gave links for the front items...Rock Auto. You don't have many options for struts: KYB, Gabriel, Monroe, Rancho (a Monroe company), OME. That's about it. I believe there's a Bilstein for European R50s, but we've not seen it in the States.
Another option for you is to keep your stock/current suspension and just add the SFD. You'd still need to figure out how to lift the rear 4".
Personally, I think you should just get the OME springs, shocks/struts, some 1" spacers, and call it a day. The SFD approach you're talking is the extreme end of lifting the R50, and getting/finding all the other parts appears to be a hassle. You'll be satisfied with that setup. I'm not exactly sure what your goal is though...
-
Thinking 33's eventually, but the boy approves as-is.
-
3
-
-
I don't think there's a day in the past week or so where I didn't do something to the truck, but this day was particularly fruitful: I finally finished my driveline project. My donor front axle with Lokka and 4.636 went in last weekend, and rear diff with rebuilt LSD (175 ft-lbs) and matching gears in today to replace my open diff...took it for a spin, and the gears alone make a world of difference.
While at it, swapped in some brake shoes with less wear from my donor H233B axle, added a diff breather line (it just had the little nubby breather), replaced some wheel studs, and put a coat of paint on the brake drums.
Last weekend added another inch of lift up front (now 3" spacers + OME) and swapped in my 3" SFD spacers.
Also started re-assembling my R50 tire carrier tonight to get ready for mock-up (and drilling?) tomorrow. Had it and my sliders powder coated gun-metal the other week.
-
For your rear brake line, I used one from a Frontier...but pretty much any Nissan truck or Xterra from 1986-04 will do!
Check out Centric p/n 15042354 at Rock Auto. It's about 4.75" longer than ours (Centric p/n 15042351). Hover over pics and dimensions, and you'll see the fittings are the same. I installed one several months ago when I added spacers. Paid $9.39 for it. Perfect fit.
By the same token, I also ordered front brake lines for an 08-13 Nissan Rogue (p/n's 15042116 and 15042115). They're a little longer too, but the inline crimp for mounting to the strut limits some of the additional length...a custom bracket would free up more inches, but they were good for another 2" or so as-is I believe ($13/ea). I swapped those in at the same time as the rear line. The fittings are a match, but the inline crimp that clips to the strut was a little different. Took a file to the strut bracket and was able to get the retaining clips on. There's a subtle difference between the parts: the shape that the crimped part "keys" into on the strut bracket, but I didn't have a way of knowing which was left or right (but I can tell you they fit either side of the truck.)
The 5125's are the shocks I'm planning on.
-
1
-
-
I run OME struts, and they're great. KYB seems pretty popular too, and some guys like the Gabriels. The OME you can get from a few places, but RRO seems to be where everyone gets them from. You can get the others from Rock Auto for about $60-$65/ea. Rock Auto lists parts for European models, too, so you may be able to reference all the part numbers and find a closer supplier. RA also sells a variety of strut mounts. If you're planning to freshen up the strut assembly, may as well think about new strut bearings. Otherwise, what you currently have might be re-usable.
OME has some nice shocks, but you may have to do some homework on that one and see what lengths and bushing combos will fit yours. My experience with Bilstein has been good and bad, but I plan to go with Bilstein again soon because I'm not sure if OME will have the application I need. You'll also need to determine the height you need and see what the part number is. But for reference, I run a 2" spacer and OME spring (~1.5") and use a shock that is 28.125" extended, 16.625" compressed, 11.5" of travel. OE is 24.25"/15.125"/9.125". That said, an inch longer per inch of lift is a good starting point.
-
So wow...forgetting about the LSD for a moment, what a surprising difference the 4.636 gears make!
The LSD did great, too. Very good street manners, definitely noticeable. Some gas around the corner and it gives a very firm grab-and-go. Despite all the effort, a worthy upgrade.
-
The WJ is the Grand Cherokee, 1999-04. Be sure to check the FAQs from KrF, it should have all the answers you need.
-
1
-
-
I'll see if I can find the Bilstein p/n's later, though you might want to try their online catalog by series (vs. by application) and desired length. Since you're running lift, just look up the length of your current shocks and add some inches relative to your lift.
And I'd skip on the F250 option. I run Monroe Reflex cheapies for an F250 on mine, and the problem I had was that the bushings sizes (while correct for the R50 size-wise), are backwards, so you'd have to mount the shock upside down. Not a problem with monotubes, but a problem with monotubes that have an integrated steel boot...when mounted upside down, it's a cup collecting water. Not a problem with the rubber/poly boots. On mine, I had to press out the bushings to swap them. Wasn't worth the hassle.
Also, XPLORx4 has posted up some golden info about the Bilsteins valving. May want to search for that. I plan to upgrade to Bilsteins in the near future based on his advice.
-
Need to vent out...
I wanna thank each and everyone of you who have helped me but I am still far away from the decision. If I make up my mind, something else pops up and all those decisions just simply go to waste. Basically I am confused and I feel embarrassed to ask again and again but greatful to you for still bearing it with me although almost every thing ever has already been discussed on the forums.
I want to lift the awesome vehicle I have.
If I go with the SFD from KrFabs as suggested by "96Pathfinder4x4", what else will I need and require?
Front: Coil Springs, Struts, Strut Mounts - Their part number, brand and direct link
Rear: Coil Springs, Shock Absorbers - Their part number, brand and direct link.
I have already purchased and now waiting for the airlift 1000 which fits my present springs but I think I will need to purchase another one for the WJ springs and I dont want to repeat this mistake again or will it still work with the new WJ springs that I will buy?
I am confused so please help and guide me.
Regards,
DJ
DJ, if you go with the WJ springs with the KrF SFD, then you should only need longer shocks. Some guys (like me) run with shocks for an 02-ish Ford F250...but you'd probably have better luck finding an Bilstein dealer and getting a better product.
You should also consider longer brake lines, though I don't know how good your options are. I use a rear lines from a 98-04 Frontier/Navara and front lines from an 08-13 Nissan Rogue....but shhh, I haven't told anyone that yet (secret's out). I think I paid maybe $35 US for all three and they fit fine. Rear line is about 6" longer.
Chances are that your Airlift 1000 won't fit the springs...well, I should say, they might not be tall enough. But, the solution may be pretty simple, like a puck to fill the gap if needed. Wouldn't worry about it until you get to that point.
On a side note about the SFD...you guys don't have any sort of inspections that disallow these sorts of modification, do you? Just asking because some places (like Australia) don't.
And don't sweat asking questions...we all get a little excited about this stuff. But we understand it's probably a little more stressful for you because you have to coordinate having everything shipped from the States.
-
2
-
-
And next time (never!), I'm just buying a f*#%^@ Xterra diff... I had to settle for R50s locally.
-
Damn, good information Bud! Keep it up...
So this tells me that there is something else going on between the plates where .3mm doubles the break away, and .1mm triples it. I don't know what, but there has to be another factor as well.
Yeah, I have lot of experience making manufacturing fixtures, and it is surprising how easily/much mild steel will bend under load with only moderate pressure. When you start adding hundreds of lbs of pressure... Square or rectangular tube would probably be ideal for this purpose, and you can always put a solid bar inside if it starts to bend.
B
Yeah, it's a real fine line. I was definitely pissing me off, too. Must've rebuilt them at least a dozen times trying to find that happy medium. For one rebuild, I swapped the entire stack to the other carrier, and the numbers carried over...somewhere way over 300, and some lousy 100 number. So .1mm per side made a 200 ft-lb difference.
I thought about dumbing down the stack by swapping a pair of discs with plates, but it wouldn't have given me any spares to add .1mm to the other LSD build...so I'd have one LSD at less than 300, and still one at 100 with nothing I could do to improve it.
I ended up doing what I didn't want to do, and that was to make the stack uneven. One side in each LSD is .1mm thicker than the other. I kept trying to rationalize it: what difference could it make?!?! I stared at my digital calipers set to .1...as thick as a sheet of paper; 0.0039". Unbelievable the difference it makes.
I don't think it will break anything, but theoretically should lead to a little more wear on the thinner side. However, with both sides seeing pressure from the springs and spiders, I can't imagine it will be significant enough to worry. With this setup, I got one diff at 175 and the other at 150. Given all the pairings that I tried, it seemed that I should be able to produce some total between 300-400 for both LSDs combined, so I'm settling for those numbers. It's the most even pairing I've had.
I literally just pulled it off the jacks, need to tackle one more thing up front and then will take it for a test drive. I installed the Lokka and front 4.636 last weekend, LSD and rear 4.636 today...and a few other things (a spare donor axle comes in handy!). I took the 175'er, buddy's getting the 150.
I ended up using a length of 2x4 lumber to create a new bar. Worked out well...the steel bar that had broken off the previous bar became an insert on the 2x4 that I bolted to it. This particular 2x4 has been my multi-tool through this entire process...used it to mount the R200A flange so I could disassemble it for the Lokka, used to keep the wheel hubs stationary during torque tests, and then made it the torque bar. Who'd have thought...
-
Solid. How do you like that Trash-a-roo?
Not sure it was asked previously, but are the upper spring perches oriented correctly? There's a notch that should be towards the motor. On mine there's also a W that faces outward towards the wheel.
-
My ABS light was doing that, I checked the fluid and although it wasn't "low" it wasn't full either. Filled it up and it hasn't happened since.
That's what my 98 Frontier would do. Light came on, topped it off, light went off. I thought I had read that was normal in the FSM, but it's been a while.
-
Welcome aboard, Steven, and sounds like you like Datsuns/Nissans just a little bit... I've loved all the Nissans we've had, and we still have a couple of them around. I've been spending the past several months down in Norman, where my employer is based. Wish you guys would pick a weather type and stick with it
...went from the most rain I've seen in a long long time, to "oooooh, tornado...", to "man it's nice out", to "damn humidity" in about 72 hours. I'm just used to "damn it's hot" for about 7 months straight.-
1
-
-
Looking good!
Dual Battery questions
in The Garage
Posted
Yep, I was looking at the Blue Sea stuff specifically. Just seems like a really good, well-documented product line. I got a chuckle out of the T-Max instruction where it shows a pic of the "Batter" monitor (the pic looks a little lumpy, too).
I didn't see this kit earlier when searching, but it seems to be what I'd go with. The included switch (5511e) is the one I want because I couldn't think of a scenario when I'd need a 2-only position. Price seems right, too: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-Sea-Systems-120A-Add-A-Battery/dp/B000RZNP5K.
I was thinking about the lack of a meter, too. It'd be nice to see the status, but I wouldn't think putting some inline voltmeters would be any different than what the T-Max can display, and when (running, off). I've got a voltmeter under my radio now, and that seems to be sufficient enough for me`to determine charge and voltage. A second one on the other system would probably be fine (and inexpensive).
However, one feature I did like about the T-Max, is that its Link mode is on a timer. Prevents accidentally leaving the system in a linked mode for an extended period and draining both batteries. But since I'd only be using the manual switch for specific reason (jumping the battery) and it'd be installed under the hood, seems like having the hood open would be a good reminder.
Ironman also has a kit, but seems pretty pricey ($300 through a Toyota parts dealer in TX is all I've found for a source): http://www.ironman4x4.com/products/dual-battery-systems/dual-battery-kit-140-amp-includes-monitor