nige

i'm contemplating taking the flares off. THe truck looks a little burlier without them. Maybe put them back on after a lift and those 33" MTR's i constantly dream about

As per the common problems and fixes thread, my truck ran into the same problem. I should have done this last season, and I was lucky it never went completely through the metal. It would have been a lot less work. Anyhow, here's what to do if your fender looks like this: First, remove the fender flares if applicable. I had to use a grinder on some of the bad stuff. Then begin to sand down the affected area until you get to bare metal. I used a sandblaster and it saves a whack of time. I applied a coat of naval jelly in case there was some residual oxidation anywhere. The area should look like this: If the rust was particularly bad like mine, slap some filler or putty on, let it dry, then sand it smooth like so: After than is finished, you are ready to prime the area. Sand the primer until it is as smooth as possible, finishing on 600-grit. Then apply a fresh coat of paint. I took my truck to my friend's shop to have it done. You can blend in the new paint with a 600-grit wetsand. After that, use a polishing compound and finally apply a fresh coat of wax. This should keep the rust gremlins away for a little while. Has anyone found a paint which has some rubber compound to resist the scratching from the OEM fender flares? I have a feeling that sand between the body and flare is responsible for this problematic area.

yeah, it sounds like you have sloppy-a$$ tie-rods. Mine would wander and require constant input to keep it straight until i replaced them. Make sure you get an alignment afterwards or you'll ruin your tires

so you just pour a can of that stuff in with your next oil change?

I wouldn't bother with the ecu. It does gain hp, but at the expense of increased wear and tear other parts of the truck. Here's a link with some more info about them: linky The best way to squeeze a little more juice from these trucks is to make sure your engine is in good running order (tuned). A simple plug, wire, rotor and cap replacement can make a definite improvement. The K+N air filters help out, and like the borla outfit you already have, there are a few good aftermarket exhaust systems and headers available. Remote oil and transmission coolers keep the engine and tranny protected from heavy duty work like towing and hillclimbs. Electric fans like the one 88pathoffroad has installed reduce parasitic drag on the engines, freeing up a little more power. Just spend some time searching through the various threads. The little 'assistant' link in the top right of the board page has a good search feature to help you narrow down the topics. As for clutches, centreforce is a good brand. Here's another link for a different brand : Borg Warner Even the UAP NAPA clutches are a good buy.

the sensor cost me 80 bucks and about another 60-70 to put it in. Most shops will just charge you a full hour of labor to install the part. The threads on my old one were pretty mangled so I imagine the mechanic had a fun time getting it out. I just payed him with a box of beer and everyting was said and done.

i couldn't even budge mine with a bar and everything. I ended up having to take it to a shop. My exhaust pipes are in really bad shape, so it was really in there. I'm at the point where i need to replace all the pipes before winter hits, or I risk the chance of them breaking off

hahahaahhahaha that's true

lol, that works well until you get enough cash to fix it. I thought mine was going too, and when i went in to have it checked out, it turns out the gasket between the mani and y-pipe flanges had blown out. If it is the mani, make sure you get the revised studs put in.

yeah, these trucks have weak steering systems. Going offroading will definitely reduce the life of your balljoints, among other parts. If the suspension rattles while going over bumps, that's usually a sign that parts are getting tired. Removing old balljoints is tricky on your own unless you have nice tools. But they are cheap to replace. I would recommend you get an alignment after replacing them. The balljoints might need a good shot of grease in them too, so make sure you try that before getting new ones, unless you're filthy stinking rich

did you find the sensor yet?

yeah, i just got back from the mechanic's this morning and I discovered I have the same problem with mine. The gaskets between the manifold and Y pipe have rotted out and are leaking -at least it wasn't the manifold that was going like I thought *phew!*, but i don't think that doing this exhaust is going to be any cheaper, but at least I can work on it myself rather than paying someone. I would be interested to hear what y'all got to say about what me and cardamone should do

ahahahah jk jk you could put a new thermostat that opens up at lower temps, which would circulate coolant more often, or make sure all your fluid levels are good. As long as the engine temp level doesn't max out, you should be ok, but if it goes above that 3/4 mark, i wouldn't drive the truck until it cools down

pour beer all over your engine block and air conditioner. It keeps me cool

the oxygen sensor I just replaced was located before the cat. and after the 'Y' crossover pipe on the exhaust. That's the only on I'm particularly familiar with. My truck is a 1995 and i got a check engine code '33' when the sensor went down.

the studs talked about in here are the ones i'm getting installed on the truck tomorrow:

great job! pssssst. you spelt shield wrong at the bottom of this page: The Shield

his check engine light should be on if it's a bad sensor. then he can pull codes. I just got my truck a new ex. temp sensor and installed it today ahhhhhhh i have my milage back again which is good 'cause petrol is $0.84 here for reg

yeah i used that when i used to drive a 91 miata. That car was stupid-easy to work on

another good idea to reduce theft is not 'bump' the system in your driveway. That's the fastest way for t'iefs to find out you have some money inside your truck. The crackheads around my friend's apartment made short work of his system out of his talon. I know that it was caused by him and his parking lot pimpin

You could try an 'easy-out' it looks like a drill bit with a left-hand thread which bites into the metal and digs in. Don't use the size where the end of the bit makes contact with the bottom of the rounded hole. You need some space there while you turn the bit, giving it a chance to work itself in there. Make sure you really soak the nut in PB or nutbuster oil before attempting this. Breaking of the bit, or the 'easy-out' really sucks arse to get out. Then get yourself a new fill plug.

ah here, it's on 88's forums here's the linkski: t-bar fix

his torsion bar on that side is probably out of whack check the notices in the garage topics and you should find out how to adjust them to equal height

my wiper arm would get stuck all the time, i took it apart and sprayed some fluid film in between the nut that holds the arm on and the mount on the outside back of the rear hatch. It loosens up the pieces that get the most friction together which inturn gives the arm a more free range of operation. It gets sticky from all the salt around here in the winter time. Just keep spraying and moving the arm repeatedly to get the lube in there and it should work like a charm again

yep, Nissan is retarded like that but the stock SE shocks are a pretty nice ride, but i hear that ranchos are a good truck shock