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thanks for the link, morpheus. i don't know why or how i couldn't find that. damn, that bumper looks so dope. how heavy are these bumpers? is it something that would need stiffer springs or will the stock springs and better shocks/struts be ok? i ask this because i don't plan on lifting my truck. my reasoning for this bumper would mostly be because i always enjoyed having the stock steel bumpers on my old WD21. i don't really care that i've already put some scratches on my R50 bumper now, but having a steel bumper is always nice.

looks sweet! doesn't look like KMA makes one for the 2G R50s or does this fit as well? not a bad price either.

check courtesyparts. My link looks like PN #65722M. might want to verify that when you order it though.

cams will give you a noticeable gain in power. a very common modification in many cars. when i modified my 240SX, i used a bit more aggressive of a street cam that netted me more power. drove a NA Z32 with a mild street cam to see if that's what i wanted on my own. both our vehicles were pretty much identical aside from the cams and there was a noticeable difference in power and pull through all gears. pulled noticeably harder off the launch and i was able to chirp the tires with more ease. also wanted to get a set of S1 cams for my previous G20, but i sold it for my pathy before i got a chance to. if that's a mod that you're seriously considering, it will net you many more horses than a TB spacer and WAI will, or a CAI even.

only have the POP charger. can't say anything about hp as that would require me being on a dyno before and after. typically a WAI will only net you 5HP or less at the wheels, at most. biggest things you'll notice with the POP or any WAI, for that matter, is louder engine noise and a better throttle response. TB spacers are a pretty controversial modification as to whether it's useful or a waste. i would just pass, if it were me.

nice info, fleurys! i'll have to keep an eye on mine or maybe just do some preventative maintenance and replace it on my next oil change. haven't noticed any leaks or weeping, but it never hurts to do it just in case.

be careful with independent shops siping your tires. it's not necessary and it will actually void any and all warranties with the company. if the tire did not come with enough sipes to hold traction in conditions, there's a reason. siping/cutting the tire is considered vandalism by companies and shops. just an FYI.

2nd. you've got to do quite a bit to be able to bend all wheels. most bent wheels (those that are significant enough to even be felt) are ones that are hitting the curb and putting a nice dent in the rim, and the rim flange. in offroading situations, i agree that it's easier to bend a wheel, but you've got to be driving like a tool to be able to bend them all, just my opinion. what does the shop mean by "choppy"? do they mean feathered or cupping tires? feathered tires shouldn't really cause a vibration at high speeds. you'll usually just hear more road noise like a hum, and you'll probably only feel the feathered tires when braking/driving at slower speeds. tires that are cupping will be worse. tires that are cupped usually have a wavy type of wear in the tread which can definitely cause a vibration issue that resembles a bad balance. nothing wrong with the tires or the work of the shop. the tires will stay that away until they smooth out through normal wear, and will just be annoying more than anything.

can you clarify what you mean by "tire bump"? if you mean binding, then that's pretty normal as that is what the transfer case is doing. it's sending power to the front axle, so the steering will feel a bit tighter than in 2WD.

i believe there was someone that posted that there were differences between the 1G R50 SE and LEs, being that the LEs will experience more rubbing as compared to the SEs. the SEs that come factory with the 265/70/15s will not rub unless the tires come brand new with an insane amount of tread or the springs are sagging like crazy and the shocks/struts are beyond blown.

pretty much, yeah. modi, it's basic physics. you're putting a tire with a larger circumference on there. brake distance is going to increase, acceleration is going to slow, mileage will probably be affected a bit, your handling shouldn't suffer a whole lot though, to be honest. most 31s come in 6-ply applications meaning it's a stiffer tire. you've got more sidewall now, which usually results in a "mushier" type of ride, but the stiffer tire counteracts that a bit. biggest things you'll notice are increased brake distance and slower acceleration. that's the big things.

going from a 265/70/15 to 31s should be barely over a 3% increase. maybe a 3.5% increase, if that. the 31s are actually an optional size that we use regularly in the shop for Frontiers, Pathys, etc.

brake failure is a very bold statement nor do they explain what can actually happen. just a very vague and ambiguous statement. when upsizing your wheel/tire combo, your ABS can fail if you get to about +12%. a +3% change will mostly affect handling of the truck, speedometer, etc. it's always nice to upgrade your braking system with at least better pads, maybe some SS lines, and better fluid. other than that, you'll be fine.

wait, are you talking on the same side of the wheel? if it's on the same side of the wheel, it's always in the shop workers' best interest to only balance a wheel with one weight on either side of the wheel. if that's what you're getting at, yes, i wholeheartedly agree. not only doe the balance look more professional with only one weight on either side of the wheel, but it's the proper way. i thought you were getting at one weight at the top of the wheel on the outside rim and another weight at the top of the wheel on the inside rim. i agree, a wheel can look normal but once it's spun it's usually extremely easy to tell if it's bent or not.

up and down movement of the wheel (that isn't obviously bent) during a spin balance is typically indicative of a wrong back cone being used or something similar to that. side to side movement is one that is indicative of a bent wheel of some sort. having weights directly across from each other also isn't a huge deal. they are meant to correct slight imperfections in the wheel and/or the tire. if the shop has decently, up to date, machinery then about 95% of the work is done for the shop worker. they just have to follow what the computer tells them.

not sure if that's an across the border thing, but rotate/balances on non-Costco tires are done all the time. it's just a $4.25/ea wheel charge. sometimes shops will say they don't do that because they're lazy. they should be taking the work because it's easy money, and they're actually supposed to. it's a service provided for Costco members whether or not the tires were purchased from Costco and they should be doing it. not sure if it'd be worth your time or effort, but speaking to the service manager or even the warehouse manager will solve that for you real quick.

that's what i'm saying. Costco charges $17. and i can guarantee that i do A LOT more work on a simple, rotate/balance than most other independent tire shops and dealerships do. if you have a Sam's Club where you live, they also charge like $20. trust me, i don't have any of this machinery at home. but i do at work. and most (not all) people should have a Costco or Sam's close by. again, just throwing that little FYI out there for you guys. that's a whole lot of money saved. EDIT: let me clarify just a little more. when i say that i do the work, i mean that i do the work when i'm on the clock at work, at Costco, in the Tire Center. i'm hoping that everyone realizes that.

labor rates in the US are that much as well, but i just think it's a pretty ridiculous price for such a simple and quick job to do. that's all.

well, make sure that they are doing a dynamic balance. this should be a standard for wheels that have a lip on the inside and outside face of the wheel. it's just a pound-on/hammer-on weight placed on the inside and outside rim of the wheel. that will be the most proper style of balance for the wheel. if they're doing any kind of an alloy-style balance (use of tape weights on the inside to hide the weights) or a static balance, it will not allow for a proper zero balance.

just an FYI for any that are curious. Costco (not sure if it's the same across the border), but for us to take off all the wheel weights, rebalance, deflate and reinflate with nitrogen, and rotate the tires will cost you $17 even. if it's not done properly, the shops should be doing it for free until it's done properly. paying anymore than $25 is absolute robbery, IMO. i can usually finish somewhere around six trucks' worth of rotate/balances in a matter of an hour, so for them to attempt to charge the approximate labor rate per hour is ridiculous.

BTW, what kind of balance are you having done? what kind of wheels are they? dynamic balance is best, especially on truck wheels. if it's impossible to get a dynamic balance, then making sure that the wheel will allow weights to be as close to either side of the wheel is best. if that's not possible (i.e. if the wheel has a huge drop center/outer lip, or you just don't want weights to be shown on the outside, etc.), then you may very well be S.O.L.

road force balances aren't necessary unless the tires are out of round (which is commonly seen in cheap tires). spin balance is perfectly fine and will zero out with very little to no issue if done properly, the tire is round and properly mounted (high and low points of tire are mounted at the correct position of the wheel, etc.), and if the wheel doesn't have any major bends or dings.

Year: 2002 lift : stock. will probably get some new shocks/struts later on, but a lift is not in the plans. Wheels : stock 16" tri-stake wheels Tires : Michelin X Radial LT2 255/70/16 Notes: no rub whatsoever and no cutting done at all.

stock wheels and tires look like stock size as well.

how wide are your wheels? if they're stock wheels, 305 isn't going to happen and 285 is stretching it because IIRC, the minimum wheel width you should have for a 285 tire is 7.5" and the stock 16" wheels are 7" wide.