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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.

2nd. if you (the OP) had access to oil analyses, you'll little differences between generic/walmart synthetic and the mobil1, pennzoil, quaker synthetics. the only time you'll start seeing a bigger difference is when you start using Royal Purple, Amsoil, etc. make sure you're getting a good filter as well, and i've yet to find a better filter than the Purolator brand filters.

the JWT POP charger is $100. yes, still expensive, but it's not the filter that is the difference. the JWT venturi MAF adapter is the difference. and yes, it is quite a bit more different and better than a typical, run of the mill, MAF adapter. $80 more is still a bit much, but i've run enough JWT POPs in enough vehicles and seen enough dynos that a MAF adapter does not begin to compare to the JWT venturi.

doubt it. two different engines. just get a cone filter, MAF adapter, and call it a day. JWT POP would be more beneficial than the K&N system, IMO, and has been for other vehicles that i've seen on the dyno.

maybe trucks are a bit different, but i've seen many cars get hydrolocked without even driving through hood-level water for extended periods of time. i've seen a Z attempt to go up a driveway that he wasn't familiar with. there was water that flooded the gutter some, but i guess there was a lot more water or a ditch that he obviously wasn't aware of. the bumper got submerged enough to cover half of the POP charger, and as soon as it did. the engine shut off and locked. there was maybe a millisecond of time between the time the POP charger got submerged in water and when the engine locked. i've seen that happen many times on several different sports cars. again, maybe trucks are designed a bit differently, but if they're not well....

no. no, water will get sucked in. no. don't get one then. figure something else out that won't suck water into your engine, but you'll be hard pressed to think of a less gay option.

there's an old school motto of, "35 saves lives." my tire shop manager says that all the time. much of it came from the whole Bridgestone/Firestone recall years ago. the 26psi recommendation was supposed to have been changed though. 30 is the best pressure to run for max comfort. that's the main focus that Nissan had in mind with that recommendation. setting it a couple pounds higher gives you better handling and a firmer ride. i typically run mine at 31-32psi and have been very happy with that.

^^^^ agreed. as far as all the non-HD GM vehicles that i've worked on, they've all got smaller center bores. are you not a fan of steel wheels? i've thought about getting some 16x8s, but i don't think i really want to fork out the cash. plus, that would also make me want to lift the truck and all the other stuff that i'd rather not have my money get sucked away into. haha.

just go buy some steelies like some procomps (Costco sells them, not sure how much though since we don't sell them in the shop. not in our shop, anyways) or what not. then just craigslist those bling blingies.

i would think that your model Q would have the TX10 TC because they still have the floor switch unlike the actual dial that the newer Qs and pathys have. best bet would be to get under the truck and see if you can find the PN to double check it. if you were to put the manual hubs on, i'd double check some of the electronics on your axle just to make sure you won't get any lights popping up on the dash or what not. i would think that if you did use the manual hubs, you'd obviously have to leave it in 2WD mode.

the WD21s with the 31" tires are a little different. they required an LRC/6-ply tire, and most of those tires maintained its shape quite a bit better regardless of the air pressure, so the WD21s have a bit of an advantage there.

just an assumption but it would seem that the switch/dial is an in-cabin hub locker control more than it is a 4x4 switch like it is in the LE models of some of the newer 2G R50s. so, having it in "2WD" would be like having the manual hubs in "free". "auto" would allow the vehicle to electronically switch into lock and free whenever it pleases. and "lock" would be like locking manual hubs. just an assumption, but that's what i would think it is used for since the Infiniti is supposed to be a more luxurious Nissan and having an in-cabin, hub locker would be something to achieve that.

nissan ones are cheaper by about $50 on average. and i can still find the OEM window vent visors with ease. My link not to mention, most dealerships should be able to search around for you to see if anyone has any left, if they are truly out. that's what my local dealership did for me when i got the OEM all-weather floormats.

manufacturer's setting is always the way to go. really, the only times you want to overinflate is if you're carrying a heavier load, which would obviously displace the tire more. there's few instances to underinflate the tires for street applications (off-road is whole other animal). if you're running regular, compressed air, it'd be a little more proper to run slightly higher pressures as the cold air will drop the pressure in the tires. regular, compressed air fluctuates quite a bit as it'll vary anywhere from 2-5psi in either direction when the tires are hot or it's hot outside, or when the tires are in colder climates. if you have access to it, i'd recommend inflating your tires with Nitrogen (the Costco tire shops run strictly on Nitrogen). Nitrogen is a dry gas that doesn't fluctuate with temperature changes the way regular, compressed air does. however, for most of the hardcore off-roaders, Nitrogen isn't a possibility as they'll need to inflate and deflate their tires on a regular basis.

about 123k right now. need to do my oil change and clean my filter.