RainGoat Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Sounds like the perfect time to do two.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGoat Posted June 13, 2018 Share Posted June 13, 2018 Sounds like the perfect time to do two.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted June 14, 2018 Author Share Posted June 14, 2018 Just might be... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted July 15, 2018 Author Share Posted July 15, 2018 Made a recent trip to out east, exploring the area as we went along with no real plan in mind. The state turns to dry, arid desert really quickly. 2hrs from home and it was about 40 degrees hotter and dry. Great short trip with my family. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted August 7, 2018 Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 (edited) Quick overnighter outside of Darrington. Edited August 7, 2018 by TowndawgR50 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Still needs doors huh? Looks fantastic otherwise of course! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGoat Posted August 7, 2018 Share Posted August 7, 2018 Quick overnighter outside of Darrington. Nice Pics! I could use that Bear Notice in my neighborhood! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltaR50 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 sick shots bro!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deltaR50 Posted August 25, 2018 Share Posted August 25, 2018 hi doggies!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted August 24, 2019 Author Share Posted August 24, 2019 Ran the Gambler500 with @Slartibartfast this past weekend. The original plan was to take the Pines to Spines 2003 LE but I didnt have enough time to sort its electrical problems. So we took my 2001 instead. Really enjoyed meeting and hanging with @Slartibartfast. His rig is one of the cleanest WD's I've seen! The gambler crowd is a pretty wild bunch and there was plenty examples of creative and nutty cars that had all the right hackery to make for a fun weekend. Explored a large area east of the cascades which was mostly new to me and played around at Moses Lake briefly before heading out. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 Mine looks like a Power Wheels next to yours! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted August 26, 2019 Author Share Posted August 26, 2019 Cleanest 1988 power wheels I've ever seen! And you yanked out the real power wheels (half cut Ford Festiva) at the dunes like it wasnt even there! I thought for sure that thing was going to act like a boat anchor 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted August 26, 2019 Share Posted August 26, 2019 I was impressed by how well Rat Trap did in the sand. And yeah, that Festy was something! I think we could've gotten a few more people over there and carried it out if plan A hadn't worked. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted September 3, 2019 Author Share Posted September 3, 2019 (edited) Great trip with some of the PNW folks this past weekend @Stpickens and his dad in a slick kitted out Subaru, @zakzackzachary @02_Pathy @Citron and @SteelerCam. Ran section 1 of the Washington Back-country Discovery Route and got my technical fix afterwards at Jones Creek with @02_Pathy Edited September 3, 2019 by TowndawgR50 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 Long time with no update! The truck is back from a recent trip to Moab with @hawairish and his build has inspired me to bring this thread up to speed... The truck has seen lots of trips and a handful of upgrades. Most notably is the rebuilt trans. Had some water intrusion in 2024 that prompted me to have it professionally rebuilt with a couple minor upgrades for durability and longevity. I paired that with a set of low-range gears for the transfer case that @hawairish helped make happen. Legend has it these gears are made by the same group that manufactures OEM gears but I have no proof so take that with a grain of salt. They are manufactured in Japan and have proven themselves in Moab but the install had a few hiccups that leave me curious how others have done this DIY in a garage setting. The large 4WD shaft required machining to match the OEM length otherwise it binds on the case. Not a problem as I chucked it in the lathe and made the needed modifications but unless you can machine the case or the shaft I would say this would be a show stopper. I drilled and tapped the output shaft so that I can run a SYE in the future while I had the case apart then reassembled everything and delivered it to the shop performing the rebuild so they could install everything and get the truck back up. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 (edited) The truck now has 4.6 gears. Initially I installed a SuperPacked LSD rated at 236.5 ft/lbs of breakaway that @hawairish built but after driving it for a while I found it wasn't really appropriate for my intended uses and the wet PNW environment. Would be great for a trail toy or sport truck application. So I ended up going with ARB lockers front and rear. The front hasn't made it into the truck yet but is on the bench as the next major item. The truck is already plumbed for it so I just need to finish the install into the housing and stuff it under the truck. @hawairish hooked it up with a slick bracket that he cooked up for mounting my old ARB single in the engine bay. I had originally mounted it in the rear passenger cubby and it worked well for the last 10 years in that location serving the sole purpose of inflating my tires after trail runs but with the ARB's it was time to relocate. I installed the switch panel that @hawairish and I ordered a while back that replaces the sunglass holder to run everything- Compressor, front and rear lockers, light bar, trail lights and AUX backup lights. Super stoked with the result. Edited April 19 by TowndawgR50 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 (edited) The universal sliders I've been holding onto for as long as I've lived here finally got mounted. Again, thanks to the brilliant engineering that @hawairish cooked up I mounted them via the OE locations using a set of QX4 step rail brackets and the adapter plates that he generously designed and cut out at his lab. They're robust, can easily support the weight of the truck and completely bolt-on. The truck also got a complete set of 2nd hand Coastal bumpers with a swing out that was conveniently located locally. The kit was professionally welded at a SoCal race shop so the fit up and quality was superb. Just needed a respray and some minor cosmetic repair. I bought the correct color matched silver to paint them but the window to paint outdoors here is very short and i have not managed to get the time in the 3 years since owning this set. I wasn't much of a fan of the Coastal options so I shaved most of what was on the bumper with the intention of 3D printing my own AUX/Fog light housings when the time comes around to painting them. For now its just clean and simple. An element of the Coastal design that seems pretty wild to me is the disregard for the power steering cooling line. These trucks use an aluminum tube that runs directly across the lower radiator support that the coast kit neglects, forcing users to bend it up out of the way. I opted to run a remote oil cooler next to my trans cooler and avoid what could be a disaster on the trail from a bump or collision. Edited April 20 by TowndawgR50 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 19 Author Share Posted April 19 The entire cooling and belt drive system was refreshed. New radiator, pump, thermostat and housing, hoses, belts, power steering pump, alt, idlers, fan bearing bracket, fan and clutch. During my repairs I've been finding that many components, brackets, bolts etc...they're all succumbing to rust. I started ordering full sets of all bolt and nut sizes/pitches of yellow zinc JIS hardware to have on hand as I go through my truck and other projects. Additionally, i found that electrolysis is a great way to clean up super rusty parts prior to painting. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 (edited) I said goodbye to my old set of KM2's on vintage mags and K02's on Tacoma alloys. Picked up a new full set, including a matching spare, of KM3's on some 15x10 AR alloys. With the impending long distance road trip the 8 year old rubber was a liability and it was time for a refresh. While I was at it I installed a set of OEM Nissan manual hubs that @hawairish sent my way. Much nicer kit than the Warn units I was running and they only need a 1/4 turn to engage. Gave the refurbished bumpers a quick coat of rattle can black to clean up the truck and get ready for the Southwest trip. I installed some universal mud flaps since the OE units wouldn't clear the tires to complete the look and so far they've held up really well. They come without brackets or mounting holes so it left a lot of room for interpretation but overall I think they're a great solution for my needs. Edited April 20 by TowndawgR50 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 (edited) The rear arms I built years ago got an axle side change to some beefy heims in recent years. I'll start by saying I don't recommend them and will be changing them to Johnny Joints in the near future. They are super high maintenance and started squeaking within a year of install. They're probably fine for a trail toy or someone who just doesn't care about the noise. The performance was impressive but not worth it in the end. I started by media blasting the arms I built to get rid of the damage from DOT liquid de-icer's used in recent years. Then painted everything and applied a healthy layer of anti-seize. I kept the body-side rod ends poly to provide some insulation from noise and vibration and the combo worked well prior to the heims making noise. At this time I made a driveshaft spacer from 6061 AL to allow me to push my axle further back into the center of the wheel arch. Pretty easy job and solved an issue with lifted R50's that most folks don't account for when going higher. At some point during all this I started rehabbing a spare HB233 housing for the eventual rear disc brake setup that I picked up from @hawairish. I had the axle housing media blasted and coated it in POR-15. My OE axle shafts needed to be turned down to fit the WD rotors but later models apparently don't need that modification as the axle flanges were smaller in diameter. All new seals, bearings, rotors, pads and refreshed calipers. When I eventually get the axle done it'll be a short period of down time since I should have everything ready to swap in. Edited April 20 by TowndawgR50 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 Changed out the front axle shafts for the Trakmotive extended travel units. Much beefier than OE and they come with the Thermoplastic boots. That said- they skimp on paint or any kid of coating so they rust quickly. I suggest immediately painting them if you get a set. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted April 20 Author Share Posted April 20 Items in the works: I've got a handful of things still to do short term but the list is finally getting shorter. Firstly the important items learned from the recent Moab trip would be that I need axle limiting straps and a taller spring would be ideal. I want to eliminate the HDPE spacers I've used for years and get an all-spring setup. I may also move the spring perches forward and fabricate new lower shock mounts that will provide more clearance. Still have some research to do on that front. While I was coming through Oregon I took advantage of a sale+no tax+IST coupon to walk out the door with a 12K winch for $260 bucks. Just need to swap over my old 9.5K Smittybilt synthetic rope and figure out where to remote mount the solenoid. The front suspension really isn't terrible, especially given my KYB's are approaching 10 years of age, but my roots in high speed off-road really have me wanting to build a better front end. Long term I have plans to make a LT front setup that should fit the bill very nicely but it'll be a ways off. For now there are a set of motorsport coilover struts that should work with the Nissan suspension components after a few changes. I think the weakest link of the whole front setup is the lower control arm mounts and overall method of stamped sheet metal manufacturing. A set of chromoly tube arms with through-bolt mounts and the motorsport coilover struts would be pretty slick and get me closer to the machine I want. I'm sure there are a few bits I've missed but this should be mostly up to date now. A few pics from the recent Moab trip with @hawairish 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGoat Posted April 20 Share Posted April 20 Wow!! That rig sure looks alot like the beauty gracing my drive the other day! What a ton of work and such a lovely and practical result!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TowndawgR50 Posted June 6 Author Share Posted June 6 Cooked up some heavy duty sway bar links as part of my suspension refresh. Hard to believe its been 10 years since I installed the complete front end kit on this truck. Not a ton of miles since then (+/- 50K) but they were hard at times and saw some pretty fun adventures. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 8 Share Posted June 8 How are those Trakmotive axles holding up? I'm still on the fence, heh. Nice work on cleaning up the rusty brackets. I swear the early 2000s trucks they must have used the crappiest metal for that stuff. The ones on my 1995 WD21 still have most of their black paint whilst my Xterra looks like a leper under the hood. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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