It does "act" like a cheater pipe.... but mostly it's an issue for the extra wear on wheel bearings. That said, you'd have to have considerably more extension than say a 2" spacer. I can't imagine it (a 2" Spacer) makes the spring rate "feel softer", or act any different for that matter.
The Dumb Question Thread
- Thread starter SledheadX
- Start date
It does "act" like a cheater pipe.... but mostly it's an issue for the extra wear on wheel bearings. That said, you'd have to have considerably more extension than say a 2" spacer. I can't imagine it (a 2" Spacer) makes the spring rate "feel softer", or act any different for that matter.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
DQ: How do you folks wash the dirt, mud, silt off your X? This may be a really dumb question but I am serious.
I religiously clean the 4X4 after an outing into the bush by going to a do-it-yourself, coin-operated high pressure hose car/truck wash.
The past few months I have been working on both front and rear ends of the X (sounds great doesn't it?) and have been shocked at the amount of caked silt and dried mud on the chassis especially in the rear portion.
How can I improve this situation? High-pressure hose longer?
Do any of you ever go to those automatic car washes that shoot water straight up under the chassis? Are they as or more effective than standing/kneeling on the side and doing your best with a high-pressure hose?
I religiously clean the 4X4 after an outing into the bush by going to a do-it-yourself, coin-operated high pressure hose car/truck wash.
The past few months I have been working on both front and rear ends of the X (sounds great doesn't it?) and have been shocked at the amount of caked silt and dried mud on the chassis especially in the rear portion.
How can I improve this situation? High-pressure hose longer?
Do any of you ever go to those automatic car washes that shoot water straight up under the chassis? Are they as or more effective than standing/kneeling on the side and doing your best with a high-pressure hose?
I bend down and try to spray under the Xterra from the sides and the back in a vain attempt to dislodge the dried mud and dirt. It gets a lot of it, but I can never get it all.
I have heard of some people setting up an oscillating lawn sprinkler underneath and letting it run for a while to soak the underside, but then you're bringing dirt and mud to your driveway or lawn that you might not want there.
I have resigned myself to the fact that it's not gonna get as clean as I'd like so I don't spend a lot of time on it. Much more fun getting it dirty again!
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
As long as it it's not thick mud clinging to the truck and is just the stain left behind I don't really worry about it that much. If actual mud is clinging to your truck I think your pressure washer might be a little weak or the hose is probably too short to let you get close enough.
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Most times after wheeling I hit a local car wash and use the high pressure rinse, and then I'll pay for a complete wash with the pressure under-carriage wash.
Now that I've added more "stuff" to the rack, I am looking at craigslist for a used pressure washer.
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Can anyone confirm that the front Bilstein 5100's use an 18mm top nut? I just went out to check and my long socket set doesn't have an 18mm, the 17mm was too small and the 19mm worked kinda but felt loose.
11ORX
Test Drive
- Location
- South Dakota
I bought an Orbit Telescoping Gutter Cleaning Wand for cleaning the undersides of my vehicles - mainly for rinsing off de-icing spray. I don't use it as much as I probably should, but it does give a pretty powerful spray and you can adjust the angle of the sprayer as needed. I connect all of my cleaning tools with brass Gilmour quick connectors, so they are easy to swap out. I also have a Gilmour Foamaster Cleaning Sprayer Nozzle that couples to the Gilmour connectors on the nozzle end. So I can switch out cleaning implements without turning off the hose bib - just release the grip to stop the flow of water and switch out implements. A pistol grip hose nozzle in combination with the Orbit wand makes undercarriage cleaning really easy - though I haven't had to use it on mud yet. The Orbit wand also has its own shutoff valve, but I don't use it.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
The pressure washer is strong enough. Our local car/truck wash pressure is comparable to the dozen other car/truck wash places I have used over the past few decades.
Some of the mud (glacial silt?) in parts of British Columbia can really cling to the vehicle. So on a week or 10-day long steelhead fishing trip I might head into the local town to spray clean the truck 2 or 3 times. That might sound OCD but sometimes, either you clean the truck or you wash your hands repeatedly throughout the day.
Not getting close enough to the dirt could be a factor but I reckon that tires and other things are effectively blocking a direct application of the high-pressure water stream. That would explain why the front end tends to be much cleaner than the rear.
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
We have some 'special' mud down here too in certain places that's terrible to get off so I can relate to that. Either you remove it early on or end up really having to work to get it off. I'd bet you buying a pressure washer will help, it's easier to take your time without the countdown clock on the wall going.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
Pressure washer:
- In addition to buying one, I would have to purchase a machine that pressurizes the water. Our gravity fed river water does not generate very much pressure.
- In order to spray wash the truck over the lawn, I would have to drive into the backyard, which would be a pain.
- I like to fish. I like fish (not everybody does). I like ecologically healthy watersheds (most people do not give a shiat and do not like BC First Nations or prefer stomping on them). So that eliminates washing the vehicle in the street where the dirty water would flow directly into storm sewers and then into the river.
- The local car/truck wash is owned by an entrepreneur who is now mayor of a neighbouring village. The car/truck wash functions very well.
I like to support local businesses.
- In addition to buying one, I would have to purchase a machine that pressurizes the water. Our gravity fed river water does not generate very much pressure.
- In order to spray wash the truck over the lawn, I would have to drive into the backyard, which would be a pain.
- I like to fish. I like fish (not everybody does). I like ecologically healthy watersheds (most people do not give a shiat and do not like BC First Nations or prefer stomping on them). So that eliminates washing the vehicle in the street where the dirty water would flow directly into storm sewers and then into the river.
- The local car/truck wash is owned by an entrepreneur who is now mayor of a neighbouring village. The car/truck wash functions very well.
I like to support local businesses.
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- Location
- Burtonsville, Md
I don't know why but I found myself looking at the ARB air locker's [ It's TerryD's fault 
] Anyway here come's the stupidity !! Do you keep the compressor on at all time's or dose it come on automatically when pressure get's low and lastly Is it possible to install a higher pressure tank with a valve similar to a nuematic tool compressor and maybe fill this tank once a day at a gas station and have it last a day of wheeling with out the added weight of the compressor or dose having the compressor for the locker in the X also have the benefit of reinflating the tire's when needed ? Saw a few thread's where people built air tank's on their X's and it got me wondering ??
] Anyway here come's the stupidity !! Do you keep the compressor on at all time's or dose it come on automatically when pressure get's low and lastly Is it possible to install a higher pressure tank with a valve similar to a nuematic tool compressor and maybe fill this tank once a day at a gas station and have it last a day of wheeling with out the added weight of the compressor or dose having the compressor for the locker in the X also have the benefit of reinflating the tire's when needed ? Saw a few thread's where people built air tank's on their X's and it got me wondering ??
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- Location
- Rochester, NY
Ditto but 12k mi.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
Thanks Brunnie. Been thinking of doing this and now you have pushed me over the edge. The challenge for me is that automatic car washes (with the under-carriage wash) are relatively rare in rural BC.
In passing, there is nothing wrong with using a pressure washer to clean the truck as long as the truck is parked on gravel or lawn or similar.
The problem with pressure washing a vehicle in the driveway and having it run off into a storm sewer is that the pollution will accumulate and then shock the watershed in a heavy rain where all the toxic material is flushed out at once.
Trout Unlimited Canada ran a campaign on this issue a few years ago. TUC marked thousands of urban storm sewer grates with yellow-painted fish.
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Uhm..... where does the pollution come from? If you are just using water without soap or any other car cleaner, it is just water and dirt. If you park your vehicle on the grass, or wherever, you are watering the lawn while you clean. In my case it would be the gravel alley outside the garage.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
Oil, anti-freeze, and other contaminants.
As you may have heard, the "solution to pollution is dilution", which is true in many cases. Cleaning the vehicle over gravel is just fine. By the time the dirty vehicle water reaches flowing water, it should very clean.
The trick is to avoid the run-off into the storm sewer system where pollutants accumulate and then 'shock' streams or rivers during a heavy rain.
I do not want to exaggerate the importance of this. Compared to the on-going damage that farmers and ranchers do to salmon-bearing watersheds in British Columbia, this is likely pretty trivial. Moreover, there is not much any of us can do about all the oil and other contaminants that runs off public highways and roads during an early wet-season rainstorm other than keeping our vehicles in great shape -- something that everybody on this forum is already doing.
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Ah... I wasn't even thinking of the other "stuff" that would be washed off as well. Good point.
Me!Here!
Bought an X
- Location
- Somerville, MA
Soooo.....anyone have one of these? ANd if so...would anyone be willing to trace the side curves and mail to me? lol but not really
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Lol it's the shape of the cargo area, surely you have one of those you could measure.
Me!Here!
Bought an X
- Location
- Somerville, MA
I was really trying the easy way out...my drawer system now is based off a square base. I want to now make it the same shape as the cargo area and I hate measuring curves, lol
- Location
- Rochester, NY
- Location
- Rochester, NY
That didn’t post right...??? Oopsy
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Haha I know what you mean. I have a flexible ruler I bought a long time ago that I use sometimes on curves. Whenever it's too short I take a bunch of pieces of printer paper, staple them together to make a giant sheet and use that as an overlay to trace a template on.
Me!Here!
Bought an X
- Location
- Somerville, MA
I will probably end up doing something like that...I have a curve tool as well, but a short one
Par for the course to that both sides are not the same...
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
I found that one out the first time I made a carpet overlay for it haha. Measured one side, duplicated it, went to put it in and saw it was slightly different...I got it right two years later when I cared enough to replace it
Me!Here!
Bought an X
- Location
- Somerville, MA
I really thought that once I had this drawer system worked out it'd be easy peasy...I was wrong...and it's 100% my fault, lol
- Location
- Rochester, NY
You could try this to make the template. Of course you’d have to sell the X to buy it, but it’d make the perfect shape with ease.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/303530930929
BEEFY
I Smile when Gasoline Can Freeze
- Location
- Prince George, BC, Canada
- Location
- Denton, TX
So after putting on new bushings and 2" shackles am I supposed to have this much gap in there?!
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Is the shackle up against the sleeve? My shackles pulled down snug to the bushing.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Yea, they seem like the sleeves are too long maybe.. I got them from Suspension Specialists and wondered if I should have spent more $$ on ones from Nisstec.. Damnit
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Did you take notice if the new bolt threads match up to the old ones? Maybe you only ran out of threads bottoming out the nuts?
- Location
- Denton, TX
Hmm, will check that. The old bushings/bolts were frozen and had to be cut and cussed out.. How bad will I screw shiat up driving it like this before getting new shackles..?
*if that's what ends up happening
*if that's what ends up happening
- Location
- Colorado Springs
If all trips are short, no offroading, and you've got the parts on order.... shouldn't hurt a thing for a few days.
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
With no center brace on that shackle design I'd try to not drive it very much if it's loose.
- Location
- Colorado Springs
You're right... I didn't notice that there wasn't a cross brace.
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Just thought about it, but couldn't you put a couple of fender washers in those gaps until you have your dilemma figured out? Safer than driving like it is I'd think.
- Location
- Denton, TX
I'm going to try getting a set locally from Nisstec tomorrow. Hopefully they're in stock. The trucks at a friend's shop and I'm driving the other car in the meantime. It won't be driven until I get some others.. Thx for the quick responses guys~
- Location
- Livermore, CA
Is there a “what are you watching” thread? I tried searching but didn’t see anything.