- Location
- Covington, Va
The Dumb Question Thread
- Thread starter SledheadX
- Start date
- Location
- Livermore, CA
thank you sir - I didn’t think to look for ‘watcha’ instead of ‘what are you’
Correct. No lift. Just more clearance and less vulnerable at that point.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Looks soo much better. I got ahold of Suspension Specialists and found out the reason it didn't line up just right is they don't make a shackle for the Xterra. F'n Amazon seller. Now I'm trying to get them to tell me what I ended up with so I can give them to someone who can use them. When I picked these up from Nisstec Meeko had just finished the powder coating. They were twice as beefy, had center brace and gave it it's rake back..
- Location
- Colorado Springs
Those look much better... the way they should look.
It looks like maybe the other shackles were for a 'Yota Tundra.... but I am just guessing after looking at Suspension Specialists website.
It looks like maybe the other shackles were for a 'Yota Tundra.... but I am just guessing after looking at Suspension Specialists website.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
DQ: To search XterraNation.org, can I use wildcards in search strings bracketed by quotation brackets?
I tried "brake pad*" and the site returned zero results.
I tried "brake pad*" and the site returned zero results.
- Location
- Livermore, CA
Check my math, 2.01 liters of GL5 should be roughly 2 1/8 of those quart bottle? That’s what I put into the diff, what came out filled less than one of the empties.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
Earlier this year, I reconnected a couple of broken ground straps that attach to the exhaust system. I used mini-alligator clips.
That resolved a couple of intermittent code issues.
Now, I would like to replace the old ground straps with new ones. For the driver side ground strap, I managed to remove one bolt but the bolt at the end of the catalytic converter is well rusted and I cannot budge it after several PB Blaster! applications.
DQs: Can I use propone torch on that bolt? It is about 2 feet from the gas tank. (DQs = dumb questions)
Or should I just continue to use the alligator clip or find a nut I can thread on to the end of the protruding bolt?
Photos follow:
The red arrow points to the nut that is giving me problems.
That resolved a couple of intermittent code issues.
Now, I would like to replace the old ground straps with new ones. For the driver side ground strap, I managed to remove one bolt but the bolt at the end of the catalytic converter is well rusted and I cannot budge it after several PB Blaster! applications.
DQs: Can I use propone torch on that bolt? It is about 2 feet from the gas tank. (DQs = dumb questions)
Or should I just continue to use the alligator clip or find a nut I can thread on to the end of the protruding bolt?
Photos follow:
The red arrow points to the nut that is giving me problems.
- Location
- Denton, TX
What should I do for these knarly scratches on a powder coated bumper? Clear coat it?
- Location
- Denton, TX
THIS! I can't ever get it to find what I'm looking for so I end up asking lots of "DQ's"
- Location
- Denton, TX
Ok all you knowledgeable DQ answering Xers, I'm wondering why my shock perches are so low on my rear end.. I took this 1st pic from @General_Tarfun build page and the 2nd is mine after a U-bolt flip and shackle n 5100 install.. I don't like it, does this look correct to you? 
- Location
- Livermore, CA
A trick that seems to work well for most forums is to use google instead of the site search. So in google you would put something like: ‘site:XterraNation.org brake pads’
- Location
- Denton, TX
Oh yeeaaah.. I forgot about that. Thx
Wouldn't it be easier to search brake pads on this site tho and get a bunch of results..? Yea, too good to be true haha!
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Those are way too deep to just clearcoat, they won't be smooth if that's what you're after. If it were me, sand, primer, basecoat, clearcoat. Or another product I've had really good results with on steel is MarHyde Black Satin. You'd just need to sand for it, no clear.
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Might just be the angle but it looks like you only gained like a half inch on the flip. I have cut my ubolts though to remove the excess hanging down.
I'll look at mine this week since I'll be replacing the front suspension anyway.
Last edited:
- Location
- Covington, Va
His leaf pack has 6 leafs instead of 4 and he still has the factory u-bolt plates on.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
Google brings up more results than duckduckgo.com and the xterranation.org search engine but you still have to use an exact descriptor. Wild cards, such as * ? do not work like they might work in a DOS or UNIX environment or a specific relational database.
Just doing some wishful thinking. A search string that would capture both pad and pads. Or capture both a transmission and a 'tranny'.
Your shock perches look pretty normal to me. I think it's the angle of the photos that's making them look different in your examples.
I couldn't find many good pictures from behind, but here's one of mine.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Yea, there's quite a bit of extra but I can use these when I get Alcans, right?
Here's a different angle that makes me think you guys are right..
Those long ass threaded parts will be so rusted over after one winter of Colorado driving, you'll be lucky to get the nuts off without having to cut them.
Ain't no way in hell you'll be able to salvage that.
Cut them off about a 1/4 of an inch above the nut.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Hmm, I wonder if I was to coat them with ... if that would help? I don't plan on getting leaves in the next year..
When my shackles didn't fit and had to finish another day, I wasn't there when the new shackles and flip kit went on or I'da prolly cut em.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Ok, my front end is clanking. I thought when driving it home that it could be the shackles clanging on the front bumper and parts on the floorboard. Nope.
Everytime my front rolls over any bump, dip, etc and while moving slow it makes clanking/knocking sounds. Wth, it sounds like something is loose down there, almost scary. It seems to handle ok, I don't feel it in the wheel and it takes fast bumps ok with the same noise.. I'm hearing a slight clunk in the rear end too!
I know every noise this truck makes and these are both new and very bothersome. Is this coil bucket contact?
Recap, I just went from stock to 5100s front and back, 2" lift 650# coils and 2" Nisstec shackles out back.
It's bad enuff I'm parking it.
Everytime my front rolls over any bump, dip, etc and while moving slow it makes clanking/knocking sounds. Wth, it sounds like something is loose down there, almost scary. It seems to handle ok, I don't feel it in the wheel and it takes fast bumps ok with the same noise.. I'm hearing a slight clunk in the rear end too!
I know every noise this truck makes and these are both new and very bothersome. Is this coil bucket contact?
Recap, I just went from stock to 5100s front and back, 2" lift 650# coils and 2" Nisstec shackles out back.
It's bad enuff I'm parking it.
- Location
- Covington, Va
Did you change your UCAs?
- Location
- Denton, TX
Of course not. I was under the impression that 2" and I'd be ok. The alignment shop put the 2 sets of adj LCA bolts in.
- Location
- Covington, Va
Did you use a spacer on the front?
Also, check your end link torque. Mine came loose both times I worked on the front suspension before I removed the swaybar.
Also, check your end link torque. Mine came loose both times I worked on the front suspension before I removed the swaybar.
- Location
- Denton, TX
No spacer. I'll check all the hardware and make sure everything is torqued..
- Location
- Covington, Va
Could also be the sound of those 5100s topping out with those 650lb/in springs on them.
- Location
- Denton, TX
That's my fear, how would I correct that or is that why you no likey de 5100..?
- Location
- Covington, Va
That's why I don't like spring rates over 500lb/in on them.
A limiting strap would stop that and prevent the shock from being damaged. I don't know if anyone makes a UCA with the down travel bump stop anymore. I think PRGs UCA used to have it and maybe Rough Country?
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
5100's are not going to react well with that heavy a spring rate, they suck at damping that much force. The clanking is probably them topping out if it's not the CBC. It's easy to eliminate CBC though, just look at the coil bucket, if there's contact you should see a mark from the UCA hitting it.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Topping out? They're making this noise without compressing or very little. Seams in the road does it, is that the stiffer spring?
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Topping out happens on droop not compression, it's when the shock is extended fully. What's your ground to fender height now?
- Location
- Denton, TX
Man I'm so frustrated. I thought I'd done my homework but now I've spent the money and hate it. Got to figure this out, it's making me sick..
It's parked in a warped parking spot but for the most part level and fender height is
Drive / Pass
F- 35.5" / 35.75"
R- 37" / 36.75"
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
At almost 36" you should be really close to CBC, when I originally installed my 5100's I was at 36.5 and there was about a 1/4" of travel before they would hit. After a month of getting beat to death by the horrible ride I ended up buying the aftermarket UCA's which helped tremendously until the coils sagged and started binding.
westslope
Wheeling
- Location
- Wildfire country, BC
CBC?
General_Tarfun
Sliders
- Location
- Atlanta, GA
Oh it's just short for Coil Bucket Contact.
- Location
- Denton, TX
Damn.. Damn.
Even with some new UCAs I'll still be dealing with this overrated POS 5100, right?
Can a rookie handle swapping UCAs? I spent several hundred getting these put together and installed and figure I need to attempt it on my own so I can learn.. Plus now I'm going to be out for UCAs and different shocks so the pennies are dwindling.
I still have your cash and a shiny new diff cover for @Prime's axles tho..
- Location
- Covington, Va
What groove are your 5100s set on?
Can you turn the wheel hard passenger and take a picture of your front suspension from behind the driver's side tire and in front of the passenger? That'll help give us an idea of what you're dealing with.
UCAs are a fairly easy swap. The hardest part is the driver's rear bolt that's usually pinned in by the steering shaft. Some folks cut it and get a new one to insert from behind and some pull the steering shaft off the steering rack and take the bolt out.
You'll have to raise it up and support it on stands. Then take the upper ball joint loose. After that unbolt it from the frame and reinstall and torque the new one.
- Location
- Rochester, NY
Ok Tarfun, shall we indulge him on the ins and outs of changing out control arms? And the rabbit hole that leads to?