The Dumb Question Thread

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
I barely have a credit card width between my 31.5” tire and my fender liner on the back.

If they change the caster to give you more room, you'll end up with less caster, and you really don't want that. The part that would bug me is the .3 and .4 of Camber.... they should be able to dial that in to 0.0 or at the very least 0.1.

My caster is at 2.0 and it's a good thing.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Yes. But.

the way the bolts move, rotating one of them affects more than just caster. I saw that myself when mine was getting aligned after the lift. It's a fine dance to get both to do what you want so the whole system is in spec.
Yeah, I totally get that. If I rotate the clip to change caster, the camber will be slightly less because I’m this case it rotates back. I’m not complaining about them not getting the numbers completely right. I’m talking about them altering the range so that I barely fell in the green.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Yeah, I totally get that. If I rotate the clip to change caster, the camber will be slightly less because I’m this case it rotates back. I’m not complaining about them not getting the numbers completely right. I’m talking about them altering the range so that I barely fell in the green.
So ................it's a conspiracy theory o_O If you think that just take it some where else. I use Goodyear just because they've done so many and they've been a local business at the same spot for 25+ year's .
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
So ................it's a conspiracy theory o_O If you think that just take it some where else. I use Goodyear just because they've done so many and they've been a local business at the same spot for 25+ year's .
Technically not a conspiracy if I have the previous numbers to directly compare. Last time they said “caster isn’t adjustable” because it wasn’t, but now that it is instead of adjusting it they’re using a range that’s 0.2 different on either side, which just so happens to make me 0.1 within “spec.” But the modified spec according to the software, and caster was the only number modified.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
If they change the caster to give you more room, you'll end up with less caster, and you really don't want that. The part that would bug me is the .3 and .4 of Camber.... they should be able to dial that in to 0.0 or at the very least 0.1.

My caster is at 2.0 and it's a good thing.
If I’m reading this and other stuff correctly, camber is more important than caster (at least while I have smaller tires and not rubbing). So if one or the other to spec, it’s camber.

Let me see if I have this correct:
stock spec for camber: -0.3° through 1.3°
stock spec for caster: 2.0° through 3.5°

The only thing that changes for a 2” lift is a target camber of 0° (Slightly lower than middle/target for stock)

So if I can get my caster around 3 or just below AND my camber at 0, that would be ideal, correct? With how adjustable the SPC upper ball is that should be easily achievable I would think.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Do I really need this plastic lower grill cover that cover's a part of the grill that look's exactly the same underneath with the exception of 4 little slot's to hold the outer piece on that look's like the inner piece . Confused yet ...................I am !!20210519_162117.jpg
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
So if I can get my caster around 3 or just below AND my camber at 0, that would be ideal, correct?
Caster at 3 is a tad high IMO, but yes. If you have eccentric cam bolts in the LCA, and the SPC ball joints on the UCA there should be no issue at all in getting everything dead on.

One thing to remember is Caster is the only one of those three that WILL NOT effect tire wear. The other two WILL.

Think of it this way....

Caster is = how strong is the "return to straight ahead" with the steering wheel.
Toe is = how well does the truck steer "straight ahead" without driver input
Camber = is simply a result of the other two with the best option for tire wear being 0.0 deg. or "vertical"
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Caster at 3 is a tad high IMO, but yes. If you have eccentric cam bolts in the LCA, and the SPC ball joints on the UCA there should be no issue at all in getting everything dead on.

One thing to remember is Caster is the only one of those three that WILL NOT effect tire wear. The other two WILL.

Think of it this way....

Caster is = how strong is the "return to straight ahead" with the steering wheel.
Toe is = how well does the truck steer "straight ahead" without driver input
Camber = is simply a result of the other two with the best option for tire wear being 0.0 deg. or "vertical"
Thanks. Realistically it will be about 2.6/2.7 I think. Right now when compressed and turning left it almost rubs the rear fender with stock tires.

I’m doing caster adjustment tonight then will take it in tomorrow morning for the rest.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Found some more weepage. Another new one for me. How urgent is this and how difficult will it be to repair solo?
A67EF4CE-88AB-4EE6-BFD2-EF8787BB5BA2.jpeg
 

Lazerrred

Bought an X
So I had no idea about a battery maintainer. I looked it up on Amazon and it's hard to tell if it's like, something you hook up to the battery when you need it to recharge it, or something that's hooked up all the time... or why my X can't do the charging work as I'd expect. Additionally if the alternator can't charge up the battery then how can it charge up a "maintainer" which would then charge the battery up? Sorry it's all new to me.
I was an engineer/ aftersales / customer service mgr for Beneteau USA for 17 Years. We had all our diesel motors we bought from Yanmar, Westerbeke, Volvo, specked out with HO trick alternators that would charge the gells up to 14.2 - 14.8. Minimum for a small 32 ft was 90 amps. The standard set up on a small boat was 100 amp GELL start battery and a 200 amp GEL house battery. All had isolators and so you could direct charge to all batts, or choose whichever.
That BS said, do what ffxcores suggested as I’m going to do the same, but my house battery will be probably a GELL that requires a 14.5 / 14.8 charge and the X alternator ain’t gonna do that so it will be charged from an AC charger @ home that will take it to the 14.5 + and for a weekend I sure won’t kill it running a few led’s and charging phones.
 

Lazerrred

Bought an X
View attachment 17731Should I get a longer center pin bolt? Or is this fine? I’m thinking it’ll be alright since I have a flip kit with a bash plate, but want to make sure.

And what’s the easiest way to touch up these spots where the coating got scraped off in shipping? I don’t want to take them all the way apart and don’t want to use spray paint and have it get between the leafs.
Dayam, must have been carefully packaged, and handled with care. I would lightly wire brush just enough to take off any loose material, and dab the area with a compatible product. I “assume” it’s bedliner of some kind. Or TAR.
 

Lazerrred

Bought an X
My Dumb question today is...Is there any quantifiable information on aerodynamic flow effect on a production front bumper (slight air dam) vs the open armor styled Shrockworks bumper.
Reason, gas mileage, I’m not in rocky area, but do go through some rough wooded areas and the stock bumper is getting beat up pretty bad.
 

Lazerrred

Bought an X
Whatever aerodynamic advantage you may get is immediately canceled out by adding 700lbs of steel to the front end.
I would think stock be more efficient for sure, but need winch of which I can fab with stock front and add less than 150lbs inc winch. @ a cost of around a grand. Dayam, is Shrockworks style really 700lbs? That’s nuts and reason enough to bump that idea. Hmmmm,,,
Edit. Just googled it, spec was 130 LBS....??
 
Last edited:

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Alignment update. I adjusted the caster last night and tried to eyeball camber, and apparently was damn near spot on. I asked them to just keep caster in spec (actual spec vs made up BS), get camber to 0 and toe as close to center as possible. When they brought it out they said this was “as close as they could get it,” which leads me to believe they were trying to get camber as close to center as possible instead of to 0 like I asked the first guy.
AB29BBA2-AABA-4A7C-9758-0B0A6C4C5A01.jpeg

Previous sheet from a couple days ago:
AD9DF42E-C5FD-4918-BC91-83FEABDFAB04.jpeg
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
I would think stock be more efficient for sure, but need winch of which I can fab with stock front and add less than 150lbs inc winch. @ a cost of around a grand. Dayam, is Shrockworks style really 700lbs? That’s nuts and reason enough to bump that idea. Hmmmm,,,
Edit. Just googled it, spec was 130 LBS....??
Oh I was exaggerating for sure. Haha.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
Alignment update. I adjusted the caster last night and tried to eyeball camber, and apparently was damn near spot on. I asked them to just keep caster in spec (actual spec vs made up BS), get camber to 0 and toe as close to center as possible. When they brought it out they said this was “as close as they could get it,” which leads me to believe they were trying to get camber as close to center as possible instead of to 0 like I asked the first guy.
View attachment 17919

Previous sheet from a couple days ago:
View attachment 17920
You had it almost better than they did... lol

They should have been able to adjust the toe and leave it at that.

Regardless, its aligned just fine.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
If I remember correctly, any search terms have to be four characters, so that’s a tough one. You can’t search for a bunch of company acronyms either.

You can use Google to somewhat get around it: https://www.google.com/search?q=37"+tires+build+thread+site:xterranation.org&safe=off&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS940US940&hl=en-US&sxsrf=ALeKk01UtoreZwcec8cWaQWrTOddpa1cXw:1622550160824&ei=kCa2YMXWMYLPtQas6JCwAQ&oq=37"+tires+build+thread+site:xterranation.org&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAM6BAgAEEdQnCdYhjxgk0JoAHACeACAATOIAaUEkgECMTOYAQCgAQHIAQTAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
How do I find the build threads of folks running 37” tires? I tried a site search with no luck...
 
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GED

Test Drive
Location
San Jose, CA
I only know of one or maybe 2 rigs that are running 37's and still IFS.

Moral of that story is DON'T, run 35's.
Yeah! I got that from reading the threads. Moab gave me tire envy after being humiliated by Jeeps on 37”s and 40”s. But I also remember the advice from Konst (techoma) ”Enjoy it as it is”. Looks like 35s is the max I’ll do on the Xterra.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
My buddy sent me this image to tease me:


Well I suppose if a solid axle swap is not out of the questions you can run whatever you like.... lol

Justin from Fat Bobs is running 40's I believe.... He's also run 3 different front axles that I know of, and completely re-setup the whole SAS that many times too.... Can't even imagine what kind of coin he's put into that rig.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Will I have to burp the system if I replace the two plastic heater connections preventatively?
I got one replacement piece from Z-1 offroad that has a bleed valve on it and the other from dorman part #626-598 . You'd be surprised what an air lock does in a motor , I used to crack open every hose fitting on a Detroit 6V53 after replacing a hose .
Yes bleed.
 
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