The Dumb Question Thread

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I hear you man. I have no plans to get a lift as that comes with a bunch more expenses to bring the rest of the vehicle up to "lift" level. That's kind of how I got into this mess. I wanted a step but I'm like why put on some crappy step when I should just get sliders and they'll act as a step. Next it's... well now you have the sliders you need a custom bumper, with a winch, and the suspension to hold it up, and the body lift, and the 33" tires. So yes the sliders cross the line but if it's dual purpose I'll probably just do it. If I jump headfirst into wheeling land later and I have to pull the sliders then I'll just have to pay for it I guess. Thank you for the solid info as always.
If you're going to leave the pavement and are even a little adventurous, sliders are worth the investment. It was the first real mod I did to mine, before a lift, bigger tires or any of that. Because I've crushed a rocker panel on a DD before and the sliders are cheaper than fixing that and replacing a door.
 

kirk

Butterfly King
Moderator
Supporting Member
Location
Allen, Texas
Tonight's dumb question is about breaker bars.

I have a big list of X tools from posts here and there. I rank the tools 1-3 with one being the most important and most common and three being rare. A one might be a set of vise grips while a three (for me) might be a hi-lift jack. So here is the question... how should I rank a breaker bar?

Most of the pictures I see show it used on lug nuts and being that it's so long I couldn't imagine much use for it in any kind of closed quarters. However I don't really know as I've never used one. As far as lug nuts I've always carried a piece of pipe that I put over the handle of the tire iron (thanks pop!).
I keep a breaker bar in the X and in my trucks toolbox. Sometimes its been a lifesaver. HF has them cheaply (like $10. i consider them mildly disposable) and they have done me well.

That being said, I carry a bag with a battery powered impact in it which is my favorite tool. In our off road car, we carry both the breaker bar, and one of these. Worth their weight in gold, but i like having a back up (breaker bar). I got mine used, pretty cheap. spin_prod_1030484712.jpg
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
First. Give John at White Knuckle your money.

Second. Yes. They can be used as a step.

When you call John to order your sliders you can ask for the angle to be reduced a few degrees to make a better step.

The standard angle still makes a good step, but it's not a "step rail."

The advantage of the angle is in wheeling. When the sliders land on stuff it makes it easier for the truck to slide off due to the angle.

Call John. Order your sliders.
That seems to be the inevitable conclusion to this discussion. Maybe that's because if I go with the Shrockworks then Prime is going to hunt me down and make me walk 5 miles carrying them on my back.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
That seems to be the inevitable conclusion to this discussion. Maybe that's because if I go with the Shrockworks then Prime is going to hunt me down and make me walk 5 miles carrying them on my back.
I have the ones with the 10* tube for just that reason. They work very well as a step. Plus I have a short wife and young kids so I needed a good step.
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
I keep a breaker bar in the X and in my trucks toolbox. Sometimes its been a lifesaver. HF has them cheaply (like $10. i consider them mildly disposable) and they have done me well.

That being said, I carry a bag with a battery powered impact in it which is my favorite tool. In our off road car, we carry both the breaker bar, and one of these. Worth their weight in gold, but i like having a back up (breaker bar). I got mine used, pretty cheap. View attachment 17686
Man every post I see makes me want to buy some new shiat. Must have! Thank you sir very much. Great pic.
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
I have the ones with the 10* tube for just that reason. They work very well as a step. Plus I have a short wife and young kids so I needed a good step.
Which ones ? and thank you again TerryD for giving me hope when there was nothing but step-less despair. :eek:
 

Muadeeb

Nissan al Gaib
Admin
Location
Dallas
That seems to be the inevitable conclusion to this discussion. Maybe that's because if I go with the Shrockworks then Prime is going to hunt me down and make me walk 5 miles carrying them on my back.
I that's after you wait 6 months for production
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
I mean, I have your address. So.

@Muadeeb is right though. Shrock is 6-8 months from order to delivery.
That's my moms address... and don't even think about it!

It's hard to ignore, though that powder coated, no angle, dimpled treadplate and no lift costs $565 from Shrockworks. The White Knuckles seem to be the same basic thing with a full diamond top plate for $920. $335 is nothing to sneeze at in my book. Additionally the Shrockworks sliders are already made from DOM steel and I don't have to pay them $40 extra for the upgrade. Shrockworks sliders are made from HREW per Mark Wottlin at Shrockworks. Big down side is I don't like the way they look when compared to the White Knuckles. If the money was closer to even I'd order the White Knuckles today but over three hundred bucks... I could buy something nice for the X with that money. That is definitely a difference between the two but the upgrade from HREW to DOM is only $40 for the White Knuckles so how much difference could it really make.

Maybe I should have listened to Prime in the first place but I'm afraid of his beard. :eek:
 
Last edited:

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
Which ones ? and thank you again TerryD for giving me hope when there was nothing but step-less despair. :eek:
Mine are the White Knuckle without the top plate, with the 10* tube angle and powder coated black. Then added the grip tape from Home Depot they recommend for them.
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
I get it. And you're right. But. The white Knuckle are better designed (that rear kickout has saved my ass more than a few times), look better, attach at the frame in more spots, have a shorter lead time (typically 2 weeks), and I don't think I would do the diamond plate on the whole thing. I think it only makes sense on the rear kick out.
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
I get it. And you're right. But. The white Knuckle are better designed (that rear kickout has saved my ass more than a few times), look better, attach at the frame in more spots, have a shorter lead time (typically 2 weeks), and I don't think I would do the diamond plate on the whole thing. I think it only makes sense on the rear kick out.

I thought the diamond plate helped with... well traction or whatever when getting in and out of the vehicle? So I would think... why not cover at least the front and the back in enough plate to step on. But maybe my assumption is flawed. Is that what the diamond plate is for or I'm a once again venturing into nooberville?
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
I thought the diamond plate helped with... well traction or whatever when getting in and out of the vehicle? So I would think... why not cover at least the front and the back in enough plate to step on. But maybe my assumption is flawed. Is that what the diamond plate is for or I'm a once again venturing into nooberville?
I wanted mine open so it would shed mud better on slick tracks.
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
I wanted mine open so it would shed mud better on slick tracks.
That and the kickout in the back it makes sense to cover the larger hole that the kickout creates. So nobody slips in it. My truck is 4" lift (suspension and body combined) and 35s. The only time I use the front half of the slider to walk on is when I need to get to the roof basket.
 

1L19

Bought an X
Location
Sacramento
That and the kickout in the back it makes sense to cover the larger hole that the kickout creates. So nobody slips in it. My truck is 4" lift (suspension and body combined) and 35s. The only time I use the front half of the slider to walk on is when I need to get to the roof basket.
Well if you don't use the sliders how do you get in that monster? Carry a step ladder in your car? Tree house rope ladder? Elevator??
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
That and the kickout in the back it makes sense to cover the larger hole that the kickout creates. So nobody slips in it. My truck is 4" lift (suspension and body combined) and 35s. The only time I use the front half of the slider to walk on is when I need to get to the roof basket.
That was the only reason I considered the plate - so little kid feet didn’t go *in* the slider, but realistically I don’t see that happening. He uses it as a step, but if I were worried about traction I’d just use grip tape.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
For anybody else wondering, I was trying to determine whether to grease rubber suspension bushings, and if so what to grease them with. But I read the service manual and the official answer is: “Apply soapsuds to all of the rubber bushings.”
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
For anybody else wondering, I was trying to determine whether to grease rubber axle bushings, and if so what to grease them with. But I read the service manual and the official answer is: “Apply soapsuds to all of the rubber bushings.”
The FSM is good for some things. Not so good for others.
 

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
On the breaker bar topic it’s cheap enough and easily fits under the back seats so may as well have in case you need. Just make sure it’s the same size drive as your sockets - and maybe have impact sockets.
 

TerryD

Total Tease
Supporting Member
Location
Covington, Va
That was the only reason I considered the plate - so little kid feet didn’t go *in* the slider, but realistically I don’t see that happening. He uses it as a step, but if I were worried about traction I’d just use grip tape.
I was stepping off my tire on to my sliders loading the roof and my wet shoe slipped. I did a split, then fell off the side and in trying to catch myself almost jerked a shoulder out of socket.

I bought grip tape that weekend.
 

meisanerd

Need Bigger Tires
That's my moms address... and don't even think about it!

It's hard to ignore, though that powder coated, no angle, dimpled treadplate and no lift costs $565 from Shrockworks. The White Knuckles seem to be the same basic thing with a full diamond top plate for $920. $335 is nothing to sneeze at in my book. Additionally the Shrockworks sliders are already made from DOM steel and I don't have to pay them $40 extra for the upgrade. Shrockworks sliders are made from HREW per Mark Wottlin at Shrockworks. Big down side is I don't like the way they look when compared to the White Knuckles. If the money was closer to even I'd order the White Knuckles today but over three hundred bucks... I could buy something nice for the X with that money. That is definitely a difference between the two but the upgrade from HREW to DOM is only $40 for the White Knuckles so how much difference could it really make.

Maybe I should have listened to Prime in the first place but I'm afraid of his beard. :eek:
Look up the plans on the old evil site (TNX), someone put up a design for one similar to the white knuckle, if it still exists. I might still have a copy somewhere too if not.

Take plans to a local welder, and see what they will quote you for price. Mine ended up being way less than it would have cost me for the wks, including full diamond plating on top.
 

BEEFY

I Smile when Gasoline Can Freeze
Your situational examples are very helpful especially since they are based on actual experience rather than a "how to" someone is passing along. You have an ambulance? No way you can call that shiat and not give up a picture. Lets see it!
 

Attachments

  • PXL_20210424_224438596.jpg
    PXL_20210424_224438596.jpg
    3.6 MB · Views: 7

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
80583F00-35ED-4CF1-BCBF-6ECDA9C33093.jpegShould 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.
 

Zack.

Has been dubbed Arnold
Supporting Member
Location
Livermore, CA
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.
Maybe spray it on a rag and wipe it on? Not an expert but I think the center pin is okay. It is there to center, the U-bolts are what’s really supposed to hold it together.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
With my front wheels jacked off the ground, spinning the tire there’s a light metal scrape coming from the brake like somethings rubbing. What’s the most likely thing to check to avoid having to take the whole thing apart?
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
With my front wheels jacked off the ground, spinning the tire there’s a light metal scrape coming from the brake like somethings rubbing. What’s the most likely thing to check to avoid having to take the whole thing apart?
Probably a sticky caliper pin. They're ufcking garbage.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Stuck caliper? I'd check for grooving on the rotor

Probably a sticky caliper pin. They're ufcking garbage.

Yeah, now that I think about it I thought it pulled hard when I hit the brakes at a light last week, and I thought it had lightly done it earlier . When I tried it at the next light it didn’t do it, so I thought maybe it was the ruts in the road from the semis.

When we did the brakes the pins we squeezed some nasty stuff out of the boots, but thought the pins were decent enough. Maybe not. I’ll head to rockauto again momentarily.
 

IM1RU

Skid Plates
Supporting Member
Location
SLC, UT
Should I order anything else besides pins and boots? Or should I pull it apart first?

Get the pin boot kit, and some sil-gluide to reasemble


Clean, clean, clean, then use the sil gluide on the pins and boots, and the mating surfaces of the brake pads.
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
Do alignment specs change with a lift? Or did my shop move the goalposts to get me in the green?

Last year, for "Nissan 2015 Xterra 4x4" the caster range was 2.0-3.5, and I was at 1.7 and in the red:
1621366286503.png

Just now got home from an alignment and compared, and I was "green" at 1.9. Thinking that's weird, I see the range now is 1.8-3.3, and at the top it says "Nissan 2015 Xterra 4x4 (Modified Specification)"
1621366369192.png


So before I go burn my relationship with them by accusing them of cheating the numbers, are the specs supposed to be different for a 2" lift? But at the same time, unless they googled the number on the front coils, they don't know I have a lift. I did give them the SPC instructions, specifically so they could fix caster.
 

TheCrabby1

I Smell Fishy
Supporting Member
Location
Burtonsville, Md
Do alignment specs change with a lift? Or did my shop move the goalposts to get me in the green?

Last year, for "Nissan 2015 Xterra 4x4" the caster range was 2.0-3.5, and I was at 1.7 and in the red:
View attachment 17844

Just now got home from an alignment and compared, and I was "green" at 1.9. Thinking that's weird, I see the range now is 1.8-3.3, and at the top it says "Nissan 2015 Xterra 4x4 (Modified Specification)"
View attachment 17845


So before I go burn my relationship with them by accusing them of cheating the numbers, are the specs supposed to be different for a 2" lift? But at the same time, unless they googled the number on the front coils, they don't know I have a lift. I did give them the SPC instructions, specifically so they could fix caster.
I would say does it track like it's suspossed to /how's it handle ? I would think IMHO that pushing ur suspension down to get upward lift would change SOME #'s after it draw's ur tire's ever so slightly closer together . Mine seem to have just a little more camber then stock after the SPC install but right after the 2.5" lift on the front [ b 4 SPC's] it was so far out it was almost scary to drive. But that's just my 2 cent's .
 

ffxcores

[fully disclosed]
Supporting Member
Location
Virginia
I would say does it track like it's suspossed to /how's it handle ? I would think IMHO that pushing ur suspension down to get upward lift would change SOME #'s after it draw's ur tire's ever so slightly closer together . Mine seem to have just a little more camber then stock after the SPC install but right after the 2.5" lift on the front [ b 4 SPC's] it was so far out it was almost scary to drive. But that's just my 2 cent's .
It rides fine now. In my case it’s the caster, and that’s arguably the easiest thing to adjust because it’s just a rotation of the plate. When I turn my wheel left and the shock is compressed, I barely have a credit card width between my 31.5” tire and my fender liner on the back. Adjusting the caster would in theory fix that. And the ability to adjust caster was my justification for going this route instead of a non-adjustable UCA for half the price.
 

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
It rides fine now. In my case it’s the caster, and that’s arguably the easiest thing to adjust because it’s just a rotation of the plate. When I turn my wheel left and the shock is compressed, I barely have a credit card width between my 31.5” tire and my fender liner on the back. Adjusting the caster would in theory fix that. And the ability to adjust caster was my justification for going this route instead of a non-adjustable UCA for half the price.
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.
 
Top