"Lola" - WreckDiver1321's 2005 Frontier CC/SB Nismo Build and Adventure Thread

[wreckdiver1321]

So, a bit of bad news this week. I recently went to put new inner and outer tie rod ends on my truck. I had gotten everything ready, pulled the outer tie rod off on the driver's side, and was about to do the inner tie rod end. I pulled the clip off the boot and pushed the boot inwards. When I did, I was showered in a large amount of power steering fluid. Son of a $#@%*! The boots aren't supposed to hold fluid, they're dust boots. That means my steering rack has a leak in one of the seals, and it's a pretty bad one too. Naturally, there's no reseal kit, so I have to get a new one.

After checking RockAuto and finding that a new rack is about $300-400, I discovered that one of my local wrecking yards has a 2012 Xterra with low miles that just came in, and they only want $100 for the rack! Sweet. Unfortunately I don't have time to do the swap myself, what with school, a new job, and prepping a house to rent, so I called a mechanic friend who would do the swap for me. He gave me a bid of $250 in labor, so I told him to book me for Friday.

Not too shabby. A basically new Nissan steering rack for only $350. I can live with that.

 

[Blackdawg]

Probably the way to go. i know for my trucks any reman steering rack is utter ****. Everyone just bites the bullet and buys a new OEM rack for 450-550..comes with OEM ITR though..and toyota charges 130 for those alone lol

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Probably the way to go. i know for my trucks any reman steering rack is utter ****. Everyone just bites the bullet and buys a new OEM rack for 450-550..comes with OEM ITR though..and toyota charges 130 for those alone lol

I would say "ouch", but the OEM Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder rack is $833. That does include the inner and outer TREs, but that's still a little ridiculous. I've heard mixed reviews on the remans too, so I figured slightly used is a good way to go.

I have brand new Moog inner and outer ends to go on the rack, and I can use the OEM ends as spares. The Moogs definitely look a little more stout, and the outers are greaseable. Should keep me covered I think.

 

[Blackdawg]

I would say "ouch", but the OEM Frontier/Xterra/Pathfinder rack is $833. That does include the inner and outer TREs, but that's still a little ridiculous. I've heard mixed reviews on the remans too, so I figured slightly used is a good way to go.

I have brand new Moog inner and outer ends to go on the rack, and I can use the OEM ends as spares. The Moogs definitely look a little more stout, and the outers are greaseable. Should keep me covered I think.

ha!! wow. that is impressive!

Yea i run inners from them..130 a pop is stupid. But OEM everything else. Moog ball joints scare me.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

ha!! wow. that is impressive!

Yea i run inners from them..130 a pop is stupid. But OEM everything else. Moog ball joints scare me.

Yeah it's... silly.

Bad luck with the Moog joints? Haven't heard bad things about them from anyone on ClubFrontier or TheNewX. I researched them before I ordered.

 

[Blackdawg]

Yeah it's... silly.

Bad luck with the Moog joints? Haven't heard bad things about them from anyone on ClubFrontier or TheNewX. I researched them before I ordered.

Nah you'll be fine with tie rods.

The LBJs they make for my truck suck so bad compared to OEM. Not worth the cost savings.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Nah you'll be fine with tie rods.

The LBJs they make for my truck suck so bad compared to OEM. Not worth the cost savings.

Got ya. Interesting. I do remember a little bit of discussion about it over in Igor's build thread. I'll keep that in mind. That being said, on the Frontier it's actually just way easier to replace the whole LCA than it is to replace the LBJ. There's plenty of suppliers of the parts too, and none seem to be really bad apples.

 

[Mo4130]

Got ya. Interesting. I do remember a little bit of discussion about it over in Igor's build thread. I'll keep that in mind. That being said, on the Frontier it's actually just way easier to replace the whole LCA than it is to replace the LBJ. There's plenty of suppliers of the parts too, and none seem to be really bad apples.

I will second that. I just took a sawsall to mine and replaced both of them when I had to do my adjustable cam bolts.

 

[Japollner]

I will second that. I just took a sawsall to mine and replaced both of them when I had to do my adjustable cam bolts.

I'm in the same boat. Ball joints are good, bushings are good, control arms themselves are good... but the bolts are seized in the bushings.

Gonna apply some moderate heat to hopefully heat soak the bushing sleeves, then hit the bolts with some upside down air in a can to maybe shock them loose...

 

[Mo4130]

I tried everything and I was literally stuck with one option....cutting them. I would have left the camber bolts alone but after I did my ome lift, I couldn't get the toe and caster in spec so I was up poo creak without a paddle.


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[kootenay]

And didn't Toyota have problems with the OEM ones failing enough they had to recall?

 

[Blackdawg]

And didn't Toyota have problems with the OEM ones failing enough they had to recall?

Sorta.

The bolts fall out(had that happen to me and a friend once) but only the 01-04s got the recall.

The joints can also explode( had that happen to me twice) if not maintained correctly.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Forgot to update this recently!

New steering rack is in and the truck is working again, taking me to my new job and school when necessary. Really happy with the shop that did it. Still need to have it aligned and all will be well, so waiting for that before I make a final determination on how it has affected the steering. Hoping for Thursday on that. Thanks to that, I now have new power steering fluid. I also swapped out the front brake hoses, since I had a leak on one side. So thanks to that, I now have new brake fluid.

Next up is the brakes themselves. I've managed to eat another set of rotors somehow, so I'm going to say to hell with it and getting a set of EBC pads and rotors to throw on the front. Great reviews from TheNewX and ClubFrontier, so I feel like it's a good way to go. Plus the stock brakes pretty much suck now with the extra weight and 33s. So I'll order those within the next week or so I think. Then I'll probably drain and refill the trans to try to freshen up the fluid. I passed over 175k miles recently, so it's definitely needed.

Also, I made a very minor change that has made me happy. I was driving recently and felt like the ride was a little bit too bouncy, and it has been since I installed the new suspension. Recently it dawned on me that maybe my street tire pressure was just too high. I've been running about 43 PSI forever, since it was a random recommendation I read on ClubFrontier. I figured I could play around with it a bit, so I have gone down to 35 PSI as my street pressure. And WOW! What a difference! Much less bouncy and jiggly. My only concern is the impact it may have on gas mileage on the highway. Testing will show me the end results, though I can't imagine there would be a huge difference. The increase in smoothness and comfort is great though. So that was nice.

Otherwise, not very much to report.

 

[Trikebubble]

I've been running 40psi on the street, and while it feels like it rolls easier it is a bit of a harsh ride. I may also experiment with lowering my on road psi just to see how it effects mileage.

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[Blackdawg]

Shouldn't experiment at all with street pressure.

Do the Chalk Test to ensure that you are getting even tire wear. You may find the pressure is different front to back even(very common in trucks).