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

[wreckdiver1321]

Congrats on the new stuff! Your truck is really looking great ... I tip my hat at your attention to detail, it shows.

I, like many, am quite partial to the look of a pickup with a Softopper/CanBack/similar, but yours with the cap really works well ... especially since you got the paintwork done and awning installed.

Thanks skibum! That was my aim, to do everything the right way, even the little stuff. I want someone to be able to look at my work and say "damn, this was really well done." I actually really enjoy the challenge of wiring stuff. It's one of my favorite things to do on a vehicle.

I agree that the Softopper look is sweet, but the bears probably wouldn't find it very discouraging to get through I'm really happy with the way the truck looks with the cap, especially now that it's got the awning. When I get a snorkel installed it should look even cooler. I think I'm doing pretty well with my aim to get the truck to look like a full-on Aussie touring rig.

I don't have my truck back from Hefty yet...the wait is excruciating!! Nisstec has the led bulbs, I'll pick them up when the trucks done. Let us know when the get the fogs wired up, I'd love to know what you think of them.

Haha I can only imagine! It must be killing you. Yep, the LEDs clear the blinker problem right up. You could wire in a relay, that would certainly do it, but this is much easier. I picked up the bulbs at Walmart for $15.

I did jury rig the fog lights last night, and I have to say I'm pretty impressed with the light output for a fog light. What they are really good at is filling in the areas that the headlights miss. They are great trail lights or fog lights for that reason. They add light to the peripherals, where the headlights aren't as bright, but they don't really add much width or any distance to the lights. They just give you better fill in the areas that are already covered. That's why I'm getting both a cornering beam and a driving beam Hella, for the best all-around light.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Sooooooo, I'm a little freaked out.

I have been getting a weird squeaky/grinding noise that I've been trying to track down. Tonight I jacked up the back of the truck to check the rear shaft u-joints and the brakes. I started by spinning the tire. I heard a very audible "ker-chunk-ker-chunk-ker-chunk-ker-chunk" as the tires spun. Uh-oh. So I crawled under and spun the driveshaft. No noise. When I spin the tire and the wheels are moving opposite directions, I hear the noise. When I grab the driveshaft and the wheels both spin the same way, I get no noise. I suspect this is pretty bad, but I have the factory rear locker, so I don't know for sure if this is normal or not. I don't hear this noise at all when I'm driving, but I do get a clunk when I switch from forward to reverse or vice versa.

I'll take the truck to my mechanic or maybe the dealer on Monday and see what they think.

EDIT: Dropped the diff oil tonight, and it came out looking good as new. No burnt smell, no weird colors, no excess metal shavings in the oil. Nothing I would call out of the ordinary.

 

[skibum315]

Since it's an '05, I think you may have the 2-spider rear diff ... not bad, per-se, but they did switch to a 4-spider unit sometime in '07, IIRC. Unless you've already put the oil back in, it may be worth pulling the cover and trying to take a look at the spider gears and see if you've got any pitting or spalling. It could also be a carrier bearing, though that seems like it'd make noise without differential rotation as well ... the fact that you only get the noise with differential tire rotation makes me jump to something inside the carrier.

If you're planning on taking it to get checked out, though, maybe just let them diagnose it for you. That independent mechanic you used before sounded like a great one, I'd trust he'd tell you an honest story ... but ultimately it's your call.

Seems like an intermittent squeaky/grinding would be different than what you're describing that you found when the rear was lifted off the ground, though. Also, are you sure the noise you heard when you spun the tires wasn't just the sounds of the side/spider gears spinning around each other?

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Since it's an '05, I think you may have the 2-spider rear diff ... not bad, per-se, but they did switch to a 4-spider unit sometime in '07, IIRC. Unless you've already put the oil back in, it may be worth pulling the cover and trying to take a look at the spider gears and see if you've got any pitting or spalling. It could also be a carrier bearing, though that seems like it'd make noise without differential rotation as well ... the fact that you only get the noise with differential tire rotation makes me jump to something inside the carrier.

If you're planning on taking it to get checked out, though, maybe just let them diagnose it for you. That independent mechanic you used before sounded like a great one, I'd trust he'd tell you an honest story ... but ultimately it's your call.

Seems like an intermittent squeaky/grinding would be different than what you're describing that you found when the rear was lifted off the ground, though. Also, are you sure the noise you heard when you spun the tires wasn't just the sounds of the side/spider gears spinning around each other?

I do have the 2-spider diff. I drive it pretty nicely, but I have thrashed it on occasion before. But I'd hope it's tough enough to take it.

The symptoms point me towards something internal as well, which is why I'm gonna have my guy check it out. Hopefully it's not anything to worry about, but if it is I'll just be buying a new rear end and slapping her in. I can afford to do it. It does suck, but it is what it is. I'll have more information tomorrow and just go from there. Hopefully he'll be able to give me an idea of what my rotational squeak is. I'm pretty sure that's totally unrelated to the diff noise.

I have no idea if it's the spiders. How loud does that normally get? I don't have a whole lot of experience with differentials, so I don't know if what I'm hearing is normal or not. I'm kind of hopeful that the oil looks totally clean and there were no metal shavings on the magnet. Like I said, I should know more by tomorrow.

In other news, I ordered my new tent! And I got a pretty nice deal on it. So there's that to be happy about.

 

[Blackdawg]

Truck looks ready for goose lake to me!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Truck looks ready for goose lake to me!

Thanks man, that's what I'm hoping! Can't wait to do that this summer.

Good news everyone!

I took my truck to my mechanic today and had him look it over with a fine toothed comb. The diff is fine, in fact it's in great shape. I just had one really dead u-joint at the pinion. Truck is getting brand new u-joints and should be ready to go tomorrow. Myself and a friend are planning on getting the accessory wiring sorted tomorrow. According to the tracking info, at least one of my Hellas should be here tomorrow too.

Ought to be fun!

 

[jhberria]

That is good news! A U-joint is a much cheaper/easier fix than a differential. It's also comforting to know that these diffs are robust and reliable enough to go 10+ years and still be in 'great shape' when well maintained.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

That is good news! A U-joint is a much cheaper/easier fix than a differential. It's also comforting to know that these diffs are robust and reliable enough to go 10+ years and still be in 'great shape' when well maintained.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[skibum315]

Awesome ... that's probably quite a relief! Glad to hear the mechanic helped you sort it; so was the thought that the u-joints were the source of both sets of noises (the occasional squeak and the free-wheeling ker-chunk)?

... and if you haven't read Blackdawg's SOS trip report (I'd be surprised, actually), you need to. I'd love to see this thing tackle some of those trails.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Awesome ... that's probably quite a relief! Glad to hear the mechanic helped you sort it; so was the thought that the u-joints were the source of both sets of noises (the occasional squeak and the free-wheeling ker-chunk)?

Yep. I had the dead one near the diff, and a really dead one at the front output of the transfer case that was squeaking.

... and if you haven't read Blackdawg's SOS trip report (I'd be surprised, actually), you need to. I'd love to see this thing tackle some of those trails.

Haha you know me so well skibum. Yep, I've read it. Great story. I've paid close attention to Blackdawg and his Tacoma. I'm actually planning on tagging along on some of his trips this summer. Should be a blast. As you should know, there will be plenty of pics

 

[Blackdawg]

:spy:

 

[Blackdawg]

Awesome ... that's probably quite a relief! Glad to hear the mechanic helped you sort it; so was the thought that the u-joints were the source of both sets of noises (the occasional squeak and the free-wheeling ker-chunk)?

... and if you haven't read Blackdawg's SOS trip report (I'd be surprised, actually), you need to. I'd love to see this thing tackle some of those trails.

Also..thanks for reading!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Got a lot of electrical work done today. Stay tuned for updates!

 

[Longrange308]

Waiting.. For.. Updates..

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Waiting.. For.. Updates..

Haha! I got pictures taken and in the process of being edited. Will have a report on recent progress tonight.