mods you wouldnt do again ...

[R_Lefebvre]

i use a drop-in filter on all my vehicles, but i just soap and rinse every few oil changes. i never add any oil. i guess i use it for the fairy tale extra hp, but also because it means i don't have to replace it all the time. effectively, i have a reusable paper air filter.

Yeah, an expensive reusable "paper" filter with really poor filtering efficiency. That's the most damning thing about K&N in my mind, but it's not talked about much.

I haven't done anything I regretted to my truck yet, as I tend to be pretty cautious. But I've done a few things to my car. The worst was when I needed some silicone vacuum hose for wastegate actuator plumbing. I used to get good stuff at a high performance marine shop near Detroit, or mail-order in the US. But since I don't work in Detroit anymore, it's a pain to get across the border. So, I stopped at a local hot-rod shop and bought one of those packages of "Silicone" vacuum hose. You know, they come in different colours, and various sizes in the same package.

Well, it sure didn't feel like silicone, but... it says silicone on the package right, so how could they lie? Well, that stuff is ****. My first trackday, soon as things got hot, the wastegate signal line ruptured and I had uncontrolled boost spikes. Lucky I didn't lose the engine.

Particularly for any turbo diesel guys, don't use that stuff.

 

[ntsqd]

1.) snip.....
ix.) Just say no to superfluous tread plate. There are places it belongs, anywhere else is dumb.

It belongs on Fire Trucks. It is a rare exception that it belongs anywhere else. :sombrero: (thx TZ!)

everybody is so against K&N, but their product works if you follow their directions. it seems most of the problems arise from over-oiling the filter, but almost exclusively on MAF cars. the oil is sucked into the intake and fouls the MAF hot wire.

i use a drop-in filter on all my vehicles, but i just soap and rinse every few oil changes. i never add any oil. i guess i use it for the fairy tale extra hp, but also because it means i don't have to replace it all the time. effectively, i have a reusable paper air filter.

Spray some of the oil on the air ducting downstream of that filter and drive the vehicle a normal service cycle. Inspect where you sprayed and see if it is still worth it. In my case I rather like that engine and the grit that didn't get trapped in the oil, as a lot of it did, can't be doing it any good.

Spending time/money upgrading inferior components (like axles!) instead of building things 'right' the first time.

Very hard lesson to learn, and going into a new project can be a hard call.

For my own rigs the only mod that comes to mind is plasma-ing shock hoop clearance in the inner fenders on Patch. If I had gone with appropriate length Bilsteins that would not have been necessary, but somehow I was expecting that I'd want more droop in the future. Idiot.

 

[kellymoe]

I was in a rush to get some sliders before a trip that was sure to cause body damage. When I went to my local supplier they were out of thick walled square tubing, I ended up buying a thinner gauge than I wanted. While the sliders work fine I should have postponed the trip until I could have made a set of sliders with the right materials instead of rushing the job.

 

[alexrex20]

Spray some of the oil on the air ducting downstream of that filter and drive the vehicle a normal service cycle. Inspect where you sprayed and see if it is still worth it. In my case I rather like that engine and the grit that didn't get trapped in the oil, as a lot of it did, can't be doing it any good.

spray some oil past the air filter, to increase the chance of fouling my MAF? no thanks. i already know it does a great job of filtering because the filter is pretty filthy when i clean it every ~10k miles. does it get everything? probably not, but it hasn't effected engine performance in the past 100k miles on my vehicle (i'm currently at 165k), so i'm not going to bother.

 

[Root Moose]

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

 

[alexrex20]

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

yup, and everything out there is a conspiracy, especially air filters.

 

[spencyg]

I don't know about this one. Painted diamond plate used in horizontal step surfaces won't kill you nearly as quickly as painted flat plate in wet conditions.

Spence

 

[Root Moose]

Yeah, anywhere you can practically step is reasonable.

Interior door panels,, consoles, etc.... not so much.

 

[jesusgatos]

I know this isn't really a diamond-plate discussion thread, but really? I've always thought that diamond plate sucked pretty much anywhere/everywhere. Never felt like it afforded enough traction to be worth having to look at.

 

[ntsqd]

[drift]Any place that diamond plate might be a traction option either the grit style or 'sponge' style deck tape is a better option. Diamond plate lacks good sharp edges, so any traction advantage, wet or dry, is marginal compared to the other options. Once it has been worn by traffic diamond plate has even less traction.

The tape is comparatively easy to replace when it wears.

I used non-flattened expanded sheet metal for high traction foot surfaces likely to see slime & mud, but it too wears and the edges loose their bite after 10-15 years.[/drift]

 

[NOMADIC_LJ]

Rustys Off Road skid plate for the LJ

**** rusty for never even trying it before selling it. Fit was atrocious and I had o cut it up so bad just to use it.

 

[kellymoe]

Five bar or checker type diamond plating is the exception to the rule. It's not as good as grip tape but if you want to protect an area and tape just wont cut it then 5 bar diamond plating is the best option, it provides a much better traction surface than traditional diamond plate. It is a little tough to find in the states but it is not impossible to find and it tends to cost a bit more. The fire department I work for has switched from traditional diamond plate to 5 bar for the very reason that it provides a much better traction surface.

 

[Mr. Leary]

Most regrettable mod for my runner is buying a roofrack unable to carry a RTT when I fully intended to get a RTT at some point. The only thing I can console myself with is there are no full length racks for 3rd gen runners available.... as if that has ever stopped me before with other mods.... stupid, but it looks cool.... sitting up there.... wasting gas.... not doing what I want it to do....

 

[jasondavidmann]

One I probably wouldn't do again is the Go-Light.

Great for repelling tailgaters and for backing into campsites in the dark, but hardly ever use the swivel and tilt features. Fixed lights would likely have worked as well.

I have a Go-Light too, I love it! I may like it more than you because I did not have to pay for mine.... I found it in the garbage can literally! Like you said it is great for tailgaters... I let my co-pilot work the light when driving down the roads in the dark, works great when watching for wild life.

 

[alexrex20]

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

i went to autozone and bought an STP paper filter for $9.