mods you wouldnt do again ...
- Thread starter jeffryscott
- Start date
This one is amusing. Most people think just because you toss a set on they magically make more power. What they fail to understand is that the exhaust is a tuned system. Headers that have an OE fit are tuned for such a high RPM most vehicles will never reach it. The only way to see significant gains is with long tubes and then you're forced to change the y-pipe and possibly more. Unless you're racing headers just do not provide a good return for money spent. There are exceptions to that but for the majority of vehicles stock manifolds that have been ported are the best solution.
lugueto
Adventurer
This thread is awesome, I wish every forum had one!! I read through it entirely, funny how people coincide on most of them, I disagree with a couple but hey, whatever works for someone wont necessarily work for the other..
As far as regrets during mods, I think the only mod I might regret is installing a CB instead of going directly to HAM radio. And I wouldn't call it regret, as I never really knew how inferior CB was until I made the switch, but I could've gone directly to HAM. Maybe one of the regrets was drilling 4 holes (as small as they may be..) in the center console to install the radio....
Thankfully my father always taught me to buy once and cry once. He also taught me to leave engine compartments stock, as its the only way to keep your vehicle reliable, so no complicated and compromising mods there... What is the deckplate mod by the way??
As far as regrets during mods, I think the only mod I might regret is installing a CB instead of going directly to HAM radio. And I wouldn't call it regret, as I never really knew how inferior CB was until I made the switch, but I could've gone directly to HAM. Maybe one of the regrets was drilling 4 holes (as small as they may be..) in the center console to install the radio....
Thankfully my father always taught me to buy once and cry once. He also taught me to leave engine compartments stock, as its the only way to keep your vehicle reliable, so no complicated and compromising mods there... What is the deckplate mod by the way??
Clutch
<---Pass
I have a CB, granted I don't use it much, however I can pick up truckers from the highway at my house....some of them are hilarious! I'll sit in my truck at times and just listen.
I don't know how it was possible, but I was picking up a guy from California once...driving down the road one day.
The stuff internet legends are made out of, is what it is!
98dango
Expedition Leader
Talking long distance is done using what the used to call skip. My grand dad once got Australia and China with a base station in Vancouver wa that was back in the early 80
lugueto
Adventurer
I personally heard truckers rolling on the I-85 on North Carolina (they specified Charlotte) while on a trip on southern Venezuela some 8500 miles away...
That's called radio skip, some atmospheric conditions allow such a phenomenon. But it is that, a phenomenon. I never got more than 5 miles out of my CB, while I can manage more than that consistently using only 5 of the 75 watts of power my 2 meter radio provides without using repeaters..
I'm serious about the deckplate mod, I cant seem to find out exactly what it is, other than its some modification of the intake...
That's called radio skip, some atmospheric conditions allow such a phenomenon. But it is that, a phenomenon. I never got more than 5 miles out of my CB, while I can manage more than that consistently using only 5 of the 75 watts of power my 2 meter radio provides without using repeaters..
I'm serious about the deckplate mod, I cant seem to find out exactly what it is, other than its some modification of the intake...
4x4junkie
Explorer
Usually that is the result of having too short of an antenna (less than 5') and/or an improperly tuned/mounted antenna. CBs are a little finicky about that, they do require a good antenna setup.
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
You cut a hole in the front of your air box and put a deck plate in it. If you hit hard rain, or decide to cross a river you put the center part of the deck plate in to stop water from entering the air box.
lugueto
Adventurer
Thanks for the reply! i had seem something like that but I thought it was on the intake tube (people talked about the resonator box). It really intrigued me as I kept seeing them on 4runners..
About the CB range, I had a Midland 1/4 wave stainless whip antenna, which was almost 9 feet i believe. Mounted on my front bumper, wired properly, it was a great antenna, but I never got good range out of it.. The 2 meter antenna is mounted on the rear of the vehicle, its a 5/8 wave and the same precautions were taken when wiring, performance is infinitely better! Equipment is more expensive though..
About the CB range, I had a Midland 1/4 wave stainless whip antenna, which was almost 9 feet i believe. Mounted on my front bumper, wired properly, it was a great antenna, but I never got good range out of it.. The 2 meter antenna is mounted on the rear of the vehicle, its a 5/8 wave and the same precautions were taken when wiring, performance is infinitely better! Equipment is more expensive though..
4x4junkie
Explorer
Bumpers are usually too low for mounting an antenna. I usually get 5-10 miles average, and fairly often even 20 miles with just a 5.5' Francis antenna mounted up on the roof.
There is no denying however the audio quality is cleaner with the FM mode of ham (or MURS) units vs. the AM mode of CB units (less noise & static at VHF vs 27MHz also).
mkitchen
Explorer
The one that I kick myself over;
I did a change of air intake and exhaust on my Tacoma and I noticed a bit of difference in pickup performance but the droning of that Magna Flow drives me nuts. It is going to get changed out this year or I am going to shoot myself. I like to hear the motor but NOT that much. I try not to get anything till I see the need but was feeling flush and bought the exhaust. Lesson learned.
Mikey
I did a change of air intake and exhaust on my Tacoma and I noticed a bit of difference in pickup performance but the droning of that Magna Flow drives me nuts. It is going to get changed out this year or I am going to shoot myself. I like to hear the motor but NOT that much. I try not to get anything till I see the need but was feeling flush and bought the exhaust. Lesson learned.
Mikey
About 10 years ago I had a 93 bronco that needed new exhaust. The guy talked me into some magnaflows and the drone was annoying. I put pink fiberglass insulation between the mufflers and the body to muffle the drone. Soon after that it went up for sale. The new owners were inspecting it in front of my house after a test drive and were wondering what that "pink stuff" was under the truck. The people bought it for their teenage son and he probably loved the drone. Not only one of the worst modifications but also vehicle choices.
