What did you do to your rig today?

[Adam]

That is a nice looking Xterra.

[Snafu]

Will be ordering a new set of bushings at discounted price. Sadly, the bushings are not loose and they cannot just pull 3 pieces without destroying a set. Since I cannot prove the bushings were missing from the shipment this is the best they can do. I totally understand.

I know I had pics on my phone (to confirm if they were missing) but I must have deleted them since and I have searched three PCs I use for the pics but can't find them

[sandor]

That is a nice looking Xterra.

Thanks Adam, it has it's share of battle scars.

Those springs are turning into a year-long project. Going to have it done for AW?

[Miner]

V70 - Test drove to start troubleshooting a vibration...4x rotors and pads...requires more troubleshooting to confirm source of the vibration.

RAM - Tires rotated, brakes checked, rear u-bolts shortened and torque checked, suspension and steering checked, and CB tossed in for AW.

Sportsman 500 - Leaking carb float needle seat seals putting fuel into the sump. Disassembled quad, pulled carburetor out for rebuild, disassembled and cleaned carb, dump oil/fuel and filter and replaced with 15W40 Diesel oil, pulled spark plug and soaked jug with storage spray/oil, and pulled over by hand 6x. Let it sit and every 20 minutes or so pulled it over 6x, I'll leave that oil for a couple days to "cleanup" as much of the fuel as possible and penetrate all the bearings and seals that would have been "washed out" by the fuel contamination.

Sportsman 90 - Little quad isn't meant for night time use (by kids) so there's no headlights. The stator output is also very low because it is only used for spark and charging a tiny battery. Installed one LED flood light (6x3w) with a prefabricated harness from PA. Installed quickly and the little light performs better than I'd hoped for.

Trucks about 70% packed for AW as well...busy night.

[Adam]

Finally had to replace my Eliminator spiral grid battery after 8 or 9 years. I had killed that thing so many times I am surprised it lasted this long.

Ended up with a standard battery for the moment and I'll wait till there is a sale on the optima since they don't make the eliminator one anymore.

[Snafu]

Winter shoes on the truck. Serviced brakes. Bolts for the ABS sensors did not want to come out. So just sprayed them for next time.

[Adam]

New brakes on the Golf this weekend, also replaced the turn signal/cruise stalk and now I have cruise again. Yay.

Pathy is put away for the winter, going to use the xterra. Winters from the pathy are too small so no winters for me.

[Nd4SpdSe]

On Friday I pinned up the trailer for the last time to bring her to get stored for the winter


Along the way, I figured it was time to get it weighed, to stopped at a scale station that was en route.

Truck with trailer:


Just the truck:


Which calculates the trailer at 1100kg, or 2560lbs

That evening, i took advantage of the mother-in-laws garage to clean up the disaster that was inside the truck from the craziness that is the haunted house, and it was cold and very friggin' windy, and it also gets dark at 4:30, so I could take my time and empty all the junk out and reorganize it.

I also wanted to install my new 24" LED bar up front, which went well and was farily straight forward. It's on the same switch at the 42" for the time being, which means I should get my butt in gear to get my switch panel made before I get more lights installed. I've got my roof basket in the works, so once that's done, more lights will definitely follow.


Since I had plenty of time, and since the spare tire spent it's summer on the trailer and I moved it back to the truck, I decided to look again at running the wires for the brake light on the carrier. My planned route back in spring pinched the wires, so I had ran out of time for that and put it to the side. Looking at it with a fresh mind, I drilled a few holes and took another path which so far works well.

Now that that's done, I'm looking at seeing about making a production version. I've been dealing with a new fabricator this year and so far I like his work and his prices, and he's got a machinist that can do a few extra fancy things, so when he comes back at the end of the month, I'll be talking with him and seeing what he can do. In the mean time, since I'm getting back into my own time and routine with the haunted house finally all torn down as of Saturday, I'll see about making up the bike rack adapter for it before seeing the fab guy.

[Miner]

Along the way, I figured it was time to get it weighed, to stopped at a scale station that was en route.

Truck with trailer:


Just the truck:


Which calculates the trailer at 1100kg, or 2560lbs

Trailer setup with the X always looks good.

Notes on weights:

• 1,100 kg from trailer to road + 80 kg tongue weight = 1,180 kg or 2,601 lbs
  
  10% minimum tongue weight is therefore 118 kg or 260 lbs.
  15% tongue weigh would be 177 kg or 390 lbs.
  
  Now that you know your weights you should consider increasing the tongue weight with your next phases of the build or with placement of load in the trailer.

Note for all modified rigs:

• All vehicles have a specified GVWR or Gross Vehicle weight. This is the weight the vehicle and everything it is carrying cannot exceed while on a public roadway. Exceeding this weight is risking public safety, it also puts you at risk in terms of safety and liability.
  
  There's nothing that can be done to increase the GVWR or GCWR of a vehicle. One-ton axles, brakes, suspension, and powertrain in a half-ton truck is still a half-ton truck.

[Nd4SpdSe]

HEY, I CAN VISIT AGAIN FROM WORK!!! YAY!!!!

1160lb actually. I forgot the 60lbs while typing, but I had calculated it right the other day....andthere's an extra 10lbs on the scale that's irrelevant...unless I'm dragging a dead racoon behind me on a 20ft rope.

Indeed some of the next parts of the build is up front, but also remember, the front basket is not full of wood, and the 16 gallon water tank, also forward of the axle, is also empty. The fuel tank has an unknown amount of fuel in it, but it's far from full.

However, your mention of the GVWR made me look it up, and it means that my truck as she sits, with a full tank of fuel, me, all my gear (I've been told I probably have 200lbs of tools that I carry in the truck at all times since I don't have a garage), and the mods (skids plates, bumper, winch, 33's), puts my truck at roughly 500lbs *OVER* the GVWR as she sits. Especially since I'm missing the aftermarket fuel tank skid, and that I don't have a full steel bumper, which would imply that any and all modified 1gen Xterra's are over their GWVR.

[Drizit]

It's a similar situation with jeeps, the gvwr of my LJ is 4600lbs 2086.5kg. I ran my tow rig across the scales with and without the jeep but all other things being equal. I came up with a difference of 2950 kg. Heck there is only a 1000lb difference between curb weight and gvwr stock... Keep in mind those weights don't even include me as I was in the tow rig both times. Heck, add 400lbs of me, probably 300lbs in tires and that doesn't leave much left for gas never mind skids, tools, suspension, axles... Basically if you have what started off as a light duty truck for a trail rig there's a good chance it's technically illegal as soon as you load it with tools and snacks for wheeling and put a winch on.

[Miner]

Your LJ weighs 2,950 kg (6,500 lbs)! No wonder modified Jeeps are so hard on u-joints and suspension bits.

This is part of the reason we moved to a 3/4-ton truck, which could have been a one-ton if I had found one. Unfortunately with the 3/4-ton we have have the suspension, solid axles, 35s, ground clearance etc that you want in an off-road rig but too much size and mass to be useful off-road.

[Drizit]

Yep, that's the issue. Turns out I was over by 150 lbs, I guessed the weight of my passanger on the second trip. But still..
I had no idea it was that heavy, but I suppose at almost 4k curb weight stock... And the 6350 is fully loaded for camping and wheeling.

[Adam]

So that means we're supposed to trailer all of our vehicles to the trail?? Yeah I am not buying a 3/4 ton truck and a float trailer, plus getting it inspected yearly or whatever, just to go wheeling.

I have no idea if mine is over the limit or not. Curb weight is, 4090 lbs. Payload according to google is 1150 lbs.

[Drizit]

Technically... Yah basically most of us should. Here's the rub though if you have an available payload of 1150lbs, a tank of gas takes a couple hundred lbs of that. Add in a couple of adults say 400lbs. Or even worse add 4 adults and you are just about over weight if they bring lunch. Basically most vehicles on the road are probably pushing gvrw limits.

[Miner]

Agreed, and more worrying is how often I see a vehicle pushing the GVWR limit and then having a trailer added to it. I've seen too many RAM 1500 Crew Cabs with 800 lbs of passengers and a bed full of gear towing trailers. Most of these trucks have a 900 - 1100 lbs payload and they exceeded that before hitching on the trailer.

Great article here - http://news.pickuptrucks.com/2015/10/a- ... ities.html

[Nd4SpdSe]

In the end, it just gives me more appreciation for the X. I would of never wondered by the way she drives she was overweight. I know the gen1 SC gets knocked on, but she works well.

[Miner]

There's probably a number of vehicles that are significantly underrated by the manufacturer. It could be to keep them in or out specific classes of vehicles, marketing reasons, or frankly that they didn't think that the market needed the capability. The Xterra could have been one of those vehicles.

[Adam]

After driving an SC, and a NA Xterra side by side, I would chose the SC one every time. It isn't "fast" but it is much more enjoyable to drive.

My truck is probably overweight but it drives well, and I have had panic braking situations and felt the truck performed just fine.

I feel like they must have designed it with some leeway in the weight ratings. Like is 100lbs of salami in the back going to make a big difference?

[Drizit]

Like is 100lbs of salami in the back going to make a big difference?

To the smell at least yes.