MOD REVIEWS AND COMMENTS

DURABAK BEDLINER

This has been one of the best modifications that I made to the truck. I wanted to protect the bed somehow, but I don't like the plastic drop-in liners that are so popular. They tend to be loud, things slide all over the place and water/dirt gets under them and actually accelerates rust accumulation. They are however cheap, durable, and widely available for virtually any truck. The Durabak bedliner gets rid of all the negatives of the plastic drop-in's while retaining the advantages of them as well. The product comes in liquid form - in both gallon and quart quantities and a variety of colors - and it can be sprayed on or rolled on (what I did). It goes on easily once you figure out the correct technique. It forms a rough, gravel like appearance that is somewhat rubbery. I have been very happy with the finished product even though I only have on one coat due to an accident with the remainder of the gallon. Items don't move around in the bed, it has been durable and it looks good. I would highly recommend this stuff to anyone in the market for a bedliner.

HERCULINER BEDLINER

Before I bought this, I did some research and found out that Herculiner and Durabak are the EXACT same thing. Since I didn't get to put the entire amount of Durabak on the bed, I decided to pick up some Herculiner and finish the job. The only difference in the two is that Herculiner only comes in black whereas Durabak can be had in a whole range of colors. Since I put black on originally, this wasn't an issue for me. I put it on in January of 2000, and so for there have been no problems with adhesion (or anything else for that matter). Now I have a nice thick coating that I expect to last for a long time.

PAINTED FENDER FLARES

For anyone who has an older truck like mine, you know that the rubber and plastic pieces get faded by the sun. I had tried a whole host of products in order to bring back the original color of the fender flares, but the best I was able to do was a "dusty" black. The only real solution was to paint them. I was a little nervous about this as I wanted them to look good and be durable but wasn't sure if I could remove the paint if they turned out badly. I didn't need to worry though, they turned out great. I used an automotive spray primer on them first (2 coats) and then followed with a satin black (another 2 coats). They came out just how I wanted - black but not real shiny. Hopefully, they will still look good after a little brush damage, but if they don't then I will just re-paint them over and over. For less than $15 in paint, I couldn't be happier.

FRONT BRUSHGUARD

I am unsure what the brand this brush guard is, but it fits the truck well. It is a black tubular brush guard with two 4" horizontal bars in front which are parallel and spaced about 12" or so. They are braced by thick walled steel on both ends which also serves as the mounting to the body. It mounts to both the end of the frame rails as well as to the front tow hook mounts (tow hooks removed). The side braces also serve as mount for the headlight protector pieces that extend to the edge of the body from side to side. It is a nice unit, however I have removed it for a number of reasons. One was weight - I wanted to lighten the truck as much as possible. Two was because of some damage - the lower mount was slightly bent. Three was looks - I liked just the center piece, but the headlight protectors were too much for my taste. I will most likely repair it and re-install it on the truck at some point, but I am in no hurry right now.

BLAUPUNKT JACKSON HEADUNIT

I bought this and the speakers below over the internet and so there was some concern about how it would sound. I didn't want anything too nice but at the same time, I didn't want junk. I got a phenomenal deal on this and so I decided to give it a try. I figured that almost anything would be better than the cheap no-name brand headunit and tired original speakers that were in the truck at the time. The headunit was not really designed to mount in Japanese cars and they suggested a mounting kit. Luckily, I was able to mount it using the existing hardware that came with the truck with some minor modification (I had to enlarge the plastic trim piece slightly). Other than that, the install went smoothly and the design fits the look of the truck. It really looks like it belongs in the vehicle - not flashy but functional and modern. The headunit is powerfull enough to drive the one set of speakers I have and there are plenty of features built in. One quibble: I wish the display was brighter at night. This would make finding the presets/volume/etc easier. Other than that, I think this stereo will work out great assuming it can handle the rigors of off-road travel.

BLAUPUNKT 6.5" SPEAKERS

These were bought at the same time as the headunit above and were designed to work together. They really aren't the right size for the truck - stock is 4" I believe and as such needed some work to fit. They are just barely too large (2-3mm) to fit in the opening provided by removing the stock speakers and their brackets. I decided to mount them in these holes anyway, and maybe at some point in the future make some custom enclosures. I drilled new mounting holes into the underlying sheet metal of the door and mounted them over top of the inner door skins. As for sound, I am very pleased. While not the highest end speakers, they are MUCH better than the old smaller stock speakers and seem to handle highs/mids/lows reasonably well. Really not bad for a 2-way co-axial speaker. I am planning to use the original speakers as a rear fill as soon as I figure out a good place to mount them. For a low-cost speaker, they sound wonderful but I wouldn't build a high end system with them.

BLAUPUNKT CDX-A08 10 DISC CD CHANGER

After getting the headunit, I was really pleased with how everything sounded and looked with one exception - I don't really own any tapes and the ones that I do own are quite old. I wanted to listen to some of my newer music when I had my truck but they are all on CD. Since it is the only tape player I own, I don't have any way to copy my CD's onto tape. So the search was on for a good price on a Blaupunkt cd player. I finally found one on closeout at the same place I bought my headunit. Since the headunit has built in cd changer controls, all I needed to do was hook it up and I would be ready to go. So far, I have been very pleased with the performance and sound of the changer. I don't know how well it will work while offroading, but time will tell. I wouldn't hesitate to get this changer again, partly because I already had a compatiable headunit. It also seems less prone to skipping than the Kenwood model I have in the Z (hasn't skipped at all yet in fact).

MAXON HANDHELD CB RADIO

I wanted some form of communication with friends while on the trail as well as an emergency communication device. For trucks, CB's fit this bill perfectly. I also wanted one that I could easily attach to the 300ZX for long trip and such. Because of this, I was limited to a handheld variety. While not as clean looking and convenient, it works just as well as the in dash model (a friend has one to compare to). I have the lowest end model which is fine because all CB's transmit with the same power. Higher end CB's just give you more features that I wouldn't use. I have both a permanent mount antenna as well as the magnetic base antenna and it works great so far. I have been pleased with the CB's performance, but most people would probably prefer a more fully featured model. What you lose in convenience with the handheld, you make up for in portability. Perfect for me, but probably not for most.

MAXON CB RADIO (MCB-30)

While I was happy with the handheld models performance, I finally decided that I wanted something more permanent. It got to be inconvient and messy with all the cables runnning everywhere. I recieved this CB from a friend for the repayment of a debt. This worked well for both of us as he had an extra one (long story) and I needed one. The CB is mounted on the lower part of the dash, directly beneath the radio. It looks remarkably good here and doesn't intervere with any controls or shifter action. I had orginally wanted to mount it where the ashtray currently resides, but it proved to be more work than I was willing to do. Like the handheld model, it is a basic CB but it works fine for my purposes. I also took the time to mount my antenna at the rear of the bed.

BRAKE PADS

I am using the standard replacement semi-metallic Raybestos brakes right now on my truck. They perform about the same as the stock brakes, but don't seem to wear as quickly. If you are looking for increased stopping power these are not the ones you want. I will be replacing them with the Brutestop pads as soon as I need new ones. They Brutestops have much more "bite" in them and produce less brake dust as well. If you are looking for a low cost brake pad, this is as good as any other. However quick braking is important to me and for $30-40, the Brutestops are a much better deal for me.

ENERGY SUSPENSION BUMPSTOPS

I got these, to see if I could get a tiny bit more downward travel out of the front suspension. Since I cranked the torsions so far (3"), I lost a lot of my downward travel and I was looking for ways to regain some of it. I'm not sure I gained much at all with these, but I haven't been unhappy with them either. The Energy Suspension bumpstops are made out of polyurethane and they replace the stock rubber ones. They were kind of a pain to install, but most of that was because of the cranked torsion bars. They attach using a long (1" or so) bolt that protrudes from the bottom of the bumpstop. I didn't have enough clearance to get the bolt to drop into the hole on the frame it was supposed to. Stock setups should allow more access room to install. Getting the locknut on the bolt once installed is also difficult because of limited access that will be universal on all Nissans. Overall, I am happy with the bushings. They provide a small increase in travel, but once the travel is used up, they aren't as forgiving as the stock rubber ones. In other words, you feel more of a jolt when you bottom out. However they were cheap and should never need replacing again.

ENGERGY SUSPENSION TENSION ROD BUSHINGS

One day, while underneath my truck, I noticed how worn and collapsed my front tension rod bushings were. I knew Energy Suspension made some and decided that this would be a good application for poly bushings. I was right. I was hoping they would get rid off all the play in the steering and wandering while going over uneven ground. They helped in both cases, but didn't eliminate it totally. These bushings were very simple to install and could be done in about 30 minutes or so by just about anyone. All you need is a large wrench for the tension rod bolt and a smaller one for the other two smaller bolts. They cost the same as the OEM Nissan bushings and should last as long as the truck will.

ENGERGY SUSPENSION REAR SPRING BUSHING KIT

I had to get these as part of the rear spring swap I did. I wanted to try poly bushings back there, but I still have mixed feelings about them. First off, it has nothing to do with quality or construction. These are well made bushings and metal sleeves and they fit perfectly. The kit comes with a total of 6 bushings (2 for the front eyes, 2 for the rear eyes and 2 for the upper shackle mounts). The negative I have had with them is some sqeaking under compression. I knew this might be a problem but the black graphite ones I got were supposed to eliminate this - they didn't. They do work as advertised though and they cost the same as the rubber ones from Nissan, so I can't say I'm displeased with them either. Time will tell if the sqeak goes away or gets worse.

DOUG THORELY HEADERS

When I bought the truck, I had a horrible exhaust leak coming from the engine compartment. After some investigating, I had two problems - my collector pipe was cracked and my stock iron exhaust manifold was also cracked. Replacement of these with stock parts was more expensive than just buying a header. Also with the header, I would be gaining some performance as well. For Nissans there are primarily two headers available - Pacesetter and Doug Thorley. For me, the decision between them was simple. The Thorely's are made with higher quality steel, thicker tubing, better fit and finish (chromed), and less reported problems. Installation however was quite a chore. First getting the old manifold off was hard enough (limited space to work and rusted hardware) and installing the header was even more frustrating (same problems, but worse since the header is larger). I also had some problems with the metal EGR tube getting in way and then treading into the fitting provided on the header. I could either get the header where it needed to be or thread the EGR tube on, but not both at the same time. My fix was to remove all but two of the studs that the header fit on to and then install the EGR tube. Once it was in, then re-install the studs into the block. Once installed, I have been very happy with the header. I seem to have more power throughout the RPM band, but most noticably in the upper RPM ranges. I don't have any vibrations, noises or other problems with the header yet. I also opted for some metal manifold gaskets at the same time instead of the ones provided with the header. Since I changed the muffler right after the header, I can't comment on noise changes with the header only, but my exhaust is not loud at all. A great product at a reasonable price. If your exhaust manifold is cracked, do yourself a favor and look into the Thorley headers.

CUSTOM DYNOMAX CATBACK EXHAUST

Since my muffler was shot when I bought the truck, a new one was in order. My requirement for the muffler were simple - good sound, not loud, inexpensive, some performance gain and decent quality. I was mostly concerned with sound as I didn't want that loud, droning sound of some aftermarket exhausts. I liked the sound of a Flowmaster, but wanted something more suited to a small displacement motor. I found what I was looking for in the Walker Dynomax mufflers. They are made well, quiet but have a nice pleasing tone (in fact, I wouldn't have minded it a little louder). I also went with some custom bent 2.25" aluminized steel piping. This was slightly more expensive than standard steel piping, but should last longer as it doesn't rust as easily. This was important with all the mud, dirt and water that will be splashed onto the exhaust. I wouldn't go over 2.5" in your piping or you will lose some low end torque. I would probably get 2.25" piping again if I were to do it again - good improvement over stock, but not too much. For a low cost system, it has worked very well and accomplished everything I wanted for my truck. Highly recommended. If you have a little more to spend, look into the Borla mufflers. Very nice construction, high quality steel and a great sound.

REDLINE MTL

After buying the truck, I thought I would do it a favor and replace all fluids. I made a mistake on the transmission fluid however. I put in a GL5 rated oil instead of a GL4 rated one. Big mistake!! It ate up my syncros in a very short time. I realized my mistake and tried to replace it with Redline MTL in order to save the transmission. Well, that didn't work as the syncros were already shot, but I was impressed at how well the MTL worked on a ruined transmission. When I got my transmission rebuilt, I decided to run MTL right from the start and I couldn't be happier with the results. The shifter action is very smooth now. Also, cold weather shifting is much easier than with conventional oils. I also noticed that the transmission housing and shifter don't get anywhere near as warm as before. Finally, there is a small performance/gas mileage increase as well. I would highly recommend this product to anyone with a manual transmission - new or old. You will be very happy with the results. I was so pleased with the performance in the truck, that I changed the fluid in the 300ZX over to Redline MTL as well.

REDLINE 75W90NS

When I bought the truck, I decided to replace all fluids. For the differential fluid, I once again turned to Redline for my product. This is simply a synthetic gear oil made for non-limited slip differentials. It helps protect the gears better than conventional oil and reduces wear and friction. You benefit from this by a very, slight performance/gas mileage increase, lower differential temperatures and smoother operation. Most people wouldn't notice the difference in this application and neither do I. I do like the peace of mind that comes with a high quality lubricant such as this however. For the small amount you need, the increased cost is negligible for me. Highly recommended for those of you with a limited slip differential (use 75W90 instead of the 75W90NS).

REDLINE WATERWETTER

One of the only ways you can destroy the Z-24i engine is to let it overheat. This will warp the heads and the engine will never be the same again. Since my truck has so many miles this was a major concern for me. I wanted my engine to run as cool as possible. I had Redline WaterWetter recommended to me and this stuff is everything it says it is. You simply pour the entire bottle into your radiator and that's it. It increases the heat transfer properties of the coolant and reduces coolant temperature by about 20 degrees (claimed 30). Not bad for a $6 liquid. My truck now runs very cool and I have no worries about overheating even on the steepest grades. The only negative with it is that it works too well. My heater takes awhile to fully warm up in cold weather and isn't as hot as before. Overall a great product and I have used it in my 300ZX with no problems as well (no heater problem there). It can be found at Pep Boys in the fluids section.

CENTER CONSOLE

After buying the truck, I noticed the vacant area between the seat as well as the lack of storage in the cab. Why not fix both problems at the same time with a center console? Once again, I didn't want to spend very much money on my trail truck and didn't want something that couldn't take some abuse (dirt, sand, water, etc.). I had a tough time finding something that would fit in the narrow but long area and still allow shifting of both the regular transmission as well as the transfer case. As luck would have it I found one made for minivans on clearance and it fit my needs perfectly. It is entirely made of grey plastic and has two cupholders in the front, a slot tray behind that and then the lid covering the main storage area in the rear. It fits perfectly and closely matches my interior color. For the few dollars I spent on it, it has worked out well. I'm not sure where you can find this item, but if I see another one like it then I will add it to this review.

STORAGE NETTING

This was kind of an impulse buy. I had been looking for some way to hold my tow strap and other loose items; they were just laying loose on the floor behind the front seats. I saw this netting in the car section at Walmart and thought it would be the perfect solution. I was mostly right. They only had one size in stock which was luckily the correct size that I needed. The netting is attached at four points with some supplied plastic fasteners. These can be attached by either double stick tape or sheet metal screws (I did both). I simply removed the carpet material at the rear of the cab and mounted the fasteners to the metal that was exposed. I then measured and cut slits in the carpet for the fasteners to poke through. Then I simply re-installed the carpeting and hooked the netting to the four fasteners. It looked great but once I started putting some things inside the netting, it started to sag a little. It still does its job just fine, but I had orginally wanted the top edge of the netting to be right under the rear sliding window. It now rests about 6 inches down. I only paid about $10 for the netting so what can I expect.

BLAZER "BAJA" DRIVING LIGHTS

These were an impulse buy and have worked well so far. I bought them for $6 on a closeout sale. They are 55W halogen lights with a glass lens and plastic covers. Considering that the H3 bulbs inside are about $5 each, I figured I couldn't go wrong trying them out. They are a cheap light, but I like them. I drilled two holes into the front bumper and mounted them there. Whenever I re-install my brush guard, I will have to re-mount the lights somewhere else as the holes are right inline with the side braces for the brushguard. They will be joined shortly by a set of fog lights as soon as I find a set I like.


UPDATE The Blazer Baja lights died an untimely death. After a fun trail run, me and a couple of friends were stopped to unlock hubs, air up, etc when my truck rolled foward into the bumper of another truck. I had apparently failed to fully engage the parking brake (it was pulled, but obviously not far enough). My friends truck's bumper is the same height as the lights and therefore the bumper won. The lights were snapped from their mounting and one of the glass lenses broke. Both lights were still funtioning however as they dangled off the front bumper by just the wires. Since the bulbs were still intact, I salvaged them and they currently await reuse when they are needed. Now, I am looking for some new lights.

GABRIEL PRO-RYDER

When I bought the truck, I needed shocks badly. I went out and bought 4 of the Gabriel Pro-Ryder shocks at a local parts store. After installing them, the ride improved greatly but I noticed that the truck still oscillated on the freeway after going over bumps. At this point, I still had the brushguard on and thought that it was too heavy for the shocks - so I removed it. Well, it didn't make much difference as the ride didn't change drastically. I wanted it much stiffer up front, but the back felt fine. So, I kept the shock in the back and upgraded the fronts to Rancho RS5000. This combo works great for me and I am very happy with this setup. Overall, the shocks provide a nice soft ride, but don't have the dampening ability that I was looking for (but I like a firm ride). Most people would probably like these shocks for normal street driving.

RANCHO RS5000

These are installed in the front of my truck only and have greatly improved the ride both on and off-road. They significantly stiffened the ride up and eliminated the oscillations that I was getting with the Gabriel's. Most people that drove on the street would think that these are too stiff unless you have some heavy accessories like brushguards and the like. Since I use my truck off-road, I wanted a stiff, firm ride that wouldn't bottom out. These shocks provide that and also reduce the amount of body roll that I get in the turns. This is extremely important now that I have removed my front swaybar (see misc. section for more details). I love these shocks and so far they have held up quite well.


UPDATE These shocks have softened somewhat on the street and aren't nearly as stiff as they were. The ride is actually quite nice now. Offroad performance doesn't seem to have been compromised either. Also, they have suffered some severe damage to the outer shell and don't seem to be bothered by it (damage was not the fault of the shock but rather an impact).

SWAY-AWAY 30% STIFFER TORSION BARS

When I bought the truck, the front torsions were badly in need of replacement. They had 190,000 miles on them and had sagged badly. I tried to re-index them, but they were worn and had lost a lot of their spring rate. Since I was going to use this truck primarily as a trail truck and was planning on lifting it, I wanted a stiffer set that would hold the weight better but also not be too stiff that it didn't provide good articulation. The Sway-Away 30% stiffer ones seems to fit that bill perfectly. They are 26.5mm thick and painted white. Install wasn't too complicated and went without a hitch. I did these at the same time as the shocks and it made a huge difference in the ride over the old, worn components (see shocks section for more details). I have these cranked about 3" which is the max I would go (2.5" max with 31 inch tires). This stiffens the ride quite a bit but does allow me to clear my 32" tires. Sway-Away also makes a dual stage torsion bar that also seems very nice. It has two settings - one is slightly stiffer than stock while the other is much stiffer. They adjust by turning a screw located on the torsion bar itself. If your truck sees dual duty (street/trail) I think this would be the best choice for you as you could retain a softer ride on the street while still having the ability to tackle the trails. I haven't noticed any sag yet from the new torsions and haven't had any problems with them either (they even took a rock into the side hard with no damage). I only wish they were a little stiffer to hold the weight of the brushguard a little better (maybe a 40-45% stiffer bar). Oh well, wishful thinking. If I had to do it again, I think I would spend the extra money on the dual-stage torsions.

NISSAN 2WD REAR SPRINGS

I read about this somewhere on the internet and decided to try it. It involves taking the rear leaf springs from a same type (regular cab or king cab) 2WD truck and mounting them on the 4WD truck. On the 2WD, the axle goes under the spring so it has more of a bow to the spring pack and the leaves are somewhat softer. On the 4WD, the springs are stiffer and mount on top of the axle. By switching the two, you get a slightly softer spring and also a 3-4" lift in the process. The lift comes from mounting the arched 2WD springs on top of the axle instead of below it like on the 2WD. The only modification required was to enlarge the hole in the mounting pad on the axle to allow the center pin on the 2WD spring to drop into. After this is done, the spring sits flat on the mounting pad. I went this route in order to avoid the rough ride associated with add-leafs and the cost associated with custom spring packs. The only difficulty I experience in the conversion was getting the old springs out. My front hanger bolts were rusted in and I had to torch out the bushings in order to be able to slide the bolt out. After this was done, it was a simple process. You will probably need longer shocks after you do this (I do, just haven't replaced them yet) in order to get all of the wheel travel you gain. Also, I'm pretty sure that my cargo carrying capacity has diminished somewhat but not noticeably. I like the soft spring, hard shock combo as it soaks up the small bumps but prevents bottoming on the hard ones. I paid less than $50 for the whole thing and so far have had no problems with the lift.

AMERICAN PROSPECTOR AP

When I bought the truck, it needed tires badly as two of them were down past the wear bands (I actually cut my finger on one of the steel belts!!!). At the time, I wanted a tire that was quiet, rode well, has some off-road ability, was cheap, had good treadwear and available quickly. I settled on these which were a copy of the Michelin LTX. I bought the truck with 30x9.5x15 tires in front and 31x10.5x15 tires in back and this was fine for the street. These tires did everything that I wanted them for when I bought them. Unfortunately, soon after buying these I decided that I wanted more of a trail truck since I had a nice road car. This necessitated a change in both tire type as well as size. I didn't want to run two different sizes off-road and I wanted something with more "bite" in the tread pattern. Overall, these tires were good but more suited for mostly street/highway driving and limited off-road use. If I need a tire for that purpose, I wouldn't hesitate to get these tires again.

CAVALIER SPORT KING AT

These were the tires that replaced the Prospectors and are 32x11.5x15 in size. I was torn between a mud tire and an all-terrain tire. These are sort of a mix between the two. The tread pattern is similar to the BFG All-Terrain's (BFG makes them), but has a more aggressive, open lug pattern. They ride a little stiffer and alot louder than the Prospectors. This was fine as long as they lasted a while and provided plenty of traction in all kinds of media - mud, snow, sand, dirt, pavement, etc. So far, they have done all these things well and I am happy with the decision to go with them over the BFG AT's (which is also a great tire). Time will tell how well they wear, but they seem to be doing well at this point. As long as you don't mind some tire roar, these would be an excellent choice over the more costly major brand all-terrain tires on the market.

PROGRESSIVE PRO #73 CHROME RIMS

Cheap, stong and relatively good looking. That pretty much describes these wheels. They are a simple one piece, steel chrome rim. Nothing fancy, but very functional. I have owned two set of these now 15x7 and 15x8 and have been happy with both. Nothing really to say about them negatively. They've worked well and I haven't had any problems with them. I can't justify spending a lot on expensive aluminum wheels for my truck as they will most likely get damaged while I am offroading. I would much rather spend that money on some other modification (although I would like to have a lighter weight wheel). Unless I find a great deal on some other wheels that I like, I will probably stick with the 15x8's I am running now.

REMOVED FRONT ANTI-SWAYBAR

Since my truck is used primarily in an off-road capacity, I was looking for more ways to increase wheel travel. Anti-sway bars try to keep both wheels on the same plane at all times by connecting them together by the bar and then securing the bar to the frame with bushings. By removing the front swaybar, each wheel is able to move completely independently of the other. This not only greatly increases wheel travel, but also provides a smoother ride. It achieves this at the expense of body roll. The body now rolls significantly in corners and as such, I wouldn't recommend this mod to people who use their trucks on the street primarily. And as such, you must take turns much slower than before. This was fine with me as I already have a sports car for that sort of thing. If your truck does see dual purpose use (street/trails) then I would look into a swaybar disconnect. This allows you to retain the swaybar in the city, and disconnect each end when you go out on trails. Overall, I have been very happy with this mod as it has both increased my ride quality as well as off-road performance. Also, since my truck isn't fast it wasn't hard to adjust my driving style to suit the new suspension characteristics.