Nissan Safari Wheel Rub

[extreme_treeman]

Yep...next prob has developed already...but shoudl be an easy fix.....There was a hissing sound ocming out from under the bonnet when I got home tonight.....upon looking I discovered the aircon hose that runs from the firewall to the front of the engine bay somewhere has got a split in it

Ive done Panhard bushes now....so will try the lower control arms next. King pin bushes sounds like a major....and wayyyy beyond me.
Jack the front of the truck off the ground from the chassis and allow the front suspension to drop to full extension, use a long bar and prod and poke around the bushes looking for wear and movement, the bushes at the front of the lower control arm have a steel bush in the center and they can separate from the rubber bush, hard to see without removing it but can cause a fair bit of movement.

the rear bushes will cause backwards/forwards movement if they are worn.

Body lift is the next I think....the rub is occuring where the front tyres meet the wheel arches at the back of the arch...and thats not with very much flex.....so suspect that a ammer wont fix that. Especially as I woudl like to fit mudflaps on the front so I can still see out the side windows. At the moment they are filthy in seconds.


Could be wrong but it sounds like you have a suspension lift in it already, be interesting to know how high it is anything more than 2 inches and you start altering the diff position in relation to the guard, there is a spacer kit that moves the lower control arm forward about 15 mm that stops large tyres rubbing on the rear guard. also Shorty Saf's have known wobble/Vibration issue's if they are lifted more than 3 inches due to driveshaft angles.

Definitely has a lift...but I oculdnt tell you what sort......or how high? Is there somewhere that I could measure? Because the way it shudders initially when moving off and such would suggest that something is also wrong underneath. The car dealer sprayed all the underneath with that black stuff......and I mean ALL the underneath......shocks......springs.,....the works. OR else I woudl be able to tell you what brands or anything. Where would I source the spacers? It may be a good option..and I'm guessing still a two inch body lift?
How do I knwo if its got a limted slip in the back? I guess jack one wheel off the ground and rotate? If it wont go round its limited I guess?

quick and dirty test is to jack both rear wheels off the ground and rotate them by hand if they both spin the same way LSD if one rotates clockwise and one anti-clockwise then it's open diff.

[meece4x4]

honest opinion?

Id do a Body lift as a very last resort, The area around the body mount isn't the strongest, and the Saf bodys are heavy (admittedly yours has been halved in weight being a ute) and with a 2 inch body lift you can start tearing out body mounts through the floor, this only happens in extreme cases and over a protracted time of rough off road use, however if your planing on hitting the harder tracks it is something to bear in mind.

When I got my 33's a month or so ago I had tossed up going to 35's but decided I really didnt want to do a body lift, 1, because the Saf is high and top heavy enough as it is and 2, I didnt want to rip the mounts out, and judging by some of the local tracks im driving down here they are rough enough to do that.

Easiest way to check you lift height is to measure from center of front hub to underside of guard (not the flares if fitted) stock height is around 550mm from memory anything more than that will be your suspension lift.

My LWB wagon has 33's and a 2 inch lift and you can see how high it sits in this photo,



is your truck a manual by any chance??? if it is a slight shudder/grumble on takeoff in 1st is LOL "Normal" for a manual GQ, you soon learn to recognize the sound of a Gq anywhere in a Pack-n-save Carpark by the grumble as it maneuvers around in 1st

do you have a manual for the GQ? If not Pm me I have all but the interior section of the manual on PDF, I can rip off a copy onto cd and post it out the you if you like (too big to email) as for the kingpin bearings they aren't that hard to do with the manual ... Im not a mechanic but I managed to do mine in about 40 mins a side, they are easy to get to and if nothing else a repack of grease will do them good.

[Twodiffs]

If you just want somebody to take a look and sort it out for you, St KIlda Automotive down on corner of Prince Albert St and Richardson St be able to help you, all the guys there are into there 4x4s and Safaris.

I sold my first Safari to a guy there in 2003ish I think it was.
Rob I think his name was???

[Shane]

too stop the rubbing on the rear of front guards fit/make one of the diff spacer kits(like the others have said)moves diff forward 12 odd mm.
if you still wont more clearance than that(mudflaps etc)then trim the wheel arch down and refold the flange back,when you fit rubber flares it covers up were any paint has chipped etc
Quite easy to do on the front guards as most of it is single skin,the rubber flares also help stop mud hitting your side windows.

with a 2" lift guard triming/diff spaced forward 37" tyres can be fitted.

[Mudhog]

Quick test for panard rod bushes is to have someone rock the steering wheel back and forward and see if the diff moves left and right slightly.

It then could be panard rod bushes or possibly radius arm bushes?

I've just done both after the same problem

Much better now

[extreme_treeman]

honest opinion?

Id do a Body lift as a very last resort, The area around the body mount isn't the strongest, and the Saf bodys are heavy (admittedly yours has been halved in weight being a ute) and with a 2 inch body lift you can start tearing out body mounts through the floor, this only happens in extreme cases and over a protracted time of rough off road use, however if your planing on hitting the harder tracks it is something to bear in mind.

When I got my 33's a month or so ago I had tossed up going to 35's but decided I really didnt want to do a body lift, 1, because the Saf is high and top heavy enough as it is and 2, I didnt want to rip the mounts out, and judging by some of the local tracks im driving down here they are rough enough to do that.

Easiest way to check you lift height is to measure from center of front hub to underside of guard (not the flares if fitted) stock height is around 550mm from memory anything more than that will be your suspension lift.

My LWB wagon has 33's and a 2 inch lift and you can see how high it sits in this photo,



is your truck a manual by any chance??? if it is a slight shudder/grumble on takeoff in 1st is LOL "Normal" for a manual GQ, you soon learn to recognize the sound of a Gq anywhere in a Pack-n-save Carpark by the grumble as it maneuvers around in 1st

do you have a manual for the GQ? If not Pm me I have all but the interior section of the manual on PDF, I can rip off a copy onto cd and post it out the you if you like (too big to email) as for the kingpin bearings they aren't that hard to do with the manual ... Im not a mechanic but I managed to do mine in about 40 mins a side, they are easy to get to and if nothing else a repack of grease will do them good.

Gidday, That woudl be awesome. ANy chance that it will Zip file? If not...I'll gladly pay you for yoru time and a copy

[extreme_treeman]

Can anyone advise where I woudl get the diff spacer kit?

[extreme_treeman]

Finally had time to put some pics together.

A lot fo work still needs doing, but this give and idea of the tyres and degree of lift (bugger all I think)

[flyingbrick]

Nice truck!!!!

[juz]

At a guess and from looking at pics of my old one, maybe 4"lift? Is it just rubbing on the back of front wheel archs? Good looking Safari though! Not quite the power of the old Cruiser though aye? Does it rub on the back guards with the weight of the trailer? may be worth looking at H/D springs in the back or those Airbag thingmys...? oh and who makes your Dogboxs for ya?cheers

[extreme_treeman]

In undualting ground the back of the front bumper hits.....but thatsh an easy fix....and will be remedied when new wincg bar goes on. It also hits on teh back of the front guards....and front of the back guards.

[extreme_treeman]

At a guess and from looking at pics of my old one, maybe 4"lift? Is it just rubbing on the back of front wheel archs? Good looking Safari though! Not quite the power of the old Cruiser though aye? Does it rub on the back guards with the weight of the trailer? may be worth looking at H/D springs in the back or those Airbag thingmys...? oh and who makes your Dogboxs for ya?cheers

Oh and Paynes engineering in Mosgiel do all my fabrication work

[extreme_treeman]

ok......you guys have said that the studs on the heads on these going is a Nissan thing....and the manifold gasket.
But is there a permanent fix....this was only fixed two weeks ago.....now it sounds like it has a hole in the manifold again...and the turbo screams on acceleration. SHoudl I expect longer than two weeks out of a new manifold gasket........is there a more permanent fix?

[flyingbrick]

sounds like you have a leak in the intake manifold.

[extreme_treeman]

sounds like you have a leak in the intake manifold.

It turned out that the leak was a warped manifold...so thatr is away getting machined as we speak