Making some much needed changes

[TimTaylor751647545500]

This isn't an engine build thread or anything like that, but it is to show what items I've been working on recently.

 

I get bored with wheels pretty quickly so I'll soon be installing my 5th set of wheels on this car which are the 19" Rays forged wheels from the G35 coupe with 245/35/19 General Exclaim UHP's. I sold my 18" Enkei Rp02's to Gregg aka tripleGmax who installed him on his civic. I picked these up in Urbana and all four of them had some form of curb rash or rock chips throughout the wheel. Two of the tires were damn near completely bald and someone decided to take a grinding wheel to the inside portion to remove the old weights.

 

During the scuffing up phase:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00557.jpg

 

Here you can see where the repairs began on the damaged areas:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00561.jpg

 

3 of them still have a few spots that I'm working on, but one is now primered and ready for paint. I will painting them to match the original color, so no...don't worry, I'm not going for the murdered out look.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00588.jpg

 

Along with installing the new wheels & tires, I will be doing quite a major install this Saturday with 3G's help installing a new full suspension since my current setup has at least 3 struts that are blown. This will be suspension setup #3 since I've owned the car and this time around I went with quality parts. I've also purchased new top hats, strut bearings/mounts as well as new front sway bar end links which will aid in keeping the car tracking better.

 

Tokico 5-way Illumina Struts / H&R Sport Springs

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/Maxima/0316091834.jpg

 

Anyone that has owned a 5th or 5.5th generation Maxima knows that the brakes are horrible on these cars and that the rotors are very prone to warping in a short amount of time. I've gone through the OEM setup, a set of iRotors cross-drilled & slotted rotors as well as Brembo Blanks and they all last right around 30-35k miles before the shaking symptoms return. Knowing this, I've decided to go to a larger setup in using the calipers & rotors from the 6th generation (2004-2008) Maxima which provides a drastically increase level of braking performance and reliability. Picked up a set of 2007 rotors and calipers from a fellow member of Maxima.org from Atlanta with only 18k miles. Had the rotors turned and have cleaned up the calipers prior to installing Saturday along with the suspension.

 

Caliper before:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/Maxima/DSC00594.jpg

 

After:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/Maxima/DSC00595.jpg

 

Pretty much my car looks like this with my kayak rack on top, so hopefully by the end of the weekend, it'll be looking, riding and braking much better.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/Maxima/DSCN5106.jpg

[2 Sweet]

Those wheels look amazing Tim. I didn't know they were painted. In the pic they look like they have something like a machined aluminum face

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Steve...yeah, under the paint, Nissan uses a black base coat which gives off the darker paint appearance. I sanded through it a few times I'm still looking for another set of rear wheels since these are a staggered setup 19x8 fronts & 19x8.5 rears. I'd like to run 8.5's all around, but that is still my search.

[2 Sweet]

Nice! How much lower will it be with those springs? I can't wait to see the car with those wheels on it. Should look sweeeeet

[Ramsey]

Do black housing headlights, emblems and gloss black the front grille.

 

edit: but it should look good. i like the wheels.

[TimTaylor751647545500]

The ride height won't be too much different than it is now (outside the fact that I'm riding on blown struts), but having the ability to make adjustments to the ride is going to be nice.

 

Here's the new tires:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00496.jpg

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Do black housing headlights, emblems and gloss black the front grille.

 

A lot of guys clear out the healights, but I'm too much of a wuss to put them in the oven. I used to have a crappy aftermarket grille and I kinda got over that look. And for strike three, I shaved off the trunk emblems years ago I have thought about adding the anniversary front lip, but it's not really anything I'm too interested in doing now.

[TimTaylor751647545500]

The car had a good stance before when I had 19's on it, but they were just way too heavy. Really hurt any performance that this car does have. Those were 26 lbs each, these G35 wheels are 19 lbs each.

[2 Sweet]

The car had a good stance before when I had 19's on it, but they were just way too heavy. Really hurt any performance that this car does have. Those were 26 lbs each, these G35 wheels are 19 lbs each.

 

I think I remember those wheels. Silver 5-spoke? The place that balanced them scratched them all up?

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Na, those were the 18's that I just sold, but good memory about the story.

 

Here are the old 19's. Axis Se7en Mods

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/Niagara%20Falls/DSCN1941.jpg

[flippy1974]

looks good ,doing a great job on the rims .

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Making some progress on the wheels.

 

First coat:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00598.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00601.jpg

 

Worked on the other three while the first one is drying. There was a bit of damage in the lug holes as well.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00602.jpg

 

Trusty DeWalt with dremel attachment

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00604.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00605.jpg

 

2nd Coat:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00609.jpg

 

3rd Coat:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00613.jpg

[SicShelby]

Wow really, really good stuff on the rims... I had a set of aluminum alloys on my old Mustang and I ate them to crap with curb rash. Wish I had the know-how to fix 'em up!! Sorry to hear about the Brembo's... those things work well with the GT500, that's for sure!!

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Thanks man. A little bit of work, but it's worth it and it's saving me a nice chunk in having them done. Plus when they're in this condition, you can get them for a really good deal to begin with.

 

The Brembo's...I think they were just a knock off version.

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Just a few more pics.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00615.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00616.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00618.jpg

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Now that the suspension is done, I can get back to work on the wheels. The other 3 are finally done with touch-ups and I have moved on to the primer coats.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00646.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00647.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00648.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00649.jpg

[Bam]

Looking nice, definitely sweet wheels. I saw some i think (infiniti) wheels on a mazda3 down on campus yesterday, looked nice but stuck out a tad. Can't wait to see them on your car.

[zeitgeist57]

Man, I am liking this project!:thumbup: Makes me miss my 5th gen...though in 60K+ miles I never ran into the rotor warp issue...

1) What is the pink putty you're using to fill/smooth the wheel damage? Plastic Bondo?

2) How did you sand the surface? By hand? What grit of paper?

3) Prepping the calipers...did you use soda?

 

EDIT: First pic shows JB Weld...is that the patch formula you used for the wheels?

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Thanks Clay.

 

1) I used regular Bondo body filler to repair the curb damage and on the rock chips that were here and there on the wheel surfaces.

2) I used a variation of different sand papers, starting with 60 to knock down the Bondo'd areas. I used 180, 220 & 400 to prep the wheel surface before primer. Used 1000 to quickly sand down the primer (sandable primer). Using 1000 & 1500 to wet sand the paint. Once I clear them, I'll probably use 1500 & 2000 grit to wet sand the clear. All sanding was by hand other than the lug nut holes where I used a dremel sanding wheel to get in the holes.

3) On the calipers, I just wire brushed them with a brass wire wheel I used in my drill.

 

JB Weld didn't end up being used on anything. I did read on a few forums where some people used JB Weld in place of the Bondo, so I just decided to give the Bondo a try and see how it worked, and it seems to have provided me with results I think I'll be happy with.

[TimTaylor751647545500]

More progress. Hopefully looking to get the last coats of paint on the wheels tomorrow, then clear them on Tuesday.

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00669.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00670.jpg

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/TimTaylor75/G35%20Wheels/DSC00671.jpg

[SLOWLX]

Looking Good Good Work on Bringing them back to Life

[TimTaylor751647545500]

Thanks man. I really wish I would have taken more close-up shots of them before to show just how badly they were scraped up. Oh well. You can kinda see one of the major spots in the first pic on the wheel nearest the paper towels.

[2 Sweet]

Great work Tim

[Guest tbutera2112]

get these on the car, damn...im waiting to see how it looks lol

[Fubar231]

Damn dude good work. Cant wait to see it.