I'm not interested in the best mods or debates about them. Just a list of bad mods that may save new members a little time and cash. Some of them will create quite a debate but, let's try not to stray to far from the topic's intent. The mods are deemed regrettable by the poster and he/she has their own reasons.
One man's trash is another man's treasure.
1. K&N FIPK. I was lucky and got mine new for a little over $200 but, the heat shield bracket to the PDC bracket has a bad record of failing. K&N filters just have a bad rep in my eyes for allowing to many contaminants past them! $210 blown!
2. Throttle body spacer. I got an Airaid one and while it does add a splash of color to the engine bay and make Tstat changes a 2 minute job, it is worthless. $75 wasted
3. MSD 6AL ignition enhancer. I thought that my start up times were reduced when I installed mine but, after it passed away I could not detect a noticeable difference. $250 wasted!
4. OPTIMA RED TOP Battery. My first croaked inside a year. I went around and around on this one. I would fully charge it and the next morning it was dead. Took it back to Advance and they would test it in my truck and it would require it to be charged inside store. The super "inside the store charger" would say fully charged and they would reinstall it. Next morning it was dead. After 3 days of this silly game I finally convinced them to test it in the truck after their "super duper, inside the store" charger pronounced it fully charged. The outside the store equipment said it needed charging inside. My size was not in stock so, they ordered a new one overnight. It arrived DRT (Dead Right There) and the manager was POed and gave me a yellow top. It is not correct for our application but, I am nursing it untill it dies! Then I will go after a Die Hard Platinum battery that is a true AGM battery with the longest warranty. Chuck another $150 into the camp fire!
5. 30 or 31" Tires This one would be a regrettable mod for new members. The information did not exist when I was modding but it is available now! I would skip the move to 30 or 31 inch tires that involved a TB crank and minor trimming. I would use that money to do a SKIDZ flare install (minus the flares because they are not available) and Line X my quarter panels. Go straight to 33"s! if, you want to wheel your CC. Up grading to 30" tires.....$600 smoked!
I will keep updating my list of bad mods as fast as my senile mind remembers them.
Last edited by F9K9 on Sun Dec 21, 2008 5:12 pm, edited 3 times in total.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
K&N FIPK. Does not stay attached to the throttle body and the mounting bracket breaks. The stock airbox modded did as much at no cost. I am currently using the lower bed , airfilter and heat shield. All of those I could have purchased on Ebay at a fraction of the cost.
Vararam. Total gimmick. Lost fuel mileage , with no real benefits as I recall.
NGK Iridium sparkplugs. Nice to have the iridium center electrode, but the unprotected outer electrode become sacrificial and lasts no longer than a standard spark plug, What a waste!
Hawk brake pads and slotted rotors. Should have gone with tried and true stock rotors and a good brand OEM replacement ceramic pads. All that money wasted on less than stock performance.
Hypertech 160 thermostat. Too cold.
Granatelli MAFS. My mileage went way down. It just did not work for my combination.
Hitch safe. Not for a 4x4. Scrubbed it off way too easy.
CS144 Alternator. Lots of time and effort put into it and a $50 junkyard AD244 kicks its tail for both performance and cost.
Smittybuilt G.E.A.R. seat cover. $100 made in China. Poorly built and lacks real bags that are useful. Fit is poor as well as attachment methods. Stitching was coming loose out of the box. Does not cover the seat.
Chrome diff cover. Poor quality. Rust prone. Adds no benefit over stock.
"Speed doesn't kill, suddenly becoming stationary does." - Richard Hammond
"Speed is just a matter of Money - How fast do YOU want to go?"-Mechanic from Mad Max-
If at first you don't succeed - Don't take up Skydiving! - ThunderIIKE7CSK
cheap knock off used cb radio: wired it in mounted it, looked sweet, and sent out signal fine, about 1hr after use it started smoking inside my cab, ripped it out by hand (no tools) and watched it go up in flames and burn into a crisp on the ground at a rest stop. Scared the piss out of me. next time im making mine or buying a nice one.
NGK iridium spark plugs - They wear out fast and I had some horrible misfire problems when I tried them in my Crew Cab.
Bosch +4 spark plugs - These plugs do improve the idle however they also create surging problems between 2000 and 4000 rpm and they seem to foul up real easy.
Bosch 02 sensors - Their 02 sensors create intermittent surging problems and reduced gas mileage.
Hypertech Power Programmer - For nearly $400 all you get is and extra 5 hp and no change in gas mileage. Custom PCM tuning is cheaper, offers way more hp and torque, increased gas mileage, removal of torque management, etc.
Edit: This is not a bad mod if you can find a good deal on a new or used programmer. I only paid $150 for a new HPP3 from Summit Racing for my 05 ZR2 since they were being replaced by a newer model. I paid over $300 for the same programmer when I had my 01 CC!
Rancho RSX Shocks - These shocks are better than a lot of other shocks out there, however they do not perform nearly as well as the Bilsteins. The Ranchos were very stiff and created an annoying knocking noise up front.
K&N FIPK - The filter is good quality, however the rest of the system has problems. I never had a problem with the TB hat popping off, but other members have because it is attached to the TB by 2 hose clamps. The fuse center bracket is prone to breaking because it is not properly aligned and is too rigid. The Spectre intake system is designed better and is half the price!
Steve
Last edited by killian96ss on Thu Apr 12, 2012 8:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
superlift 6", hypertech, 32" tires, new rims, ect... ect.. ect.. All to traid it in. If i were to do it again trim the panels and paint, go with a 33x10.50-15 on my stock wheels and call it a day.
2001 cc 2" pa body lift traded
2004 cc zr5 2" pa body lift 6" super lift 2" rear shackle and tb crank traded for a v-max Silverado
2006 V-max cc
2001 ex cab 4x4 ls work truck rufff country 2" lift sold
2012 silverado WT 2wd
jeggers wrote:superlift 6", hypertech, 32" tires, new rims, ect... ect.. ect.. All to traid it in. If i were to do it again trim the panels and paint, go with a 33x10.50-15 on my stock wheels and call it a day.
I'll echo some of that, although I loved my lift.
Wish I would have gone with stock rims and 33X10.50 tires. Would have saved some cash, plus my chrome rims rusted in 1 Michigan winter.
All that work and I had to sell 'er
[size=75]*SOLD* 5" BDS, 2" PA, 33" MT's, HPPIII , Airaid TB spacer, K&N FIPK, March pulleys, 2.5" straight pipe, Trucktec tonneau, Herculinered body line down, 3/16" custom skid plates[/size]
okie s10 wrote:...........Flex-a-lite dual electric fans........
Which model? There is a LS1 stoked ZR2 running a Flex-a Lite dual fan set up, IIRC.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
31x10.50 tires in the winter. I love the look of the larger tires. But the truck seems to just float on the snow/ice here in Michigan. I have to use 4WD to get around my driveway. I keep it snow blowed out evwery day. Not deep snow. Just packed snow and ice. The tires aren't bald and I have about 800 pounds of pee-stone in the cargo box. Swapped the stock 235x75R15s in Christmas day and the driveway is a piece of cake in 2WD. The added MPG is nice too. But the 31s will go back on in the spring.
What kind of tire and tread? HJ
[size=75][b][color=blue]2003 Blue Crewcab[/b][/color][/size]
Air shocks. They raised the back when towing but everyone in the car felt sick from bouncing around so much. Should have done the boise 3 leaf system. This is probably why I sold my truck. I could never get the ride right.
[size=75]2005 Silverado Crew Cab Z71
SOLD! 2003 Red Chevy S-10 crewcab ZR5. 2" PA bodylift, 1.5" spacers, CB, Airshocks, 31" Mickey Thompson MTX Tires, raised step bars, Flowmaster super 40 with 2.5" mandrel bent pipe from the Force II kit, gm vent visors, 12 volt bed outlet, airbox mod, zr5 tonneau, Bilstein shocks.[/size]
6.Hel-550 helper springs are another bad mod. Do a search for the Boise spring packs. My posterior has sagged on the CC as much as my real one has. Seems to be a problem with BlaZeR2's as well.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
Wow this was an interesting read. I would love to see the same info on VW Vortex! Plenty of JUNK out there for any car today. Funny how I see a few people here tried the Hawk pads and rotors, the VW forum worships these and recommends them to everyone. I personally enjoy my stock VW pads when the fronts are still going at 105k and the rears last about 50k AND the car stops on a dime oh and NO brake dust, why fix what isnt broken? The consensus on shocks I see seems to be go Bilstein. I got these for my GTI, looks like the truck will get them soon too. I bought Gabriels for the crew when I got it because the napa sensatracks were shot. These things make me think they are working sometimes, and other times when I really need them, they act like they are not even there.
Ill say the mod that I regret was buying the ION Alloy wheels with the fake bead lockers off JC Whitney when I needed new wheels. I never saw the offset, I assumed because they said they fit my S10 they would be OK. They stuck out too far, I tried to roll with the punches, bought the SKIDZ, cut my fenders so I could drive it period, destroyed my passenger side fender when the tire kept hitting it and put my alignment out of whack adjusting my damn torson bars. Traded the things on craigslist for a set of the stock wheels with tires and sold my Skidz on here. Lesson learned.
Knowledge has no value unless its shared with others.
Exploration Machine- 02' CC V8 swap. 300K+
Portable Roller Coaster- 07' MKV VW GTI
Its another Jeep- 98 TJ
Don't have any additional regrets. I have removed several non essential mods for the sake of simplicity and the ease of upkeep.
[size=75][b]"For those who have fought for it, [i][color=red]FR[/color][color=white]EE[/color][color=blue]DOM[/color][/i] has a taste that the protected will never know."
[url=http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=73349]GUIDE TO SEARCHING. [i] (Some of the forum software is different but, it has helped me a lot.)[/i][/url][/b]
[b]"Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it." Edmund Burke[/b][/size]
Rancho anything......shocks (total junk...maybe last 6 months),lift kit,leveling kit TOAL JUNK!!!! T-Bar crank- just wasted my front end 3 times in 2 years, ball joints,axles,constantly out of alignment ruining tires....you name it.The CC owners here know their stuff, going SFA is the ONLY way to go with S10s unless you leave them stock.
My size was not in stock so, they ordered a new one overnight. It arrived DRT (Dead Right There) and the manager was POed and gave me a yellow top. It is not correct for our application but, I am nursing it untill it dies! Then I will go after a Die Hard Platinum battery that is a true AGM battery with the longest warranty. Chuck another $150 into the camp fire!
If i were to do it again trim the panels and paint, 
go with a 33x10.50-15 on my stock wheels and call it a day.
