Questions, questions,questions. . .
Dear MT Staff,
I have a few questions. I have a '96 2WD Nissan Hardbody with a KA24E motor. I want to install 18-inch wheels in the rear and 17-inch KMC Stealths for that deep look. Is there an adapter that can convert six-lug wheels to five-lug? I also want to lower my truck 3-4 inches with a lowering kit. Other than that, are there any other performance parts available for my truck? Please let me know. I hope you can give me some direction.
Melvin
Shonto, Arizona
What's up, Melvin,
There are a couple ways to fit five-lug wheels on your truck. There are two-piece adapters available that any rim shop should be able to get a hold of (try AIM Industies at www.chassistech.com). Problem is, your wheels will probably stick out too far. The mini-truck-approved way (that requires little or no money) would be to swap your Nissan hubs for Toyota hubs. The Toyota hubs you would need would be from '84-'95. This requires taking off the rear bearing and sliding them on. The caliper may need to be shimmed just a hair. All in all, it is a very easy mod for the front. The rear would consist of filling and drilling your stock rearend with a new lug pattern or switching it with a Toyota rearend. We suggest using a rearend out of a '84-'88 Toyota pickup, as it is much narrower than most. If you were thinking of doing a four-link or something similar, this is easy to accomplish. The only thing you would have to adapt in this case would be the driveshaft. For Toyota five-lug conversion parts, check out our boys over at California Mini Truck Dismantlers in Montclair, California, at www.calminitruck.com. As for performance, if you are going hard-core, then www.importper formanceparts.net is where you want to go. For minor performance mods, check out www.pacesetterexhaust.com or www. aempower.com.
Power Problems
Hello,
How come the 4.3L V-6 that I have in my Chevy S-10 Extreme can only produce about 175 hp, when trucks like the Toyota Tacoma can produce from 190-200 hp with a smaller 3.4L V-6? I have read that the 4.3L is the same as a 350ci minus two cylinders. If that is the case, is there some possibility that there is hope for my engine? A motor swap at this point is out of the question, so any info would help.
Hector L. Rodriguez
Spring Lake, North Carolina
Hey, Hector,
We feel your pain. The reason a smaller motor can produce more power is due to the higher compression that it runs at. The Tacoma motor is a newer, more efficient design than that of the S-10. The 4.3L motor was introduced in '85 and hasn't changed too much since. You're correct, though, on the similarities between your V-6 and a 350ci. The motor is essentially the same design minus two cylinders. There is hope for your engine, though. Performance shops such as Summit Racing and Jegs High Performance are good srources to start with. Check them out at www.summitracing.com and www.jegs.com.