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With so much rain here in the south(east TN) this past month I haven't had a chance to wash the old gal. Being OCD like I am, has been driving me crazy. The last 3 days with clear skies and highs in the 60's that all came to an end. This is February isn't it? Lol clean machine. #r50obsessed Sent from my SM-S737TL using Tapatalk

Couple of updates worth noting (other things too, but going to *try* and keep this brief-ish). Figured out how I'm going to get the body off the frame when the time comes; somebody who I know through the 4x4 club I'm in who has a pretty nice FJ Cruiser is getting a 2 post lift installed in his garage and offered to let me use it/help me with my frame swap. I also put on some front recovery points, although only one is useful, since the one on the driver's side is hardly bolted to anything due to rust...it's only installed for emergency purposes. Strangely enough, the passenger side is rock solid. Also got some new tires as I said in the previous post, but not Falkens. Due to a screw up on the tire shop's end I wound up with KO2's. Loved em on my Infiniti and love em on my Toyota. Looks much better too, the stock tires were far too small and the lack of sidewall tread on those Coopers made me sad. Pic for your time.

I haven’t towed with the X. The wheelbase is a little short for anything heavy. I think it tops out at 5000lb. As far as the cost of aftermarket goodies, well I believe you have to pay to play. My mods have been mostly overland oriented. Rear AAL, with shackles and timbren SES. Front was due for new ball joints so in went AC UCAs as well. Rancho 9000s all round. Unloaded its about 3” of lift. I’ve done about 10,000 km with this set up. I really like the simplicity of the truck. I do find the seating position in the 2nd Gen better. Though the 4x4 control is a dial vs a lever and is complicated by traction control systems. My X is smaller internally than the R50. Mine Being a 2002 it is old. A 2nd Gen could be as new as 2016. And you could get one with a factory rear locker. Hope this helps

That's something that I really like about the 2nd gen Xterra over the 4Runner for sure. Depending on market, a really nice condition 4th gen could be just as expensive as an almost brand new Xterra due to stupid "Toyota tax". Technically you can get a 4th gen with a factory rear locker too, but it was only on rare Trail Edition models only available in 2009, so you're talking about $20k for a 10 year old truck (still puzzled that Nissan was on their game so much more, heck, even Jeep had a factory locker in the LIBERTY back then!)...on that topic though, if the ATRAC doesn't do well enough a locker from another Toyota can be retrofitted pretty easily. Not sure how far you intend to go with this vehicle @Citron, is it gonna be more along the lines of a hunting road rig or do you intend to wheel in SAS territory? Honestly I'd say they're both really solid choices; for me, it would come down to whichever one I could find in better shape with the desired options in the required price range, rather than setting my heart on a particular model. Make sure to test drive one of each too, sounds obvious I know, but just don't forget! 15 minutes behind the wheel could show you that you can't stand a vehicle that sounds awesome on paper (er, screen?). Is there a place to check out your Xterra somewhere @bushnut? It sounds pretty sweet!

If you decide to go down the GX470 road let me know. I dug into them heavily the summer of ‘17. There is an excellent buyer’s guide on I8MUD. Personally, the side swing hatch was a deal breaker for me for several reasons. Plus it was for my Mom, who sleeps in her rig, & the tumble forward seats are terrible for that purpose. Much more but I’ll save it until you’re interested. Frankly, I admire them but it just didn’t work for us.

We’ve gotten just a tad bit of snow over the last couple days. This was before I left for Washington on Thursday Anddddd this is what I came back to Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

After years of chatting about our own Pathfinder projects—and often, grumblings about having to make our own parts or hack together something—it’s become clear that Jacob (@TowndawgR50) and I (Patrick) have a common passion for our trucks. We’re always bouncing ideas around and sanity-checking each other’s work, ultimately realizing we have highly complementary skill sets that extend beyond working on trucks. We’ve also grown tired of a serious lack of aftermarket support for our trucks, especially when there’s an obvious demand to keep them on the road and make them more capable than they already are. To counter that, we’re teaming up to fill that void. That’s right: it’s time to turn a hobby into a business! In the weeks to come, we will be making more announcements regarding the status of the company (still working on the name!) and our product offerings. We’re still in the early stages of the company formation, and have some challenges ahead of us (most notably the 1,400 miles that separate us!), but we’re ready and stoked to get the word out there. If any of our individual projects have piqued your interest, then our collaborative efforts won’t disappoint. Our initial focus will be on subframe drop (SFD) kits, as this is the most important component required to move beyond 2” of front suspension lift. Unlike prior versions of kits that have existed, we intend to offer complete kits and à la carte components in multiple heights—including strut spacers—to support various lift configurations. Our particular focus is to provide high-quality finished products that simplify installation for the average DIYer (hint: strut disassembly not required), and without having to replace aftermarket components you’ve already purchased. While we won’t go into detail about all the products (and services) we’ve been discussing, we will tease that trailing arms and panhard bars (both in static lengths with poly bushings, and adjustable lengths with rebuildable joints), skid plates, missing link, and bumper brackets are on the product roadmap. That said, we’re looking forward to a productive 2019, so stay tuned!

Looks like I do have a pic on my build thread here “bushnut’s R50”. Its an old pick the only difference now is it sits a little taller. You only really notice when I’m parked next to a stock wd22.

Sorry but I gave up on doing build threads after documenting my R50 here. The only things I could add to the above mods are: DIY roof rack, rear cargo shelf and divider, custom dog bed behind driver seat, manual hubs, Falken AT3w 265-75-16 LT. Love it.

after a lot of digging i found out what sensor is it, it is the engine coolant temperature sensor harness connector

I didn't know about the seats thing. I love how the 4Runner's front seats can be scooted forward and then laid flat. -GX tumbles forward but takes up so much space my 5’ Mom couldn’t sleep there. Also makes a wall that’s almost impossible to crawl over into front seat. Only If you completely remove the 60% side might you fit. The 40% side is too narrow & leaves the wall. Personally I'd prefer a split hatch like an 80 series, but that's a different topic. -True, but you’re right, it’s the best. All the benefits of a swing up hatch but with a clean seat or work area. My hatch is always protecting me from rain, snow or even the sun, plus it’s easy to load. Ultimately, I realized the side swing was a deal breaker (plus it swings toward the CURB - yeah, that’s easy to unload, assuming other cars & gravity let you open it at all). Sorry, couldn’t help myself. [Now I am cognizant that I’m about to put a swingate which will present the same problem- the very same swingate that[mention=32880]ferrariowner123[/mention] removed for this very reason.] The ability to retract the rear glass on 4Runners is awesome though!

Somewhere between FS road rig and SAS rig. Medium lift, larger tires, winch bumper, some armoring.

The aftermarket for the T4R is worlds bigger. You have probably 6 or so UCA choices, at least as many front bumpers, several skidplates manufacturer options (including aluminum or steel, and different thicknesses), etc. There's even at least 2 different companies that make MOLLE panels for the rear windows. Basically, anything you could want you have options. Some of the accessory stuff can be a bit pricey, but the regular stuff like lift components and bumpers are fairly standard pricing compared to other vehicles. Most of the wide parts availability is due to the chassis being darn near identical to the FJ cruiser, and front end being extremely similar to the 2nd/3rd gen Tacoma, and overall strong similarity to the 5th gen 4Runner. As far as selectable traction control (and some other options like outlet in center console), many things aren't tied to a trim level (other than the JBL sound system which is tied to the Limited model), but rather are an option which is usually rare on the base SR5 trim, although technically available. Also, there was a facelift in 2006, and at the same time lots of options were added/became more common. It has a lot of traction control systems, including VSC (is disabled if you lock the center diff, cuts engine power when it detects lateral slipping. This one is my least favorite, since if slip in snow going from a side street to a main road you can be left vulnerable, and often the center diff doesn't lock quick enough to be useful, hence a custom mod or finding one with the button), ATRAC (brakes individual wheels when center diff is locked to help offroad, more aggressive in 4LO), and of course good ol' ABS. I think there's one more system for if your wheels are slipping but there's no lateral sliding, but I'm not sure. Worth mentioning, the V6 is part time 4wd and the V8 is full time 4wd, and most people seem to notice a 1-2 mpg difference between the two at best. For towing, I haven't towed anything especially heavy with mine and it's a V8, but from what I've read people are pleased with what they can tow with their V6, it can just feel kinda doggish in hilly terrain (the engines have similar HP, but the V8 has considerably more torque as you'd imagine). I don't have personal experience though, so take that with a grain of salt. As with pretty much any Toyota ever (and any vehicle with a boxed in frame really), beware of frame rot. The crossmember under the radiator by the tie down loops and the area around where the rear lower links connect to the frame are good places to look for rot. If you go to look at one, they do have some funny quirks. See if the rear window has been replaced; there was some kind of design flaw with them which caused them to (rare) shatter when using the rear defroster. The extended warranty for that component expired this last year, but if it was done the new window shouldn't have that issue. If there's a drivetrain clunk, good chance it's the driveshafts; the slip joints and u-joints are supposed to be greased and they often aren't. Add grease and they'll be fine; I have yet to read of one that got damaged from lack of greasing from a careless owner, only an annoying clunk. Also make sure you test all the transfer case modes (4HI/LO and center diff lock, plus of course 2WD if it's a V6), as the actuator tends to gum up from lack of use and can be expensive and/or time consuming to replace/rebuild (beware, the dealership will insist on replacing the whole t-case) - this one would definitely be a major haggling point if it's not working right (although many folks have gotten theirs working by just giving it a try at every opportunity; if it works/once it works, use monthly). I'm stopping myself now before I go rambling on about more details that probably aren't too important haha. Feel free to ask any further questions.

Aimed for a trail up near 3000 ft, got stuck at around 500 ft this weekend. Ultimately the 4Runner turned us around, but I wasn't going to get much further. The cables I had helped a TON though. The snow was wet and about 18+ inches deep, that combined with the incline was just too much for me. At least with minimal recovery gear! Next weekend is timing belt, cam/crankshaft seals (maybe), water pump, and valve cover gasket day. Wish me luck.

Looks good! Is that Enjoi408’s old bumper?

Check this out...the z31 had a turbo vg33; it won’t be cheep.

Thanks my friend. Sent from my SM-S737TL using Tapatalk

Had a fun quick snow trip up in the mountains with my buddies. Aired down to 15psi and finally was able to test the new coils by flexing on a mound. They worked great, with the additional lift in the rear I dont hit my rear fender flares anymore so that's a plus. Downside is that I'll need longer shocks as I did pick up the wheel off the ground but was expected. Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

We spend our winters in SW New Mexico to hunt the quail, enjoy not having to shovel snow and there is a tremendous amount of off roading opportunities here. I have done extensive winter off reading in many northern states. Cannot say that I miss the cold and snow. We will be home to NW Montana mid April to prepare for bear and turkey season. Have lots of work, chores, maintainence to do on our toyhauler, my Xterra, home projects and more. Guess you might say we will be returning to mud season. Good ‘nuff! Always enjoy getting home. Keep up the good posts. MTG

Hi there, i'm Juan, i live in Colombia and just bought a 1998 Nissan Pathfinder LE AUTOMATIC 3.3L V6 SOHC. A friend of mine wasn't using it and he sold it to me at a really good price. I'm actually glad i found this forum/website because im having a hard time finding off road suspensión and spare parts. I want to put 32 tires and also wanted to know if it would be an issue. Hope i can find answers here. I've had Nissan before (2011 frontier 2.5 diesel) so i kinda know what im getting into but being an old car, it hasnt been easy finding replacement like the roof racks/bars. Thanks, Juan.