zakzackzachary

That little dang spacer is SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT! Failure to include it if you need it will result in strut failure and possibly even your strut blowing out the top hat and your suspension dropping into the wheel well. Either include the spacer, re-use your OEM top hats, or make a spacer. Washers seem like they'd work if you had to, but a spacer would be nicer. If you compare the OEM hat to the KYB one you'll see how the OEM one has it built in and that's what the spacer is replicating.

Yeah the 3.3 I had was a solid engine, but boy she screamed when having to go at high speeds haha. The 3.5 has an extra like 100hp which shines there.

Another alternative is to use a hitch extension. I used to use one with my R50+tire carrier all the time with a folding storage platform.

This is kinda the crux of it. It's his shtick. I used to watch them back in the day, but for me it got a little tiring and watching the latest R50 video reminded me of that. Tyler did a little rebuttal video that addresses some of the RCR points, I found it entertaining and good. I like that it exists just as a counter for anyone who runs across the RCR video and has differing opinions.

If OP is handy, they could potentially bench test the starter (or maybe on the vehicle?) with 12V leads. If it seems to be working fine, my next thought would be the ignition switch, maybe.

I've never heard of any aftermarket solutions and most DIY racks utilize the OEM rail that's bolted into the gutter. If it were me my first stop would be to check the local salvage/junk/car yards and see if there's a Terrano you could pull them off of!

I'll be honestly, I never thought about using it as an added layer of protection, only as a bandaid to a torn boot. That's kinda an interesting idea.

Without looking at value or anything, my gut tells me that if a replacement transmission is less than.... $1500 it'd be worth it to me. Obviously can save money if it's remanufactured, rebuilt, junkyard, DIY, etc. Why that much? Well, it's obviously in good shape and still a good vehicle. You know all the history, one owner, etc. Replace the transmission and I bet you could get many more years out of it. The alternative is you spend more than the transmission on a different vehicle. Either much more on a new vehicle with known history, or somewhat more on a vehicle that runs, but probably doesn't have the same meticulous records/history as yours. Just throwing an opinion out there for ya, you know what they say about opinions

I think you made a solid choice. Mounting my tire carrier is not something I'd even be remotely interested in doing in the street in the rain. Although I didn't need a cherry picker or anything to do it solo, it was still some awkward finagling. I'm sure the resale value on the hitch one makes it a no brainer for your situation, along with the modularity that comes with being able to remove/install it on a whim. I'm a fan of that- my recent Rola basket mounting solution includes some custom brackets I made that allow me to bolt/unbolt my basket for removal in about 5-10 min which is handy for a number of reasons!

Additionally I find this set-up pretty dang good. Only downside is the reduction in downward suspension travel, but that's a function of the heavier duty springs and the fact that we're limited by OEM spec struts (other than maybe OME struts...).

Are you planning on OME HD front springs PLUS a 1" spacer? That might end up pushing it as you'll see. I currently run OME HD front springs plus a 0.5" spacer and I found that was the max I could go. That was after a year of letting the OME HD springs settle out first.

The 9449 + strut combo should work well, but the 2" spacer on the front is typically not recommended. Might be able to run it for a while, but most people prefer to go with an upgraded front spring in an OEM spec strut (like the KYB). AFAIK there's only one upgraded front strut- the OME strut, but they're pricey and harder to come by.

I've been working on diagnosing a similar issue with my 3.3L. Sometimes, almost randomly as far as I can tell, after I first start the engine it'll run rough- stumbling like a misfire. Letting it run a bit, or if I just start driving, it'll go away pretty quick and then idle fine. I haven't yet narrowed it down, but it sounds similar to your issue. I had a knock sensor code, but it went away after I changed out a bad O2 sensor, so the knock code was connected to that thankfully.

Okay so update. Me and @PathyDude17 started chatting and it appears there's more differences in rear shock mount placement and required lengths than I originally thought! Pre-facelift has an upper mount that is slight up/away from the top of the spring mount, and a lower mount that is about in line with the axle. My 3.3L post-facelift has an upper mount like pre, but a lower mount that is dropped below the axle. 3.5L post-facelift seems to have an upper mount closer to the top spring mount and dropped below the axle. We're going to try to gather some picture examples and put together a separate post about it. Just another example of all the minute differences between models...