PrecisionX Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I have a bone stock 2004 Pathfinder SE with 124,000 miles on it. It's a one owner, dealer serviced and maintained truck with all records and no rust. I plan on going off trail with it and getting my outdoors on. I live in a 4 season state that throws anything from snow and rocks to rain and mud. I am curious as to how capable my Pathfinder is? It currently has Yokohama Geolander H/T 255/65/16's on it now with worn tread and they are obviously not my choice, they came with it. Most people talk smack about Pathfinders because they are UNI-Body and IFS, not a 4runner or an XJ/TJ Jeep and has an open diff but maybe these aren't as bad as people make them out to be. I am not in a financial position for a lift right now, but I may need tires sooner than later and am looking for the biggest that won't cause me troubles in rubbing etc. How capable is my Pathy without a lift? Should I even worry about it? I will be doing on road/off road/off trail stuff and want something good for what might get thrown at me unexpectedly just the same as if I went out asking for it. I've considered tires such as the following but don't even really know what size would work... or if I even need a lift to hold my own? Cooper STT look great, I wanted to stay away from BFG A/T because they get too gummed up too easily and then there are the Grabber AT2's, Good Year DURA-TRAC (not even sure they have the size I'd need), I had Toyo Open Country A/T on my lifted XJ but they didn't seem to grab well. Any help, advice would be great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyC Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Honestly, if you weren't happy with the other AT's you should consider stepping up to a MT. Without a lift or locker, tires are going to be the biggest factor in offroad performance. Does your rear diff have the LSD sticker on it? If money is a factor for tires, consider treadwrights. People greatly exaggerate the downsides of MT's, I've happily daily driven KM1's and 2's for the past 5 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devonianwalk Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Your R50 is very capable if you have good tires. I would not recommend rock crawling with out the extra lift but, you will be just fine hitting the trails. I thought that the newer Pathy's had limited slip rear diff's? Look to see if you have the little orange "Use LSD oil only" sticker on the back of the housing like Andy mentioned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoesandsocks Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 (edited) my 01 does not have lsd my 96 does and im sad my girl drives the 96 Edited February 25, 2013 by shoesandsocks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushnut Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 how capable is your Pathy? well how good a driver are you? what exactly to you expect? I've driven around in 8-9 inches of snow with some drifts almost a 12" high with crappy AT tires and no issues. I've negotiated an 18" deep ditch to get to a great fishing hole, again no issues. Slow and steady with a good spotter. 40miles of gravel and washboard road wasn't so bad, Air Con a good stereo left it in 4hi traveling at about 65-70 Kph, it cornered safely and didn't mind the occasional deep gravel of the shoulder when a logging truck was taking up the whole road. So far I'm lovin' my truck. can't wait to get out and do more. my only word of caution is to keep on top of your maintenance, fix things when there broke and you will keep your truck for a long time. Just look up on youtube R50 nissan pathfinder off road 4x4 and you'll find all kinds of great videos. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Its a caR50, it ain't! Kidding of course, driver experience is going to be your primary factor. It you have the seat time and experience to know what your doing, you can go circles around some big dollar super built truck (of any make) with an inexperienced driver. There's plenty of stock height trucks around here that get wheeled pretty rigorously. Brand loyal people can look down all they want, let your truck and skills talk back! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bushnut Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 All SUVs are glorified station wagons. we just don't like to admit it.... I wonder if I can get fake wood paneling for mine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrecisionX Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 What advantages and drawbacks are there for an MT over an AT? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mluczaj22 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 All SUVs are glorified station wagons. we just don't like to admit it.... I wonder if I can get fake wood paneling for mine? i thought dodge magnums were glorified station wagons. made to look cool but still a fricken station wagon! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trogdor636 Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 What advantages and drawbacks are there for an MT over an AT? Most MT's will be louder, get worse gas mileage, wear faster, and are bad on wet pavement. Those are a few I can think of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 (edited) My pathfinder is stock height and it has taken every off road challenge I've thrown at it with aplomb. I call it "shockingly capable." I can keep up with and occasionally pass locked and lifted rigs with the right, careful technique, which of course is the key in all off road driving. But the R50 is really the underdog off road extraordinaire- it looks like a mall crawler but it'll do things I never thought it could. And this is with open/open diffs. I want to say all have a 'center diff lock' which apportions 50/50 power to the front and rear axles, but I could be wrong on this. Either way, I only have larger tires (245/75r16 Toyo Open Country AT IIs) and upgraded shocks and struts (rear Bilstein 4600s, front KYB GR-2s) but stock height, and I couldn't be happier. The power advantage over the 4runner 3rd gen is huge (yet is significantly cheaper), and the quality and refinement slaughters the XJ. It fits extremely well on narrow trails, and has nearly identical approach/departure/wheelbase to a new Xterra without costing $25000. I would suggest skidplates if you're not planning on lifting, you can have them made or buy them from 4x4parts like I did: https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/pathfinder-set-of-skid-plates-p-3455.html *My biased 2 cents* Though before buying mine I test drove Cherokees, Monteros, 4runners, Xterras, Foresters, Land Cruisers, and a myriad of other 4x4s, as well as having experience with a 1st gen explorer, 100 series land cruiser, and thousands of miles off pavement in our current 2003.5 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Hemi. Edited February 25, 2013 by Karmann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgallant Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 I have literally a few 1000km off road in mine with zero complaints. 97 Standard open/open. As was mentioned good tires, THINK 1st Drive second helps alot. I have found no where I wanted to go that I could not go, but I have a lot of off road experience. Just know when to say nope not gonna do that, if you think you will get stuck or hung up, you probably will. If you have buddies with you who can unstick you give it a go, otherwise move on. Tires are tough because there are a lot of opinions and they are not cheap, my suggestion talk to guys where you live. Every off road environment is different, a good tire in New England might be a really bad choice out here on the West Coast. For example there is a lot of sharp rock, and smooth river rock around, mud unless you look for it is not so common. I prefer an aggressive AT, I run Discover S/T Maxx (http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/DISCOVERER-S-T-MAXX.aspx) they work well off road and are not too bad in the rain. My Pathy is my daily as well as fishing truck so MT's were not really a good option. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrecisionX Posted February 25, 2013 Author Share Posted February 25, 2013 I have literally a few 1000km off road in mine with zero complaints. 97 Standard open/open. As was mentioned good tires, THINK 1st Drive second helps alot. I have found no where I wanted to go that I could not go, but I have a lot of off road experience. Just know when to say nope not gonna do that, if you think you will get stuck or hung up, you probably will. If you have buddies with you who can unstick you give it a go, otherwise move on. Tires are tough because there are a lot of opinions and they are not cheap, my suggestion talk to guys where you live. Every off road environment is different, a good tire in New England might be a really bad choice out here on the West Coast. For example there is a lot of sharp rock, and smooth river rock around, mud unless you look for it is not so common. I prefer an aggressive AT, I run Discover S/T Maxx (http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/DISCOVERER-S-T-MAXX.aspx) they work well off road and are not too bad in the rain. My Pathy is my daily as well as fishing truck so MT's were not really a good option. Mine is a daily too and we do get a lot of rain. I also considered Open Country AT2s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dududuckling Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Its pretty capable, just watch out for the air intake during water crossing 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stioc Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Pretty darn capable for what you'll do with it as someone relatively new to the offroading world. The lift gives you more ground clearance so you can tackle larger ruts, rocks etc without scraping or bending metal. Lockers give you traction if you ever get cross axled or need some more traction. Dirt roads, fireroads and even most moderate trails are well within the capabilities of a stock Pathfinder with good tires, it really is that good. Size wise you'll want 245/75/16. I'm partial to the Duratracs or ST MAXX. If it's a dual purpose truck I prefer ATs over muds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theexbrit Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Everything has been pretty much said by the other guys, but just to add my 2 cents worth when mine was stock it did pretty well over most terrain, you just have to go a little slower & be a bit more careful I have a 2" lift but only "El Cheapo" 31"x10.5" Kelly Safari AT's & I'm really surprised at what the Kelly's have got me through. As the others have said, it depends on what type of terrain you want to hit. If it's mostly trails then an AT will be fine most of the time, but being in New England It's going to be damp a lot of the time so an MT would probably be better for you. That said, my Kelly's have got me through some deep mud holes, but that's California mud :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theexbrit Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 My pathfinder is stock height and it has taken every off road challenge I've thrown at it with aplomb. I call it "shockingly capable." I can keep up with and occasionally pass locked and lifted rigs with the right, careful technique, which of course is the key in all off road driving. But the R50 is really the underdog off road extraordinaire- it looks like a mall crawler but it'll do things I never thought it could. And this is with open/open diffs. I want to say all have a 'center diff lock' which apportions 50/50 power to the front and rear axles, but I could be wrong on this. Either way, I only have larger tires (245/75r16 Toyo Open Country AT IIs) and upgraded shocks and struts (rear Bilstein 4600s, front KYB GR-2s) but stock height, and I couldn't be happier. The power advantage over the 4runner 3rd gen is huge (yet is significantly cheaper), and the quality and refinement slaughters the XJ. It fits extremely well on narrow trails, and has nearly identical approach/departure/wheelbase to a new Xterra without costing $25000. I would suggest skidplates if you're not planning on lifting, you can have them made or buy them from 4x4parts like I did: https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/pathfinder-set-of-skid-plates-p-3455.html *My biased 2 cents* Though before buying mine I test drove Cherokees, Monteros, 4runners, Xterras, Foresters, Land Cruisers, and a myriad of other 4x4s, as well as having experience with a 1st gen explorer, 100 series land cruiser, and thousands of miles off pavement in our current 2003.5 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 Hemi. This is true & I can vouch that Karmann & a stock Montero both made it through the "Rock Garden" just after Diablo Drop Off in Anza Borrego, that was pretty tough section for stock vehicles. Kudos to you both. Now, of course trying to tackle a section like "Denting Boulder Gulch" where I had my run in with the rock, well................... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrecisionX Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Here are some pics: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanH Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 I have stock 2003 Se 4WD, part time. I took this with worn stock tires, ie the stock Bridgestone HT tires, around the Alpine loop in southern Co. This had mud, snow, and rocks, but not really rock crawling. Look it up online. Went up in 4WD high, came down in 4WD low for control. Open diff's, Bashed the hitch at the back a few times, otherwise it was fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sroeser01 Posted March 6, 2013 Share Posted March 6, 2013 They are far more capable than almost anyone thinks and with a few upgrades they are very trail ready Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbie Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 a friend made a comment the other day saying "the beauty of that pathfinder is it is so underpowered you never get stuck because you couldnt spin your wheels if you wanted to haha" of course he was just jealous because I easily crawled up to a spot his truck couldnt get to 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theexbrit Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 Note in this video the Cherokee gets stuck & had to take another run, while my Pathy makes it up the hill no problem. Now, if I'd just gone a bit further up the hill before I turned............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 All SUVs are glorified station wagons. we just don't like to admit it.... I wonder if I can get fake wood paneling for mine? Maybe in the R50 world, but you won't hear me agreeing in a WD21. I have literally a few 1000km off road in mine with zero complaints. 97 Standard open/open. As was mentioned good tires, THINK 1st Drive second helps alot. I have found no where I wanted to go that I could not go, but I have a lot of off road experience. Just know when to say nope not gonna do that, if you think you will get stuck or hung up, you probably will. If you have buddies with you who can unstick you give it a go, otherwise move on. Tires are tough because there are a lot of opinions and they are not cheap, my suggestion talk to guys where you live. Every off road environment is different, a good tire in New England might be a really bad choice out here on the West Coast. For example there is a lot of sharp rock, and smooth river rock around, mud unless you look for it is not so common. I prefer an aggressive AT, I run Discover S/T Maxx (http://us.coopertire.com/Tires/Light-Truck/DISCOVERER-S-T-MAXX.aspx) they work well off road and are not too bad in the rain. My Pathy is my daily as well as fishing truck so MT's were not really a good option. One of the best statements I've heard for a while... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanH Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 All SUVs are glorified station wagons. we just don't like to admit it.... I wonder if I can get fake wood paneling for mine? I dont think any station wagon could do the alpine loop, not enough ground clearance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewp29 Posted March 7, 2013 Share Posted March 7, 2013 I dont think any station wagon could do the alpine loop, not enough ground clearance. Dude, I've seen hardtails ride downhill at Trestle . . . anything is possible Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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