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My new 2001 LE 4x4


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sounds good. I'm geared towards off road traveling, not so much just "wheeling". While I do like the adventures of trails at parks and such heading through some terrain to get to a point of interest and continue on to an exit route is more appealing. Maybe tour some old ghost towns or points of geological significance? The pics at the beginning of this thread were from Poker Flat and the Sierra Buttes trails, neither of which were loops or dead ends. So much fun with moderate technical sections that looked intimidating but we're easily handled by the Pathfinder.

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You should go check out Corral Hollow trail near Arnold, CA. It's a good beginner trail on very scenic terrain.

 

One place that's got some good trails with great diversity of difficulty is Niagara Rim OHV area just past Pinecrest on Hwy 108. It's only about 3 hours away.

 

There are also some really good places to explore using 4WD off of Ice House Rd. (east of Placerville on Hwy 50). You can play on some fun granite slabs near one of the entrances to the Rubicon Trail near Loon Lake.

 

One of my favorite places to off-road is near Blue Lakes, east of Kirkwood on CA-88. You depart from Hwy88 east of Carson Pass at unpaved Red Lake Rd, drive up and over a beautiful mountain pass before descending back down to Upper and Lower Blue Lakes, where there is a first-come, first-served campground, which can get full during summer weekends. There are also several primitive (i.e. no water, no toilets) campgrounds in Hope Valley (along Blue Lakes Rd, just south of the intersection of CA88 and CA89) that are likely to have many open first-come first-served sites, even on weekends.

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Nice, Thanks Xplorx4. The Niagara area is gorgeous. Love it up there. Haven't taken any trails but traveled quite a bit in the region. Are you taking any trips in that direction this summer?

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August is just around the corner and its pretty obvious i need to upgrade the rear suspension for towing purposes. I hear good things about the OME medium duty rear springs and I think I should be good with those and a set of air lift load helpers. Thoughts? What do you all tow with your 3.5 Pathfinders? Oil cooler recommendations?

 

These pics are from a run i made to grab a small pallet of tile for our bathroom. it was around 400-500lbs im thinking. The rear sags badly. Its pretty clear i need help there.

 

And for those that run trailers with electric brakes- what brake controllers are you using? I'll be pulling a converted 16' toy hauler. Pretty new to large trailer hauling. Any recommendations?

 

IMG_0012_zpslwkkq9ld.jpg

 

IMG_0013_zpse3c3fd8f.jpg

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You are definitely going to want to upgrade the rear springs, I used the lift kit from ac customizers (4x4parts.com) and haven't looked back. You will also want to put airbags in the back, but to that note I have no experience with as my Springs solved all of my issues, but I Don't tow with mine. The most I've done is haul a trunk load of firewood or camping gear...

 

I've heard great things about the OME lift, but don't have any personal experience. With what you are towing and hauling regularly I'm surprised you aren't looking at the HD lineup though.

 

Nice Pathy!

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Dyamn! That's a load you got there.

 

I run OME springs and they're great. I had to swap out my OME shocks when I added rear spacers, but the pair made for a super comfortable ride. Don't think I got a chance to tow with them.

 

Earlier this year I made a few 50-mile trips towing completely full 6x8 trailers...and a fully loaded cargo area. With tongue weight, I'd say 400-500 lbs. effective cargo loads. Hopefully my numbers aren't exaggerated, but we really loaded things up. I was pleasantly surprised to not see the rear sag at all. I didn't experience any bouncing, either. It was a really solid drive each time.

 

OME only makes a medium duty rear spring, btw.

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I've loaded 300 lbs in the back of mine recently and was surprised on how much it's giving in. The coils in my rear seem weak. If you're trying to support a lot of weight in the back end I would replace them.

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Thanks for the clarification on OME not having an HD spring, I could have sworn I was trying to decide between those and the ac lift but it was a while back...

 

I can tell you that swapping out my rear Springs was Huge on the ability to safely carry cargo. I don't know if the factory Springs were always weak be design or if they just fatigue, but replacing them with an upgraded coil is almost a must on these trucks in my opinion...

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Thanks for the clarification on OME not having an HD spring, I could have sworn I was trying to decide between those and the ac lift but it was a while back...

 

Yeah, though a rear HD spring would be nice, I'd think. They have light, medium, and heavy duty front shocks though, and the only difference between them was the length. Assuming they did that for the rear spring...more lift!

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So i gotta order this stuff tonight. Im leaning towards towards the AC springs from 4x4 parts. With shipping the Rocky Road OME spings would be roughly $30 cheaper. The cost isn t so much the issue as is what will be better for my needs. What are your thoughts?

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If the rears are bad the fronts are probably in need of replacement too. Seems like a package is the way to go. I already have all 4 shocks. Didnt want to replace the springs if i didnt have to but towing safely is a huge concern. Plus if im going to have the suspension apart might as well change them out at the same time. Its just a question of AC or OME...

 

The heaviest of duties would be the better option....

Edited by TowndawgR50
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Makes sense.

 

Well, can't attest for AC springs, but my impression from numerous threads is that the AC springs will give a truer 2" lift in the rear, which should hold firmly for your towing needs. Seems their front springs tend to introduce top-out on the strut, or an otherwise harsher ("truck-like") ride, though.

 

I estimate the OMEs I have (front MD springs, struts, and rear springs; rear shocks are boxed up) have seen about 30K. I know the previous owner put them to work, and they still feel great to me.

 

The other way I see it is that OME specializes in off-road suspension components. I'm certain that the AC springs are made by a 3rd party supplier that might specialize in springs, and I'm certain they've put the springs to the test. But, I can't say I've ever seen a negative comment about OME's Pathfinder components.

Edited by hawairish
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I think the top out issue with the Ac lift is overblown. The only time I've noticed it is if I take a speed bump way faster than I should be anyways. I've wheeled the thing harder than most(with exception of a select few of you ;D ), and never run into a problem.

 

Perhaps it is just my opinion but I find the ac 2" lift to be a perfect combo of stiffness and ride quality, but then again I haven't ever ridden in one equipped with the OME setup, either. From Indy's picture above it looks like the OME would fit your needs equally well, hard to go wrong with either IMO as they both have to be a huge improvement over the stock. If you don't need to the ground clearance might as well go with OME for the better ride(again, no personal experience just what I've read and researched prior to going with AC.)

 

If you want to see pictures, articulation etc of the Ac lift check out my build thread on expedition portal, same user name.

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Well i ordered the OME Med. Duty springs and a set of air lift load helpers. Im hoping to have everything by weeks end. Lots to do this month. Home stretch before the big trip/vacation/job-hunt to Washington and the eventual move...

Wow, indyqx4, thats a lot of weight! What % of that do you think was on the tongue?

 

My 4th weekend was spent working on the trailer. Installed windows and drew up floor plans using Sketchup thanks to Hawairish's influence. Went to youtube university and watched a few tutorials.

 

How the trailer sits unloaded on the pathy. Pre-windows

starshipbayship1_zpsori5i03o.jpg

 

Starting to tear into the trailer

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cut, and starting to frame the the wall to accept the new windows

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getting there

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and test fit before sealing them up

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interior doesnt feel so claustrophobic now

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new floorplan. We plan to use the redwood saved from the demolition and remodel of sections of our current home for the flooring. This little trailer will be retrofitted in the style of a "Tiny House"

flo%20real_zpsfd4xyutm.jpg

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Right on, man. That looks like a fun project! For something like that, what does the window end up getting fastened to after you've removed the material between the panels? Is there some sort of insert, then the window fits into it, or is it just one piece?

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It'll be fun when we're parked next to a lake in the middle of nowhere. For now it's just gotta get done.

 

The window is a 2 piece unit. The outer frame which has the window glass, and the inner frame. They basically sandwich the trailer structure and clamp down on it using stainless fasteners. Pretty simple, just time consuming. Measure twice, cut once!

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