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2002 R50 Pathy lift questions


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Hey guys I just got my first pathfinder and I have to say I love it already, it's a 2002 pathy chillkoot edition with just over 100k it's in great shape and so I feel like since I plan on keeping it for a while, maybe I'd be interested in doing some mild mods to it..  Let me start out by saying I'll be using this vehicle for light to moderate offloading as well as my daily driver.

 

I'd like to add a lift kit maybe 2-3 inches with bigger and more off-road capable tires...

 

The questions I have are how will this effect my vehicles longevity on components? I had a couple friends tell me that adding the usual lifts via spacers or the kits will mess up my geometry which will stress my axles differential and transfer case etc... I've also been told that bigger tires will stress my steering components like wheel bearing , tie rods ,ball joints etc... They say there is specialized lift kits that u need to drop the axles and such to do a proper lift so it doesn't stress... They say the highest I can go safely is 1.5 inches max... Now I don't know how much truth there is to all this wondering if I could get ur opinions on this as well as any recomendation for kits or parts to lift my pathfinder properly for 2-4 inches of lift...

 

 

Thanks in advance.

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Lots of information in these threads

 

http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/forum/67-r50-faq39s-amp-pinned-topics/

 

I did a 2 inch spring lift from here 12 years ago

 

https://www.4x4parts.com/c-1044800-nissan-suspension.html

 

Here is my write-up of it

 

http://colinnwn.blogspot.com/search/label/pathfinder

 

I also put on manual locking hubs, so I could stop unnecessary wear on the front driveshaft. I've had zero trouble with it, besides riding harsh, in those 12 years and 100,000 additional miles. I'm at 260,000 miles today.

 

 

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5 hours ago, Deanerwiththemagicalweener said:

Hey guys I just got my first pathfinder and I have to say I love it already, it's a 2002 pathy chillkoot edition with just over 100k it's in great shape and so I feel like since I plan on keeping it for a while, maybe I'd be interested in doing some mild mods to it..  Let me start out by saying I'll be using this vehicle for light to moderate offloading as well as my daily driver.

 

I'd like to add a lift kit maybe 2-3 inches with bigger and more off-road capable tires...

 

The questions I have are how will this effect my vehicles longevity on components? I had a couple friends tell me that adding the usual lifts via spacers or the kits will mess up my geometry which will stress my axles differential and transfer case etc... I've also been told that bigger tires will stress my steering components like wheel bearing , tie rods ,ball joints etc... They say there is specialized lift kits that u need to drop the axles and such to do a proper lift so it doesn't stress... They say the highest I can go safely is 1.5 inches max... Now I don't know how much truth there is to all this wondering if I could get ur opinions on this as well as any recomendation for kits or parts to lift my pathfinder properly for 2-4 inches of lift...

 

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

The links those guys posted are really useful, check em out for sure.  To answer some of your concerns/questions directly, basically your friends are right.  Spacer lifts cause issues with your suspension, and any bigger tires or offset wheels will add additional wear to various components.  However, as long as you keep up on maintenance you shouldn't be concerned; those parts will still last a good long time unless you're absolutely flogging it on the trails every weekend.  A 2" lift is generally regarded to be the safe upper limit for lift for the front end, however you can dabble with more by various means (pushing your luck, SFD, diff drop).

 

You can get a 2" lift pretty simple with just some 2" lift coils from 4x4parts.com ("AC" coils).  There is a decent variety of options available though, especially for the rear end.  As far as tires, if you want to go bigger than 31" you'll need wheel spacers or new wheels with ~3.75" of backspacing to clear the strut.

 

Welcome to NPORA!

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