jlduthie Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 (edited) Long story short: my family's had this Pathfinder (1998 5-speed Chilkoot edition, 350k) since new and I learned to drive in it. I've been driving it for the last couple years after I moved back west and recently decided to keep it indefinitely. Can’t find anything I like better! Work done up to this point: Replaced P and D valve cover gaskets — man the driver's side is a pain Replaced distributor due to persistent stalling at idle and eventual stall and refusal to start Parked in the garage at the moment halfway through installing: OME MD front springs KYB Excel-G struts with new strut bearings, insulators, and boots SFCreations 1" front spacer LR 9447 rear springs Bilstein 5100 (33-185552) shocks ProComp Series 51 15x8 wheels (with current 31" Wranglers for now) new ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links, lower control arms, trailing arms missing link (as soon as I find something I don't have to buy 10 feet of!) At this point new struts are assembled and old parts are off with exception of right lower control arm. Compressing the OME springs was a little tricky but using a third spring compressor helped I think. Pictures attached are before - lots of wheeling before but sadly no pics - and one of the (tight!) workspace as well as the rust above front fender. Plenty of rust on all four quarter panels, both rockers, hatch, and most worryingly roof adjacent to upper windscreen seal. Only issue so far is with removal of P side lower control arm. Seems like dust and dirt collects above the rear bushing bolts. Removal was exceedingly difficult despite copious PB blaster and on inspection bolts are a little galled; suspect the internal thread is similar so I guess I'll chase the internal threads and dress the bolt and hope the driver's side isn't the same. Anyone have any ideas on how to prevent the same issue on the D side? My major concern was rust and rot underneath. So far everything looks pretty good so next steps will be removing side steps, replacing fenders and rockers and doing something about the rust on the leading edge of the roof. I'd like to find a swing-away spare tire rack as well. Comments always welcome! Edited June 27, 2019 by jlduthie Accidentally deleted part of sentence 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjackson2 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I made my sfd out of a 3 ft piece of half of 3/4 inch angle iron from Home Depot. Think it cost me like 9 bucks or something 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 I made my sfd out of a 3 ft piece of half of 3/4 inch angle iron from Home Depot. Think it cost me like 9 bucks or something I think you meant missing link. Not sure why you would need a sfd for a 2wd Qx4...Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjackson2 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 Yep...meant missing link. Not sure how I typed sfd lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sjackson2 Posted June 27, 2019 Share Posted June 27, 2019 And you wouldn’t need one for a 2x4. I can lift to my hearts content lol 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 1 hour ago, Sjackson2 said: Yep...meant missing link. Not sure how I typed sfd lol Haha and I read it as missing link. Added a few letters apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted June 27, 2019 Author Share Posted June 27, 2019 Angle steel bought and drivers LCA off. Same issue as passenger side - I guess I should just be glad I didn’t snap the bolt heads off. Yeesh. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted October 21, 2019 Author Share Posted October 21, 2019 Slow going but front all back together, minus missing link for now. Started the rear today - just shocks and coils for now but one issue: Even with the sleeves in the lower bushing of the Bilstein 5125 there's still play between the 1/2" ID of the sleeve and the 12 mm bolt, as you would expect. I haven't seen any mention of this issue on here (seems more commonly that the lower mounting bolts are 14mm and so too big for the sleeve). In the event that I can't easily source a 5/8" OD / 12 mm ID sleeve, is there any downside to increasing the bores in the shock mounting bracket to 1/2" and just using new grade 8 bolts? Looks like lots of material to allow for this slight increase in hole diameter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ole_Rosie_R50 Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Hey brotha! i love seeing another black 98' pathy on the forum. I personally don't know how to deal with the rust issue you have because i really don't have much (because i live in the south). im running the suspension you listed besides i have AC front springs instead of OME. (wish i got those instead so i could add my 1" front spacers i have). Good luck on the build man! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 (edited) Thanks Ole_Rosie_R50! After 21 Alberta winters I'm just glad it all seems like body rust and the structural bits seem relatively OK. All done for this year - unheated detached garage and Edmonton winter setting in haha. Body work next year, also steering rack and rear upper and lower trailing arms. Front: OME MD springs, KYB GR-2 struts, SFCreation 1" spacer, new lower control arms, ball joints, inner and outer tie rod ends, sway bar links and bushings, missing link (1/4" x 1 1/2" steel bar stock) Rear: LR 9447 coils, Bilstein 5125 (33-185552) Wheels: ProComp Rock Crawlers with weights painted black Before: After: Here's what worries me the most — this rust above the windshield. Most other rusted panels I can find either at a JY (though mostly rusted through here) or can order bare panels, but the roof seems a) hard to find and b) I assume is difficult to replace anyways. Haven't done any bodywork before so can learn about that over the winter and try it next summer. Any thoughts greatly appreciated! Edited October 26, 2019 by jlduthie Photo links broken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RainGoat Posted October 26, 2019 Share Posted October 26, 2019 Pics link broken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 Thanks. Thought I had it working but just realized they weren't showing up on my phone either. Working on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted October 26, 2019 Author Share Posted October 26, 2019 Links fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjotrainbrain Posted October 30, 2019 Share Posted October 30, 2019 Truck looks gnarly, but so does the rust! I can't imagine that'll be cheap at all to fix. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted November 2, 2019 Author Share Posted November 2, 2019 Thanks! As expected estimate for roof repair not cheap. Having a proper inspection of frame rails (or whatever proper term for those is on a unibody) this week. If all looks good just need to decide if I’ll attempt roof repair myself or have shop do it. If done myself will have to wait until next spring as I don’t have access to a heated workspace at the moment but I’ll spend the warmer winter days working on interior and doing things that don’t prevent me from driving it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted November 3, 2019 Share Posted November 3, 2019 Yikes. Probably a good call to avoid poking it until you're ready to fix it. It's probably worse under the rubber. You might keep an eye out at the wreckers for an R50 that's not rusty above the windshield and cut out a chunk of that like a patch panel rather than trying to piece that back together from flat stock or putty. Good luck with the inspection, hopefully the strut towers don't look like the front fenders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 Just off the lift at the shop. Underneath all good! Little bit of undercoating peeling here and there but nothing a wire wheel and some undercoating spray won't fix next summer. Thanks @Slartibartfast for the wrecker idea - hadn't considered but will definitely keep an eye out. Over the winter have a couple interior projects. LED lights (thanks @CDN_S4 for the inspiration) and new head unit (non-Bose) for now. Might keep an eye out for some seats in better shape than mine as well. Fair amount of 4H driving today on slick side streets and no sign of any CV binding with OME MD and 1" spacers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted November 6, 2019 Author Share Posted November 6, 2019 Cold today... 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Little update. LEDs bought for interior and brake lights but not in yet. New head unit installed. Bought from Crutchfield with kit and pretty much plug and play. Kit to concert from double to single DIN pushed the climate control panel up a bit but can live with that. https://imgur.com/gallery/PKVgM2d Have an oxyacetylene welding course coming up in January, then lots of body work and hopefully paint next summer! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted November 30, 2019 Author Share Posted November 30, 2019 Should also add that I’ve had the hubs locked for a month now and been in and out of 4H daily with no issues at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted July 3, 2020 Author Share Posted July 3, 2020 So... Working in SE BC for a while and went to check out the local wrecker to grab some spare headlamps and such. Look what I found! The gate is immaculate so has already replaced my mostly rusty gate and can’t wait to get home and refurbish that carrier and hopefully mount this summer or fall. Was a little hard to get that mounted by myself but ratchet straps for the win haha. Interior LED conversion also mostly done save for some warning lamps. Heading back early next week to grab the leading edge of the roof skin and some other goodies. CV axles still good with OME MD and 1” spacer. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01Pathmaker Posted July 7, 2020 Share Posted July 7, 2020 Looking good even with all those Canadian speed holes! I'm jealous of that tire carrier/rear gate find, just hope you also grabbed the latch mechanism that bolts to the bumper. I so regret selling my 96, I should've at least removed the carrier first since I can't find one for the life of me now... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herotrooper Posted July 27, 2020 Share Posted July 27, 2020 Hey man, good looking rig. Reminds me of my first pathfinder! Curious as to why you added the 1” spacer in the front. Is that to level it out more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 On 7/7/2020 at 2:16 PM, 01Pathmaker said: Looking good even with all those Canadian speed holes! I'm jealous of that tire carrier/rear gate find, just hope you also grabbed the latch mechanism that bolts to the bumper. I so regret selling my 96, I should've at least removed the carrier first since I can't find one for the life of me now... Hahaha Canadian speed holes. Haven’t heard that before but definitely using it. That’s the first carrier I’ve seen at yard in forever. They seem hard to come by too from this forum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jlduthie Posted July 28, 2020 Author Share Posted July 28, 2020 On 7/26/2020 at 9:24 PM, herotrooper said: Hey man, good looking rig. Reminds me of my first pathfinder! Curious as to why you added the 1” spacer in the front. Is that to level it out more? Yep just for levelling. Thought about going with HD OME or AC coils but the bumper I’m planning is still a year or two out so figured MD + spacer were a better choice for now. I have the Warn hubs as well so CVs less of a concern. Haven’t had any problems with binding when I am using 4H though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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