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PathyGig12’s Build Thread


PathyGig12
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Yeah, be very careful with the clips, especially the “chrome” surround - almost impossible to bot break some due to old plastic. Understand that the “grill” includes the paint matched side pieces so it may require painting if you want it to match - that was my main stumbling block for changing it out.[mention=41900]pathydude17[/mention] pics demonstrate this pretty clearly.

 

Also, it’s worth noting that there are slight differences between the 2001 & 2002-4 grill emblems which may translate into a different mount.

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8 hours ago, RainGoat said:

 

 

Also, it’s worth noting that there are slight differences between the 2001 & 2002-4 grill emblems which may translate into a different mount.

True. After fumbling around in the junk yard last summer, I can confirm there are 3 face lift grill logos.

  1. 99.5 -2001 SE grill emblem. Same style as 99.5 - 2001 LE emblem but has a different curved profile on the back side of the emblem. You could make it work with a small amount of creativity
  2.  99.5 - 2001 LE grill emblem. Same as above except curved profiled on the backside
  3. 2002+ grill emblem. noticeably different outline and the backside curved profile doesn't match either of the above.

However, R50 buttercup on here has a 02+ emblem on a 99.5-2001 grill from what I've seen.

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  • 3 weeks later...

So I’ve been trying to figure out this weird new clunking sound coming from the front. It happens when I’m reversing close

to full lock out of a parking spot in either direction, and sometimes it does it when I switch from reverse to drive while the wheels are still turned and start going forward. Sometimes it’ll do both in a row. Sometimes nothing. And the intensity of the clunk varies from soft and subtle to “oh my god what did I hit”
 

Every once in a while I get a soft version of it while going over bumpy terrain, or while making a sharp turn or braking suddenly, but nowhere near as bad as reversing. When it happens while reversing It sounds like something binding under tension and then releasing. My first thought was end links or CVs, but it’s not repetitive each revolution, and I replaced the end links a while back and have tightened them quite a lot to make sure they aren’t even slightly loose. 
 

Does anyone think it could be bad sway bar bushings? Maybe even tie rods? I changed the tie rods recently as well but one of the boots is compromised now and it’s possible some crap got in. 
 

I ordered the bushings to try since it’s the cheapest option on the list but I’m not entirely convinced it’ll work. Seems more likely to be steering related to me

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So I’ve been trying to figure out this weird new clunking sound coming from the front. It happens when I’m reversing close
to full lock out of a parking spot in either direction, and sometimes it does it when I switch from reverse to drive while the wheels are still turned and start going forward. Sometimes it’ll do both in a row. Sometimes nothing. And the intensity of the clunk varies from soft and subtle to “oh my god what did I hit”
 
Every once in a while I get a soft version of it while going over bumpy terrain, or while making a sharp turn or braking suddenly, but nowhere near as bad as reversing. When it happens while reversing It sounds like something binding under tension and then releasing. My first thought was end links or CVs, but it’s not repetitive each revolution, and I replaced the end links a while back and have tightened them quite a lot to make sure they aren’t even slightly loose. 
 
Does anyone think it could be bad sway bar bushings? Maybe even tie rods? I changed the tie rods recently as well but one of the boots is compromised now and it’s possible some crap got in. 
 
I ordered the bushings to try since it’s the cheapest option on the list but I’m not entirely convinced it’ll work. Seems more likely to be steering related to me

Sounds like a cv to me


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4 hours ago, R50JR said:


Sounds like a cv to me


Sent from my Pathfinder

As I mentioned, that was my first thought as well but the clunk would most likely be repetitive if it were coming from a bad CV. As of right now, I never get it more than once in either direction. It also seems to happen more when there’s a big weight transfer and faster movement. 


That said, my drivers side CV boot is definitely compromised so it’s conceivable that it could be getting gummed up in there. Might be worth replacing either way because I do have a spare OEM lying around. Bushings first though, then I’ll go from there

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As I mentioned, that was my first thought as well but the clunk would most likely be repetitive if it were coming from a bad CV. As of right now, I never get it more than once in either direction. It also seems to happen more when there’s a big weight transfer and faster movement. 

That said, my drivers side CV boot is definitely compromised so it’s conceivable that it could be getting gummed up in there. Might be worth replacing either way because I do have a spare OEM lying around. Bushings first though, then I’ll go from there

Not necessarily repetitive. I get occasional clunks with my cv shafts and they are solid. I just did the boots a couple of months ago too


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As I mentioned, that was my first thought as well but the clunk would most likely be repetitive if it were coming from a bad CV. As of right now, I never get it more than once in either direction. It also seems to happen more when there’s a big weight transfer and faster movement. 

That said, my drivers side CV boot is definitely compromised so it’s conceivable that it could be getting gummed up in there. Might be worth replacing either way because I do have a spare OEM lying around. Bushings first though, then I’ll go from there

Not necessarily repetitive. I get occasional clunks with my cv shafts and they are solid. I just did the boots a couple of months ago too


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As I mentioned, that was my first thought as well but the clunk would most likely be repetitive if it were coming from a bad CV. As of right now, I never get it more than once in either direction. It also seems to happen more when there’s a big weight transfer and faster movement. 

That said, my drivers side CV boot is definitely compromised so it’s conceivable that it could be getting gummed up in there. Might be worth replacing either way because I do have a spare OEM lying around. Bushings first though, then I’ll go from there

Not necessarily repetitive. I get occasional clunks with my cv shafts and they are solid. I just did the boots a couple of months ago too


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As I mentioned, that was my first thought as well but the clunk would most likely be repetitive if it were coming from a bad CV. As of right now, I never get it more than once in either direction. It also seems to happen more when there’s a big weight transfer and faster movement. 

That said, my drivers side CV boot is definitely compromised so it’s conceivable that it could be getting gummed up in there. Might be worth replacing either way because I do have a spare OEM lying around. Bushings first though, then I’ll go from there

Not necessarily repetitive. I get occasional clunks with my cv shafts and they are solid. I just did the boots a couple of months ago too


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4 hours ago, R50JR said:


Not necessarily repetitive. I get occasional clunks with my cv shafts and they are solid. I just did the boots a couple of months ago too


Sent from my Pathfinder

Fair enough, if the bushings don’t fix it then I’ll look into the CVs more. But I’d also like to point out that I’ve notice these past two days that the clunk only happens when there’s a weight transfer, for example when I’m reversing and then tap the break or switched to drive and touch the gas. So to me that doesn’t sound like CVs. But then again a weight transfer to the rear can extend the front slightly more and make the CVs bind slightly, so it’s possible I guess. 

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Well the bushings didn’t help at all. Clunk is still the same.Damn.


The inner boot on my passenger side tie rod is destroyed and it seems gritty in the joint so I’m leaning towards that now. Could still be a CV, right now I’m trying to source a second used OEM shaft so I can swap both together. I have one already that’s sitting in the back as my spare. I figure I’ll put on OEMs for the best strength and joint flexibility and take off the Cardones for spares

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5 hours ago, adudewithapathfinder said:

Hey man, I’m not a super active member here, but... I parked next to you at the Y the other day. That thing is a beast! 9093a19eab51bc9877af22fbb3de149c.jpg
c9140ce4244c4227f3e8a98d7d36a13a.jpg

Whaaaaattttt????

 

Holy crap I never expected to see my truck in another members pic! That’s awesome man, my girlfriend works there and drives the rig to work sometimes. Says she gets tons of compliments lmao. Wonder why I don’t get as many when I’m driving it? Ha

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Oh yeah and small update. 
 

I picked up a second set of camber bolts to fix the wacky camber finally. With both bolts in, I was able to get the drivers side perfectly aligned but the passenger side doesn’t want to play as nice. I’ll try again today, it’s so hard to tell before putting the wheel on
 

I also swapped out the drivers side CV with the busted boot while I was in there to see if that was the cause of the clunk, no luck. It seems to be coming from the passenger side anyway but I figured it was worth a shot anyway. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Update time:

 

This past week I’ve been going ham. I decided to tackle all the awful jobs all at once because I was getting a low whine from the power steering pump so I went and replaced it with a brand new hitachi unit and swapped the alternator as well while I was in there. Then yesterday I changed the starter because every winter I get a few days where the solenoid sticks and won’t engage for a few tries, so I figured it was prudent to get it changed out ASAP to make sure I didnt get stuck anywhere when it finally stuck permanently. 
 

It’s hard to say which job I hated more, but I’ll say this. I want to beat the crap out of whoever designed the alternator mounting system. Theres a small “L” shaped bracket with a nut welded onto the back but the bracket isn’t physically attached to anything, it just rests against the back of the alternator, so to bolt up the new alternator you have to wedge your hand through a mess of wiring harnesses and coolant hoses and around motor mounts and brackets, and finally use the tips of two fingers to hold the nut up to the back of the alternator while your other hand reaches around blind to turn the bolt. Needless to say I was bleeding by the time I managed to get it on and I’m shocked that I didn’t tear anything. As if that wasn’t bad enough, remounting the power steering pump is an exercise in extreme patience because you have to pry the damn thing back into position since the mounts are so tight, and every time you have it almost lined up to bolt through, either the front or the back won’t be perfect and you’ll have to try again but end up overcorrecting and need to go back. And of course it’s all done blind unless you drop your phone in there and take a picture to see, which is what I ended up doing. All in all I ended up logging 14 hours in the garage

 

Fast forward to yesterday and it was time for the starter swap. This job was the one I was dreading the most because of the all the horror stories about how difficult it was, but I have to say it wasn’t nearly as bad as I built it up to be. The only challenging part was reinstalling the new unit because you have to clear the solenoid terminals past a bracket that gives you very little room to move. I didn’t have to remove anything from the truck though, the front diff stayed in place and so did everything else. I even managed to get it past my missing link bar. The key to reinserting the end of the starter into the bell housing (the hardest part) is to have the thin metal gasket in the right orientation so that you can still rotate the starter because if it’s misaligned the part that’s 90 degrees to the rest of it will be hitting on brackets and blocking things

 

Im hoping to never have to do these jobs again, everything about them is just pure suckZ66Q0s5.jpg0pIvNiO.jpg

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Dude I did my alternator a while back because it was whining. Definitely way worse than the starter in my opinion, that nut you are talking about is such a stupid design. The starter really didn't give me any issue.

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2 hours ago, jjmwilkinson said:

Dude I did my alternator a while back because it was whining. Definitely way worse than the starter in my opinion, that nut you are talking about is such a stupid design. The starter really didn't give me any issue.

Agreed. As much as the starter is a pain to negotiate, I’d rather do it three times than do the alternator once

 

I think if I had to recommend one tool to anyone considering changing theirs, it would be a long locking vascular clamp with a bent nose to get the bracket to the back of the alternator. If I had those it would have been much easier. But honestly the rest of the job sucks as well because you have to take off the fan, shroud, belts, idler pulley, and PS pump(just to get to the wiring even if you aren’t changing it also). 
 

Anyway, on to the next phase. I’m hoping to order a set of hitachi injectors soon and get started on the rest of the engine work I’ve been planning since the summer. I already have the plugs, knock sensor, valve cover gaskets, pcv valve, spark plug tube seals, and upstream O2 sensors sitting in my garage. Ive just been waiting to get the injectors before taking the intake apart. Debating also doing the thermostats but that’s another ugly job so might hold off.

 

A few weeks back I changed the IAC valve so that’s one less thing to do. Idles great after the relearn procedure, and you could see on the old one that the corrosion was all around the motor so I’m glad I swapped it out when I did. Who knows how much longer I had before it went

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  • 1 month later...

Hey man! Been following this build transformation into the beast it is today! I was curious to know if you fit your 235/85/16 tires without wheel spacers? Never saw you mention using them.

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2 hours ago, dezm said:

Hey man! Been following this build transformation into the beast it is today! I was curious to know if you fit your 235/85/16 tires without wheel spacers? Never saw you mention using them.

Yes sir, they fit perfectly fine without any spacers. The fact that they are only 9.5 wide means they can clear the struts easily, and I don’t have any rubbing because I removed the mud flaps and trimmed a little bit of the plastic in the fender wells. In the future I’ll probably upgrade to a set of 33”s that are full width. I love these tires on dirt and rock but they don’t float over snow as well as a wider set would. In deep powder I’ve noticed they can get kind of lost. I also prefer a “stanced” look, so wider would be nice

Edited by PathyGig12
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21 hours ago, PathyGig12 said:

Yes sir, they fit perfectly fine without any spacers. The fact that they are only 9.5 wide means they can clear the struts easily, and I don’t have any rubbing because I removed the mud flaps and trimmed a little bit of the plastic in the fender wells. In the future I’ll probably upgrade to a set of 33”s that are full width. I love these tires on dirt and rock but they don’t float over snow as well as a wider set would. In deep powder I’ve noticed they can get kind of lost. I also prefer a “stanced” look, so wider would be nice

That’s awesome it’s possible to run a version of 32’s on stock wheels though! Thanks for the info.

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On 11/20/2020 at 1:20 PM, PathyGig12 said:

Yes sir, they fit perfectly fine without any spacers. The fact that they are only 9.5 wide means they can clear the struts easily, and I don’t have any rubbing because I removed the mud flaps and trimmed a little bit of the plastic in the fender wells. In the future I’ll probably upgrade to a set of 33”s that are full width. I love these tires on dirt and rock but they don’t float over snow as well as a wider set would. In deep powder I’ve noticed they can get kind of lost. I also prefer a “stanced” look, so wider would be nice

I wonder if a 255/85r16 would fit

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21 minutes ago, KiwiTerrano said:

I wonder if a 255/85r16 would fit

 

I think the best tire all around for the stock LE rims would be a 33” 10.5 wide with 1 inch spacers all around. You’d still be able to tuck the rears, have a decent stance, and good contact patch but not too wide that you’d need wider rims

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 11/21/2020 at 11:04 PM, KiwiTerrano said:

I wonder if a 255/85r16 would fit

I’ve been wondering this too. Haven’t seen or heard of anyone really running that size on this forum but IMO it would be great fit for the r50

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Update time!

 

6s45fTX.jpg
 

hVLCrxC.jpg
 

 

Yesterday I was finally able to do some engine work! I changed out all six injectors with brand new hitachi units, swapped out the aging spark plugs with some new NGK laser platinums, replaced the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals, and put in a new PCV valve. Had some brittle hoses crack on me so I changed those out as well. Last but not least I put on a universal cone filter using a generic adapter plate I found online. The whole set up cost less than 30 bucks and it cleans up the engine bay SO much. What I really like about it is that I didn’t need to mess with relocating anything because it uses the standard intake for everything behind the filter so it’s basically still stock. I’m so glad I didn’t pay $300 for the full K&N kit

 

What I wasn’t able to do was the front O2 sensors unfortunately. Those things are buried in the heat shielding and impossible to reach without the special socket that has a cutout in the side. I’ll have to source one first before attempting it.

 

Im pretty pleased overall though. It’s incredible to look back at this past year and think about how much I’ve done to this truck!


1. New coils and shocks/struts

2. New tires

3. New rotors and pads

4. New brake booster

5. New chassis parts including control arms, trailing arms, ball joints, tie rods, CVs, end links, panhard, etc

6. new front wheel bearings 

7. Fresh oil change in October 

8. new fluids in front and rear diffs, as well as Tcase

9. New MAF sensor

10. New injectors

11. New plugs

12. New valve cover gaskets and tube seals

13. New pcv valve and vacuum hoses

14. New IAC valve

15. New factory style intake hose

16. Cold air intake filter

17. Steel bumpers front and rear

18. Tire carrier with gas can

19. Roof basket

20. forward facing, reverse, fogs, and interior map lighting, with central switch panel

21. underbody camera with dash monitor

22. Manual hubs 

23. downstream O2 sensors

24. Fresh paint on fender flairs and bumper cover

25. New power steering pump

26. New alternator

27. New starter 

28. Missing link Bar installed

29. Hi lift jack, shovel, fire extinguisher, and axe added

30. power valve screws tightened 
31. New serpentine belts and idler pulley

32.new fuel filter

33. Acquired spare fuel pump (Not installed yet)

 

Not sure if I missing anything, but that’s quite a list for a single year of work, especially on a low budget.

 

I’m going to take a bit of a breather now with the holiday season, but next up are the upstream O2s, front diff bushings, new fan and fan clutch, and then I’d like to start working on my idea for a reserve gas tank in the spare tire well. After that I’ll be getting some bilsteins and then looking into some rust proofing underneath. Long term I plan to buy an ARB locker for the rear but that’s a long way off for now. Maybe get a SFD eventually and some 33s. 

 

Edited by PathyGig12
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On 12/1/2020 at 9:59 AM, PathyGig12 said:

Update time!

 

6s45fTX.jpg
 

hVLCrxC.jpg
 

 

Yesterday I was finally able to do some engine work! I changed out all six injectors with brand new hitachi units, swapped out the aging spark plugs with some new NGK laser platinums, replaced the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals, and put in a new PCV valve. Had some brittle hoses crack on me so I changed those out as well. Last but not least I put on a universal cone filter using a generic adapter plate I found online. The whole set up cost less than 30 bucks and it cleans up the engine bay SO much. What I really like about it is that I didn’t need to mess with relocating anything because it uses the standard intake for everything behind the filter so it’s basically still stock. I’m so glad I didn’t pay $300 for the full K&N kit

 

What I wasn’t able to do was the front O2 sensors unfortunately. Those things are buried in the heat shielding and impossible to reach without the special socket that has a cutout in the side. I’ll have to source one first before attempting it.

 

Im pretty pleased overall though. It’s incredible to look back at this past year and think about how much I’ve done to this truck!


1. New coils and shocks/struts

2. New tires

3. New rotors and pads

4. New brake booster

5. New chassis parts including control arms, trailing arms, ball joints, tie rods, CVs, end links, panhard, etc

6. new front wheel bearings 

7. Fresh oil change in October 

8. new fluids in front and rear diffs, as well as Tcase

9. New MAF sensor

10. New injectors

11. New plugs

12. New valve cover gaskets and tube seals

13. New pcv valve and vacuum hoses

14. New IAC valve

15. New factory style intake hose

16. Cold air intake filter

17. Steel bumpers front and rear

18. Tire carrier with gas can

19. Roof basket

20. forward facing, reverse, fogs, and interior map lighting, with central switch panel

21. underbody camera with dash monitor

22. Manual hubs 

23. downstream O2 sensors

24. Fresh paint on fender flairs and bumper cover

25. New power steering pump

26. New alternator

27. New starter 

28. Missing link Bar installed

29. Hi lift jack, shovel, fire extinguisher, and axe added

30. power valve screws tightened 
31. New serpentine belts and idler pulley

 

Not sure if I missing anything, but that’s quite a list for a single year of work, especially on a low budget.

 

I’m going to take a bit of a breather now with the holiday season, but next up are the upstream O2s, front diff bushings, new fan and fan clutch, and then I’d like to start working on my idea for a reserve gas tank in the spare tire well. After that I’ll be getting some bilsteins and then looking into some rust proofing underneath. Long term I plan to buy an ARB locker for the rear but that’s a long way off for now. Maybe get a SFD eventually and some 33s. 

 

Dude, that is awesome! You've done some great normal and preventative maintenance. I just did my alternator and spark plugs a couple of weeks ago...alternator sucked! I have a k&n intake on my frontier and I like the hissing sounds it makes, but I don't like how much dust it sucks in. I got a prefilter, which is basically a breathable sock for the cone. It helps a bunch to keep finer particulates out. Maybe that is something you could look into?

 

A couple of things: Which plugs did you go with? Also, it looks like it's time to flush your brake fluid. 

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