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I think that if we're talking any amount of lift, I'd advocate springs over spacers any day like TowndawgR50. Static spacers are convenient if you really want to keep stock ride characteristics, but with limited options even available, you have to disassemble the entire strut anyway to install them. If you're going to go that far, springs are the way to go...better handling, better load support. Spacers have their place for us, but springs will make more of a difference for only a little more cost.

Springs are easier but more expensive. Spacers require modifications to the top hat of the strut. Both methods require compressing and removing the springs.

Finally finished welding up my low profile winch bumper last week! Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

Pathfinder Pest Control. Tried a new way to kill off the moles who are destroying my yard....we’ll see if it works?

Thought I'd share my first welding project! Been working on it for a several days and nights, but finally got all the main pieces welded or tacked up for my cargo rack. Not finished yet, but getting close... Designed to fit up to 4 standard milk crates or 2 common large totes on the left shelves, and a cooler (up to 50Q-60Q sized 12V fridge/freezers) on the right. A table has become camp essential and it required a dedicated space...tired of it being the first thing I have to pack and the last thing I can even access. It's not pushed all the way back in the pic, but it doesn't protrude past the front of the rack. After several design ideas, I went with this because it allowed me get two levels of containers, clear the different-height wheel wells, and leave cooler access (great for the on-the-way-out stop to add ice)...oh yeah, and allow it to be removeable from the truck (hence angles on racks). Also leaves some larger odd spaces for soft goods. The cooler shelf is a bit higher than the wheel well because the floor jack and rod will be relocated to the area underneath, between wheel well and liftgate. Haven't had to, but I don't want to remove my kids and their carseats to access those tools. I'm contemplating making a long drawer for the opening above the table, but might just leave as-is or add some support bars for long objects like chairs. Still figuring out what to do about the carpet, too, since I use the cubby space to hold all my towing gear, and suspension and steering spares...stuff I don't normally need access to, but could. There will be a 40"x16"-ish tailgate, too, that'll fold down level with the lowest shelf and give plenty of additional flat space. For now, I just need the rack part ready for an upcoming camp/off-road trip. For mounting, still deciding between adding tabs and bolting directly where the 4 anchor points on the cargo floor are, or adding loops and using turnbuckles with the anchor points. The base is a little too wide to use the rear anchors through, but I'm rethinking using turnbuckle. A tool-less installation and removal would be nice, though I plan to leave it mounted in the truck so it's not a major requirement. I'm using .5", 1", and 1"x1.5" 16GA/.065 mild steel tube. Much of it came from a side gate I replaced earlier this year, so that's why some parts are still black. I can't believe how much of a rip-off 1" tube steel from HD/Lowes is...6'@$23 vs 40'@$27 from a local steel supply. Current weight is just under 50lbs (a sheet of 1/2" plywood weighs about 65 lbs). Thinking I'll probably just put spray some appliance/enamel paint on it when done. For my first welding project, I'm pleased. Some welds have turned out a lot better than others, of course, but I'm getting the hang of it. I still need to finish some welds and grind a few more down. I've become good friends with my angle grinder, but I planned to do a lot of grinding to keep all the surfaces smooth for sliding gear around. Bunch of Harbor Freight stuff, nothing has disappointed. I sketched up everything using SketchUp Make. Great little free program, if you're not familiar with it.

I’m about to do a fluid change on everything & noticed I couldn’t find recommendations on NPORA. I’ve heard of using Amsoil, Valvoline, Royal Purple, Red Line, Motul, Castrol & Mobil One. I’ve also heard of friction additives necessary with some. I thought a discussion of people’s preferences, schedules & pearls of wisdom might be a lively exchange! Oh yeah, volumes too.

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OME MD springs yield about 1.5". There used to be light-duty ones, but I don't think they're available any more.

thanks josh!!!

I just painted black my rims and did the conversion to leds of my instrumental cluster Wow, this rig is absolutely amazing!

I just painted black my rims and did the conversion to leds of my instrumental cluster

Not to hi-jack, it could be for TroyButler too. If you went with springs that provide a 2" lift you shouldn't need to do any other modifications such as lengthen brake lines, steering shaft, etc. If the answer is true, then I assume a 1" spacer is easier.

Rather than clutter up CDN_S4's build thread with info that might be useful for others, I thought I'd regurgitate some knowledge that everyone considering an SFD should be aware of before going forward with it. In CDN_S4's case, he's dealing with some rust issues that make removing hardware difficult, but for every problem: a solution. Before diving into things, you'll want to check out these areas so that you can better assess how to install an SFD. I hope to have thorough installation instructions in the near future, though there are some good existing write-ups (most useful so far: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/31584-my-pathy-project-lifting/) That said, let's go... You'll need to remove/loosen bolts in these locations: front subframe rear subframe steering link steering rack motor mount CV/axle/front driveshaft strut Front subframe: The front subframe "bolts" are actually two bolt assemblies, and they can be replaced. They're 12mm x 1.25 x 150mm bolts affixed to a bracket. You can get new ones from Nissan (54418-0W00A; OE flange nut is 54588-0W00A, or OE equivalent is Dorman 433-512...Nis), or just replace them with (4) 1/2"-20 x 6" bolts and matching hardware. I tested this with 8" bolts when test-fitting the 1.5" spacers. Can't go wrong with thick SAE washers, but the OE bolt doesn't even have anything washer-like on the assembly. But, if you go with separate bolts, you may need a helper to keep a wrench on the bolt head...the OE assembly prevents the bolt from spinning. They can obviously be welded in, too. Left: front EO subframe bolt assembly; Right: rear OE subframe bolt. Both shown in the orientation they are installed in the truck (fronts down, rears up) These assemblies are located in the engine compartment on the unibody "rail" where it opens up for the engine. The passenger side is tougher to get to because of a rigid line that runs directly over it. The drivers side requires disconnecting the steering shaft. Both are held in by an 8mm bolt. In my case, the bolts were in good shape and were re-used, but the flange nuts should be replaced when removed. Passenger side: Drivers side: Rear subframe: These bolts are 14mm x 1.5 x 45mm (p/n 54459-0W01A). It's only threaded to 35mm. If you can re-use the threaded holes, you'll need that bolt size. If these bolts are spinning, that will be a problem. Steering link: You'll need to loosen the upper and lower bolts at the ends, and completely remove the middle bolt (otherwise it can't collapse enough to remove the link...ask me about the 15 mins it took to remove the link). Steering Rack: You will need to rotate your steering rack. There are two 22mm bolts, and they're on tight. There's also a bracket that connects a rigid line to the crossmember, and another bracket on the reservoir hose that connects to the unibody. Both brackets will need to be disconnected. Motor mount: each motor mount has two integrated 10mm x 1.25 studs and uses flange nuts (08918-3401A). The nuts will have to be removed without damaging the motor mount, and are really only accessible after pulling down the axle. CV/axle/front driveshaft: You've got the 12 CV bolts (6 per side), then 8 larger bolts (4 per side, 54710DA in the diagram, 54726-0W005) that connect the axle housing to mounting brackets. I don't have measurements on these bolts, but I expect they are 10mm x 1.25 (CV) and 14mm x 1.5 (axle). The front driveshaft will need to be disconnected; Nissan recommends replacing the 4 bolts and nuts when removed (37120-0P00A bolt, 37171-7S00A nut; I recommend OE parts because part of the driveshaft flange prevents the bolts from spinning, just need a wrench on the nut) Strut: Since the struts will likely need to be removed if you're adding spacers or springs, you'll need to remove the upper strut mount (strut tower) hardware from inside the engine bay, and the lower bolts connecting to the spindle. The strut mount bolts, I believe, are 10mm x 1.25, but I'm not sure (they're affixed to the mounting plate, 54322 in the diagram), but it's all somewhat irrelevant. If you're adding spacers, you'll need to modify the mounting plate to use longer bolts. Mine were replaced some time ago, and the holes have been enlarged to accept 12mm or 1/2" hardware The lower strut bolts are 14mm. If you're not using offset strut spacers (like those included in the KrF kit), then you might need 1 or 2 sets of 14mm camber bolts (set = 2 bolts), easily found on eBay.

Dude, I just found this. I'm voting you in as the "Father of modding the R50 Platform". Thank you again for investing the time into this.

The short answers: Tooling space. The difference between a 4"-tall and 2.5"-tall spacer is huge when it's the difference between being able to use sockets, wobbles, and extensions to tighten things up, versus only being able to use a wrench. The subframe pad's side supports, and the gap between the studs of the mount and the heads of the lower bolts, made it impossible for me to use anything other than a wrench, without buying other tools (like a good set of ratcheting wrenches!). Tubing size. If I could find 3"x 2.5" tubing, that would have been golden. Otherwise, I'd need to butcher and weld pieces together, which is what I wanted to avoid because I don't weld, and it's a lot more work. Tubing direction. If the opening of the tube opened to the front/rear, I couldn't get a wrench up on at least one of the nuts on the motor mount. If turned 90 (opened to engine/wheels), not enough interior width to get a wrench on the nuts. A slight rotation opens up the width (i.e., the length of a side vs the length of the hypotenuse.) The passenger side subframe pad is not nearly as deep as the driver's side. The max depth from hole-centers is 1.5", whereas on the driver's side, I didn't even need to measure. I needed to make another cut on the just the passenger side if it was going to be rotated. The angle cuts are so that I had some structure of the spacers opposing each other to deal with the torque from the engine. Tube spacers would've been fine if it weren't for the mess above. The 2nd attempt (the ones I removed), ended up cutting the spacer into two C shapes, but because the walls ran parallel to each other when installed, there was nothing to prevent the motor from shifting, or even collapsing. I don't have a good way to judge forces here, but took the safer-than-sorry approach because I don't trust the transmission mount to be any saving grace (it's designed to support the transmission vertically, not control torquing from the engine). I could've upped to .188" steel, but I just didn't like the approach. The angle cuts all allow for tool access. Again, things are really confined up there. The spacers need to open towards the engine...my 14mm offset wrench barely worked on the passenger side to clear some tubing and the bottom of the engine. The real goal, aside from preventing the motor from being somewhere it shouldn't be, is that if I'm to kit anything up, I need a simple solution. Going forward, the solution is simpler than I made it (I went with the Super Beef edition for peace of mind, but I also didn't have enough material to do it this time around). If I cut a 2.5" tube at angles, that will give me tool access, a 3" x 2.5" dimensions, and opposing forces. I know, this is one of the truly worthless posts without pictures. I'll probably just sketch something up. I also need a better way to host pictures. Google is pissing me off. The bottom line is that there are far more constraints for a 2.5" spacer than a 4" spacer. A 2" SFD amplifies the problem, and a 3" SFD is pushes the need for angled strut spacers (which I don't want to produce)...2.5" is the middle of the road.

So the spacers are in, but I'm going to pull the axle back down and put in these motor mount spacers instead: I was originally worried about the MM spacers simply because of the size of tubing (2.5"x 2.5") and possibly not having the clearance I'd need. I ended up cutting a .120"-wall piece in half (like "[" and "]") and installed those, but didn't feel comfortable with it...a high-torque situation would probably bend them and cause a world of other issues. The above design is better, though I may need to trim them to get the length and width down. I ended up using .188"-wall instead, and with these angled cuts, the pieces will be working against each other under high-torque situations, leaving the motor mounts to do their job. (The top of the picture represents the front of the truck.) This also helps with tool clearance...there isn't much on the passenger side to begin with. The steering system was a little more time consuming than I had liked. My measurements were pretty good, though. I did rotate the rack just a little to be on the safe side, but in doing so, it shortened the overall shaft length required. I'll need to get the shaft machined down, though it's probably cheaper to buy a new one. It'll work as-is for the time being. Didn't have any issues with the hoses/lines, though a longer low-pressure/return hose from the PS reservoir will give enough slack to return a bracket to it's original mounting point on the subframe (you can see a lonely bolt on the top of the subframe two pictures down). The high-pressure line got a small bracket that keeps everything in comfortable. A shortcoming on my part was thinking that I'd be able to remove the upper strut mount bolts from the mounting plate without having to disassemble the entire strut. Since my strut bellows are pretty tattered and not doing anything useful, I'm waiting for their replacements to come in before I add in my spacers. I'll also tackle the brake lines at that time, since I still need to confirm those even fit. I've also been tackling a few other tasks. The LCAs have been installed with SuperPro bushings (it is not necessary to remove them for the SFD install). I also spent a couple hours re-doing my skid plate mounting bracket and 'missing link' because the bolts kept cross threading--the steel plate was damaging bolts because it had no tolerance for a slightly off-center welded nylock. I was able to bore out the plate and re-tap some nylocks, but had to cut the welds on a couple of them. The axle even got a good wash while it was down. That's it for now. Still have a lot to do (beyond the SFD); hopefully I'll have it wrapped up before the weekend.

Sorry Yendor, I meant welding on the spacers themselves, not welding them on the truck. Everything will be bolt-on, and without cutting or drilling. Here are the welded spacers, though still a little rough. Just need to clean up the surfaces, drill holes, and paint. The center is a rigid, hollow box formed by the walls of the three tube pieces that comprise each spacer. Same amount of steel as a simple tube, but is much stronger. These are 3/16" thick and probably didn't need welding at all, but the design also allows for side access by tools (which is only necessary for the front subframe hardware anyway) and reduces the amount of rounded tube edges that contact (or more appropriately, don't contact) the unibody or subframe. Tomorrow, I'll pick up enough .120" steel for another 2.5" set and a 1.5" set. The steering link arrives in a couple days, and is the last part I need, then it's all systems go after the gluttony that is Thanksgiving. Though, I just had to order another (3rd) shock for the rear because apparently I loosened something inside the shock (wtf?) while swapping the bushings and it doesn't behave like it's mate now. I'm hoping to get it before T-day, but I can limp if it arrives after.

In my pathy i have manual locks and windows so i just cut the wires to the speakers and wired in some speakers under my seat...works perfect as far as the doors go i talke to the nissan dealership and they said the unibody design doesnt rely on the doors at all i have sketched what i want the doors to look like and i have measured some dimensions so im gonna take these to a local shop and see what they say about making them. its getting warm here in NM and its perfect weather to start some wheeling!