Leaderboard

I had my Pathfinder for exactly 1 month when a deer hit me. Smashed my right front fender and door in. Tow truck driver that was behind me said it was the most bizzare thing he had seen. I know that deer ran off, since the guy at the gas station I stopped at to contact the sheriff department went out to check came back saying the the deer was gone. Found smashed glass and the sideways skid marks, but no deer. Called my insurance agent and told her that I got hit by a deer and she had a hard time believing it until she saw the report. Had the tow driver as a witness that I was the victim of a hit and run, but the state refused to take responsibility for the damage caused by their deer. It is weird paying the insurance deductible before making the first car payment. Wound up getting the fender, door, window, and mirror replaced, all with genuine Nissan parts.

The trouble with most brush guards is that they're designed to stop low-velocity vegetation, not high-velocity venison. They have a reputation for collapsing in a collision and causing damage to more of the front end than would've been hit by the deer alone. I'd prefer a proper bumper, but of course anything will crumple if hit hard enough. My strategy in rural Washington (also lousy with hoof rats) is just to drive slower late evening through early morning when they tend to be on the road. The only one I've hit, I saw long beforehand, and thought, nah, he'll stay where he is. Dumb SOB dove in front of me at the last minute like he wanted the insurance money. I'd slowed down to around 40 by that point, though, so the damage to the truck was minor.

I’m probably gonna end up driving from Iowa up to Bozeman (@micahfelker) and then out to Washington. I’ve got friends I need/want to see on that route, and it allows me to stop at home on the way by

I used a superstrut bar and held it to the rack via u bolts and used that to mount the side lights and used auxbeam tube clamp mounts for the front and back pods on the rack Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

Both the EBC and Powerstop are good. I don't really think there is a "better" between the two of them. Never tried getting loaded calipers online, they are offered at local auto parts stores since there is a core on the calipers.

Nope, Just before Powderface Road/Trail. Just west of Bragg Creek near Calgary.

Probably muttered "cyka blyat" to itself as it ran off.

When my 93 does that, it has always been a broken rear swaybar link. My truck didn't change much when I disconnected the front one, so I removed it and tossed it. The rear on the other hand, has a huge effect. Mine gets very squirrelly and downright terrifying above 40 mph when the rear bar is disconnected or a link breaks.

With both front wheels off the ground, the front wheels should turn smoothly and easily. What you are describing sounds like dragging brakes and or bearing issues. If you have the pads off and the wheel still has trouble spinning, it is likely in the bearings if the CVs look ok. The dust cap is looking like that because someone used pliers to remove the cap. I generally use a flat blade screwdriver or cold chisel to pop them off by putting the blade between the cap and hub and tapping lightly with a hammer to pop the cap off. From your statement about the pulsation and the pictures, I suggest replacing the rotors. While you have the hubs off, clean them out and clean and inspect the bearings for wear or damage. If questionable at all, replace the bearings and races, they are relatively inexpensive. Replace the grease seal with a new one regardless. When I repack the bearings, I also fill the void in the hub with new grease, level with the inner bearing races. Grease is cheap and having the hub full like that helps keep the bearings happy. The uneven wear on the pads is the result of several problems. One, the rotor surfaces are not flat and smooth. Second, you have worn abutment shims that go between the pads and the caliper torque member. Third, the caliper slides are not letting the caliper move smoothly. Pull them out, clean out the bores and clean and inspect the pins for wear and putting. If worn or have putting, good idea to replace them. It is also a good idea to replace the rubber hardware at this time. When pushing the caliper pistons back into the caliper, I like to open the bleeder valve a bit with a 1/4(6mm) hose on the end going into a bottle to catch the fluid pushed out. 2 reasons for this. First, it makes pushing the pistons home much easier. Second, when you see what comes out, you will understand why it is recommended to flush the brake hydraulics every couple of years. When lubing the caliper slides, us a good silicone based grease, petroleum grease will damage the rubber parts causing problems. For the metal on metal lube for the pads themselves, I use a molybdenum brake grease. A small amount on the pads where they contact the torque member and a thin layer between the back and the shims unless the shims have adhesive, then a thin coat between the pad and the caliper helps a lot with noise control. I also wire brush and was the caliper and torque member before lube and assembly. The cleaner it is, the easier it is to reassemble and the better the brakes work. I do this stuff professionally, and have noticed that I spend more time on the brake job than most because of the detail I put into it. However, my bosses and I have noticed that I have fewer comebacks with complaints and more satisfied customers as well. I make a bit less on the job, but I tend to get more repeat customers requesting me to work on their cars. One option you might want to look into is getting a pair of loaded calipers for your truck. That saves you a lot of work cleaning, inspecting, repairing, and lubing. Plus most come with a lifetime warranty on the caliper so if anything happens, can simply swap out. Long and involved, hope this helps. Hit me up if you need any help. Couple of tips for the wheel bearings, use an impact driver on the small lock screws for the axle nut. They are very soft and the phillip head strips easily. The impact driver will pop them loose without damage. Axle nut socket for an Isuzu Trooper or Rodeo will fit the nut. Might need to file the edges of the pins a little, but should fit. Another option I have seen is a piece of flat bar with 2, 1/4" bolts that are long enough to reach into the holes of the nut run through the bar spaced the same distance as the holes in the nut.

This @!*%box is still waiting on tires! Sent from my SM-A520W using Tapatalk

I can’t speak to deer impacts - other than a steel bumper is likely better than an OEM bumper. I would also consider the full grill protection option on that bumper if I was thinking deer. The real Achille’s heel is side pull snatches - best avoided.

You’ve got to be careful following@TowndawgR50 Especially when he lets the dogs drive!

I have the Coastal Offroad bumper. I would agree you have identified its weak point. Frankly, it’s the weak point of all aftermarket bumpers on the R50.[mention=36148]hawairish[/mention] has been working on some brackets to bolster this attachment & ultimately I will switch to a bumper based on his &[mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] bumper design for exactly these reasons. Personally, I also think the Coastal Offroad design is a little too focused on “high clearance “. Another 2cm of lip would have been useful for mounting forward lights on top. Also, it should have had Hi-Lift jack points cut into the design. All that said, I think it’s probably the best currently available bumper. If you get one, keep in touch as we can discuss mods to the design & how to work around some of its limitations. Also, as an FYI, you may decide you’ll want to rework your windshield washer fluid reservoir & air intake resonators as they show (common with most aftermarket bumpers). Look at my IG account & you’ll see. I plan to paint mine black for the interim but will ultimately rework.