XPLORx4

Do you mean a front-to-rear slant? It's probably so that the transmission and t-case clear the floorpan. Otherwise, you'd have a huge center hump between the front seats (like the Hummer H1, except not so big).

Not for a software engineer I work with, it isn't. He's clueless when he looks under the hood of a car. Let him look at hundreds of lines of C++ code, and he'll tell you how it works and what it does in a matter of seconds. Ever tried writing a computer program in C++? I haven't. I haven't got a clue. One of the guys I work with write his own C++ programs for personal use, while I have to go buy it. He might ask "Why would you EVER pay someone for software? It's so simple to do yourself!" but he's not that arrogant.

It is, unless he paid someone else to install the battery and belt...

It's not so much that we want more power to drag from stoplight to stoplight or to race at sportscar speeds. Having more HP would have been really nice on my 2400-mile roadtrip to Utah last week. Some of those high-altitude grades in central NV and western UT forced me to downshift to 2nd gear to stay above 50mph! And even climbing slight grades (just 1 or 2 feet per second @60mph) at 6000 feet altitude, it would kick down out of overdrive. I got pretty poor gas mileage as a result. Based on an article on nissanperformancemag.com in which hotter cams were put in a VG30 Pathfinder, I am strongly considering getting a set of JWT "S1" cams for my truck, then will follow that with an ECU reprogram at some point. Replacing or going forced induction on the engine is just too much work.

Yeah, sorry my website is woefully out of date. Here's a link to photos of the manual hub installation: http://www.xplorx4.com/Pathfinder/upgrades/warnhubs After having the hubs installed for some time and doing maintenance on them, I recommend putting a couple fingerfuls of grease inside the warn hub body. I also highly recommend using snap-ring pliers to remove the snap-ring, instead of needlenose pliers like I show in my pics. Finally, replace your original studs if possible with cap screws. I have had to replace both wheel hubs ($200 each!) because the original drive flange studs broke off inside, and I was not able to drill them out. Here are pics of how to replace the wheel hubs, including bearing repacking. http://www.xplorx4.com/Pathfinder/upgrades/hub_replacement/

For OEM parts, I find the best prices at www.nissanparts.cc, unless the part I need is so cheap that shipping ends up costing more than a locally-purchased part.

To see if the links are bad, rock the truck side to side while you observe the links. Obviously any looseness there indicates that they are worn. If you replace them, get the whole link.

What size tires do you have now? Divide your new tire diameter by the old tire diameter to calculate the percent change: new tire diameter / old tire diameter = % error of speedometer. So if your truck has 31" tires now and you install 32" tires, that's 32/31 or a 3.2% error. At 75 mph (speedo reading) you would actually be traveling at 75 x 1.032 = 77.4mph. At 35 you'd be traveling at 36.12mph This approach is rather simplistic, since actual tire diameters vary by make, model, and even tire pressure, but it's close enough. As for fuel economy differences, again that depends on the tire itself. Going from a 31" mud tire to a 32" highway-biased tire will yield entirely different numbers than a 31" highway tire to a 32" mud tire.

The irony of TJM's decision to discontinue production was because they released and marketed the product before there was demand for the bumpers. Now that the off-road R50 market has matured, and there's increased demand, it's too late. Kind short-sighted if you ask me.

Awesome Pezzy! Way to "pioneer" and push the envelope. It looks like your grille blocks access to the hole where the winch lever sticks out. Can you take a picture of the top of the bumper where your grille protrudes?

That's an educated statement. An engine with more horsepower isn't under more stress than an engine with less horsepower. If anything, the opposite would be true- the smaller weaker engine would have been stressed more since it has to pull the same weight as the more powerful engine. Anyway, the 3.5L does prefer premium fuel but the engine will run on 87 octane.

I've not heard of any R50 owners swapping drive flanges to auto hubs, but it can be done. The easiest (but maybe not the cheapest) way is to go to your local Nissan dealer and buy a pair of auto hubs for the Xterra (which also happen to fit the Pathy). Or you could visit the Xterra message boards and see if anyone there who has swapped to manuals is willing to sell their stock auto hubs.

The things we do, the money we spend... all for the love of our dogs...

Yes, you can use synthetic ATF in the t-case, which has both a drain and fill plug. I put Mobil1 ATF in my t-case. When replacing drivetrain fluids, ALWAYS loosen/remove the fill plug before the drain plug. You don't want to drain the fluid only to find out you can't remove the fill plug!

With a 2-3" lift, the CV's are at a slightly higher angle, but this does not exceed the operational limits of the CV. With the factory hubs, the front CVs and diff always rotate when the truck is moving, so the CV boots may wear out more quickly. You may also feel slight vibration at highway speeds because of the increased CV angles. Manual hubs (or even Nissan automatic hubs) will solve these issues, but if your truck has the "all-mode" AWD transfer case (not the lever-operated case) then you must be certain to lock the hubs prior to using "all-mode". I don't think the ball joints will wear "prematurely." My truck has over 130000 miles (208000 km) on it (over 160000 km with the lift), and I have had to replace both ball joints only once- the rubber boots had cracked and were leaking grease. With a 2-3" lift, you can fit 265/75R16 or 32x11.50R15 tires, but you might have to use different wheels with less backspacing, so that the tire clears the spring pan on the strut. Trimming the mudflaps and plastic fender liners may also be needed to reduce/prevent rubbing problems. 31x10.50R15 tires will fit on the factory wheels with no lift.

I don't mean to pooh-pooh your preference to get a Pathfinder, but have you considered a Subaru Outback or Forester? Compared to the Passat, you will be disappointed with the fuel economy of any Pathfinder. The other mini-utes (CRV, RAV4, etc.) may also fit your needs.

A suspension lift increases the distance between the axles/tires and the chassis by altering suspension components, such as a springs, torsion bars, A-arms, etc. A body lift increases the distance between a vehicle's frame and its body. This only applies to vehicles with body-on-frame construction. The 96-04 Pathfinder does not have a separate body on frame. It uses a "monoframe" chassis, in which the "frame" and "body" are fused into one unit, or "unibody." Therefore, you cannot get a body lift for it. The available lifts for the Pathfinder provide clearance for larger tires and better off-road capability, as well as providing enhanced "truck-like" looks. All of the known recommended lifts replace the coil springs on all 4 corners. The stiffness of the springs determines how high the truck sits (1" to 3"). With regard to the tires you specified, do you have a particular brand in mind? Search tirerack.com for that tire size to see what's available.

On the 2001, you're not paying just for the engine, you're paying for a 2-year younger vehicle with 14,000 fewer miles on it. Since it's an LE you're also getting dial-selectable all-mode 4WD system, which can be easier for a novice to operate than the transfer case lever. And finally, you're getting the newer cosmetic enhancements that were introduced in the 99.5 model. On the other hand, there were a few minor issues introduced on the 01's, namely the 6-disc in-dash CD changer, which has had problems ejecting CD's (player reports "ERR2"). What does your wife drive now, and why does she want a Pathfinder?

It's hard to recommend a tire when you don't give any indication of what your criteria are. Longevity (treadwear rating)? Noise? Highway handling? Wet performance? Price? Tire size? Where will you be using them, what will you be using them for and how often? That being said, I chose to put 32x11.50R15 Goodyear Wrangler MTR on my truck. These replaced 32x11.50R15 BFG AT-ko. My truck is not a daily driver, so I'm not too concerned with treadwear. Since my truck has become more of a purpose-built adventure wagon, I also wanted a tire with an impeccable reputation for rock-crawling performance and a durable sidewall. (A rock slashed a sidewall on my BFG AT, which prompted me to get the MTRs.) I don't drive through mud very often. In fact I try to avoid it! The GY MTR is relatively quiet on the highway (compared to other MT tires), too, so getting to and from the trailhead won't be unbearable. If I had continued to use my truck as a daily driver, I would have stuck with the BFG ATs.

What about a cargo net like this?

Those look great, man! What are the 2 larger pieces behind your sliders? Not for your truck, are they?

I think he means that the antiswaybar links are prone to wearing out sooner than other suspension parts, and replacing them with new OEM ones improves the ride. There's nothing inherently "wrong" with the original links, and there aren't any aftermarket replacements.

I recently replaced a front hub on my truck. Naturally, repacking the front bearings involves much of the same labor. Photos are at this link if you're interested in finding out what's involved. Note: not all of the steps (such as removing the rotor bolts) are required to repack the bearings.

I pulled the diagrams from aaanissanparts.com. I've ordered OEM parts from them before.

When you turn the wheel all the way left or right and hit the stops, it puts additional strain on the power steering pump. If the power steering pump belt is loose, it will squeal. Turning the wheel while the vehicle is stationary scuffs the tires. Irregularities in the road surface and tire tread can combine together to make steering seem rough. Additionally when the power steering fluid is colder it may not flow as well. Have you checked the fluid level and condition recently? Otherwise, what you've described doesn't seem that out of the ordinary.