XPLORx4

The V notch on the top spring seat must be aligned with the V notch on the bottom spring seat (on the strut). See this pic: https://xplorx4.shutterfly.com/269

If you install wheel spacers, you may be able to fit 285/75R16's, but you may need to do some sheetmetal trimming to avoid rubbing (likely in the rear fender).

Depending on your wheel width and offset, you can fit 265/75R16's. Most of what determines the largest tire you can fit is how much clearance there is between the tire shoulder and the lower spring mount of the strut. I have 16x8 Ultra Rogue wheels with 265/75R16 BFG MT KM2's. They have slightly positive offset (10mm I believe).

Verify that the struts were reassembled properly. The top and bottom spring seats must be properly aligned when the strut is reassembled. There is a V-notch in both the upper and lower spring seats, and they need to both be facing inboard (back side of the strut). Double-check that all bolts are tight.

Hey all, for what it's worth, I recently serviced my struts and after I reassembled them, I noticed a popping sound coming from the left strut. I suspected that I had not tightened the swaybar links enough, but after having a friend listen for the source of the popping while I pushed up and down on the bumper, we found that the source of the popping sound came from the top of the strut. Apparently during reassembly, I had not fully tightened the 17mm nut on the top of the strut, allowing the strut rod to wiggle up and down slightly on the mount. This was hard to diagnose because the strut nut is concealed by a dust boot. Even with the dust boot removed, the nut was not so loose that you could see movement during suspension cycling, but it was just loose enough to cause a slight clunk. Sooo, check the tightness of the strut nuts and crank 'em down if they're loose.

My best guess is that the swaybar end links are not fully tight.

By "skipping" do you mean misfiring and running rough? Try cleaning the MAF sensor, and replacing the distributor cap and rotor and spark plug wires, if those haven't ever been replaced. Is the check engine light glowing?

The 2nd paragraph on that nicoclub post about the HG46 says all R50's had 33 spline axles.

The VSS is located on the passenger side of the transfer case of a 4WD Pathfinder. As mentioned earlier, the P0300 misfire code could be due to a bad coil in the distributor. If your plugs and wires are relatively new, try replacing the distributor.

Speedometer not working may indicate a problem with the VSS, which could be related to why the transmission error codes were triggered. Check information in the factory service manual for how to test the VSS. Auto Tranny chapter for 97 R50. Engine Control chapter for 97 R50.

flashing MIL and/or OD light could indicate a misfire, which is backed up by the poor drivability you're experiencing. Start by checking the tightness of the distributor rotor, reseat your plug wires on the cap, and reseat the plug wires on the spark plugs. If that doesn't help, I suspect that your coil is failing. Installation of a new distributor may fix it.

No engine compartment pics? Hmmm. Be sure to check the engine compartment. You want to see a clean engine compartment, no valve cover gasket leaks. Check condition of belts, hoses. Check level and color of motor oil, PS fluid, brake fluid, ATF. Check under the chassis for leaking engine seals, transmission, transfer case and differential.

The rear sway issue is easily correctable by replacing the links, whose bushings don't last forever. Expect any high-mileage vehicle to require some work to replace wearable suspension parts. Optionally, with some additional labor, you can replace the rubber bushings with polyurethane bushings which will permanently solve the issue.

Visit tirerack.com, navigate to "parts and accessories", enter your vehicle info and it'll give you part numbers for the rear shocks.

http://www.4x4parts.com/c-1057014-suspension-lifts-lift-packages-pathfinder-1996-2004-pathfinder-suspension-packages.html http://4x4design.com/Pathfinder_R50_96-04.php

$650 is ridiculous. Find a different shop that will install customer-supplied parts. Don't tell them it's a suspension lift. Just tell them you want to replace the struts and have new coil springs installed (because your current factory springs are "sagging"), and you'll be supplying the parts. For example, my local Pep Boys Auto Service center will install struts for $90 each. That's $180. My guess is that they could probably source the same KYB GR2 for about the same price as amazon, so you're looking at $180 (labor) plus $150 (struts) plus $529/2 ($265 for front springs). They might add in an extra hour of labor since they have to remove the old springs from the strut compressor and put the new ones in. Consider installing the rear springs first before taking it into a shop for the front. Replacing the front struts/springs without proper tools is very difficult without proper tools. I wouldn't recommend it. With a wall-mounted strut compressor and air tools, and I'm able to service my front struts in about an hour per wheel, start to finish. With air tools and the use of cheap (but dangerous) coil spring compressors, you can get this done in about 2-3 hours per wheel. Without air tools, you won't be able to compress the new springs at all. You (with the help of a buddy) can do the rear springs yourself in about an hour or so using a floor jack and jack stands, unless you have a lot of rust and corrosion on your rear axle. Then it'll take longer. You'll probably need only a 3/8" drive ratchet, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm, and 19mm sockets or box wrenches. A breaker bar and liquid wrench is also helpful if you don't have air tools. Place floor jack under rear diff, jack up until you can put jack stands under the frame. Remove rear tires. Unbolt lower shock mounts. Unbolt swaybar brackets on the axle and let the swaybar swing freely away from the axle. Loosen the brake line manifold from the axle (so that when you drop the axle, the brake line doesn't stretch). Lower the diff until the springs are loose enough to fall out on their own. Position the floor jack under the left rear shock mount and jack it up so that the axle articulates. This will help give more clearance on the right side to install the right rear spring. It will be a challenge to insert, and you may need to have someone apply weight on the brake drum to give you enough clearance to put the new spring in. Once the spring is in, move the floor jack under the right shock mount and do the same thing with left spring. With both springs in, move the floor jack beneath the diff and jack it up until you can reattach the lower shock bolts, the swaybar mounts, and the brake line manifold. If the differential breather hose became detached from on top of the diff, reattach it. Reinstall tires, remove jack stands. You're done!

H233B rear diff on all R50's is 33 spline. This diff is from my '97: https://xplorx4.shutterfly.com/189

Hello, and welcome to the forum! 1. The "AC lift" is actually exactly what you linked to. 4x4parts.com = "Automotive Customizers" = "AC". It's easier to write "AC lift" than "4x4parts.com lift". 2. AC's lift replaces the OEM coil springs and raises the ride height of the vehicle by 2 to 3 inches. Generally this does not have a negative effect on wear of suspension parts, but it can cause the CV boots on the front axles to wear more quickly unless you install manual hubs. (The front wheels are connected to the drive axles using full-time drive flanges; manual hubs allow you to twist a knob to disengage/engage the axles from the wheels.) One side-effect is that the strut can reach its full extension more easily on uneven road surfaces, resulting in a clunk when traveling over such terrain. This is sometimes referred to as "topping out". I have had the 2" lift on my Pathfinder for over 15 years (188K miles) and I have never had a strut or its related parts fail due to topping out. 3. Excel-G are KYB's re-branded GR2's. Same part, different name. It's true that there are NO struts that are longer than OEM. This ensures that the suspension will not drop below safe operating angles when the wheels are airborne, which could result in breaking parts (namely CV axles). When you say you'll be using used springs, are those used LIFT springs or used OEM springs? If you do get a lift, you can keep using original shocks if you're on a budget. However, you'll get the most benefit from it by installing longer-than-OEM rear shocks to allow the rear axle to flex better for off-road performance. With the 2" lift, you will not need extended brake lines, but you may need a longer rear diff breather hose. Many people who have experimented with swaybar disconnect devices have had mixed results with their performance/benefit ratio. In my experience, the rear swaybar does not contribute significantly to vehicle handling after a lift is installed. I no longer run a rear swaybar. There is no current off-the-shelf way to disconnect the front swaybar, since while disconnected, it bangs around on the CV axles or otherwise interferes with suspension movement and/or turning. Some years ago, I tried using some JKS swaybar disconnects, but they ended up failing miserably due to the issues mentioned above. With a 2" lift, you don't need a panhard rod relocation bracket. Since the R50 Pathfinder is a unibody chassis, not a body-on-frame, you cannot install a body lift. Visit the link in my signature to see what can be done in an R50 with a 2" lift.

1 Nov 2015 was a while ago. Sadly, the website doesn't look to have been maintained or updated for a while.

Technically, as long as you don't bottom out the suspension, you can run the longer shocks. What is the compressed length of the shocks? You can likely find specs online if you google the Bilstein part number. If the compressed length is longer than about 1" over the original shock's compressed length, you risk bottoming out the shock before hitting the bumpstop, which will damage the shock.

Oh, I thought you were building a slightly more capable DD; I didn't realize you'd changed direction entirely.

That all seems like a lot of extra effort just to fit 33" tires and not do any sheetmetal trimming or install a SFD.

How do you convert the rack-and-pinion steering to work with a solid axle? That's another challenge.

Looks clean. Got more shots of the engine bay and interior? I priced it at KBB using "excellent" condition with many options selected, and got about $2600, so I'd guess that $3K is about the max you could hope for. I probably wouldn't settle for less than $2500. I'm curious about your e-fan. Did it replace or supplement the belt-driven fan? Those seats look brand-new. Where'd you get them redone, and how much did that cost? Also, why are you selling it?

The Lokka had not been invented yet when I put in my front ARB, and ARB was the only option 10 years ago. Since I already had the rear air locker and compressor, plumbing in the front wasn't difficult. Given the expense of the front ARB, I would probably choose the Lokka today, but only in combination with a locked rear. The risk of using the Lokka without the rear locked is that the front drivetrain will be under more stress than necessary, risking breakage and/or reduced directional control. Most obstacles requiring a locker involve climbing, which puts more weight over the rear. I would estimate that I engage the front locker less than half as frequently as I engage the rear.