XPLORx4

Haha, actually I remove both swaybars when I go 4-wheeling (rock-crawling usually). I'm not sure if Bilstein makes the 5150's anymore. The vendor I purchased them from doesn't sell them anymore. You might have to get the pricier 5165 that has the separate reservoir. I did go with a model that has 255/70 valving and it works well. The OEM shocks are about 15" compressed and 24" extended. If you get a suspension lift, you should get shocks that are a little longer to get a little extra droop. Bilstein 5165's that might work are either: 25-177510 (stock length) 25-187717 (2" longer) http://www.eshocks.com/bil_ORsb.asp?Series_Index=7Q1&Manf=All&SubChar=Q Or if you are on a budget, try the 5125's here: http://www.shockwarehouse.com/site/bilstein_5125.cfm 33-185552 (255/70 valving, 15.91 compressed length, 25.93 extended length)

As I mentioned earlier, the Rancho struts had ABS sensor cable and brake line brackets that didn't allow the fasteners/clips to fit correctly, and I think I ended up attaching them with zip-ties. You also don't need to buy the KYB struts from 4x4parts, esp since they have high shipping charges. I don't have much experience with high-speed off-roading in my R50, since most of my off-roading is done in 4LO, so I can't say whether Rancho or KYB will hold up better to heat cycling. IMO, the R50 doesn't make a very good Baja500 contender.

Here are some previous threads on camshaft upgrades: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/28958-jim-wolf-s1-cams http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/20458-car50-cams-regrind http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/20694-cam-shafts

A few years ago, a forum member from Australia had his cams reground and saw some performance gains, but I don't recall the details anymore. I do know that you need to either buy all new lifters or resurface your existing ones when you replace the camshafts. It's not a very simple process, but if you are comfortable changing your own timing belt and/or removing the upper intake manifold and valve covers, it's possible as a DIY. To be honest, I've wanted to swap the cams in my R50 but it's just seemed a little overwhelming for me to tackle. Here are VG33E cams that I have seen recommended: http://www.jimwolftechnology.com/customer_part_detail.asp?PartID=26 http://schneidercams.com/256H_VG30.aspx

I have had good results with KYB GR2's for over 150,000 miles. The one set of Rancho struts I helped a friend install just didn't have the same quality level as the KYB's. BTW, I installed a pair of Bilstein 5150's on the rear suspension of my Pathy and they work well in conjunction with my 2" coil spring lift and non-existent rear sway bar.

What model year R50 do you have? I think only the '96 R50 had the adjustable front struts. (You should update your profile and/or sig to reflect that you have both a '90 WD21 SE and an R50.) If you replace them with non-electronic struts, you won't affect any computerized systems. You'll only disable the operation of the switch that selects the suspension stiffness. I would not recommend the Rancho struts; I would recommend KYB GR2 or equivalent. The Rancho struts aren't manufactured as well as the KYB struts, and the ABS and brake line brackets won't install as cleanly on the Ranchos. You can also purchase KYB GR2 struts from amazon, jcwhitney, summit, and other online vendors that won't charge as much for shipping.

Note that the issue I am commenting on above has SOLELY to do with the suspension and CV angles when BOTH FRONT WHEELS are off the ground if the front swaybar is still attached. For driving on pavement or for off-road driving in which both front wheels will not leave the ground at once, spacers are probably fine. For me, I drive over difficult obstacles in very remote places where the risk of driveline breakage due to suspension modification is unacceptable. I would rather deal with the loud thunking sounds when the strut tops out (which isn't excessive if I drive carefully) than having a CV axle grenade on me. BTW, I believe the inner CV joint is the one that binds more readily than the outer CV joint. I have observed quite significant manufacturing differences across different brands of axles after disassembling the inner joints.

A couple of months ago I helped a friend with a stock 2002 QX4 install 1" spacers above the strut and after reassembly of the suspension (while the car was still on the lift and the front wheels were off), we rotated the hub/rotor/CV axles on each side and we could feel slight binding every 1/3 of a rotation. I run the AC 2" coil spring lift and 1/2" spacers installed between the body and top of the strut. There is no CV axle binding when the suspension is fully unloaded. Let me explain the logic: With replacement coil springs, you are not changing the maximum suspension travel of the strut. You are also not exceeding the OEM-spec max operating angles of suspension components (lower A-arms, tie rods, but most importantly, CV axles). The max travel is defined by the length of the strut, not by the height or stiffness of the coil springs. With stiffer springs, you ARE changing the ratio of suspension uptravel to downtravel when you alter the static ride height. For example, let's say that the R50 strut has 8" of total travel, and on a stock R50, there is 4" of strut compression and 4" of strut extension. If you install stiffer coil springs for a 2" lift, you will still keep the same 8" of travel, but you'll now have 6" of strut compression and 2" of strut extension. If you encounter a road surface that causes the front wheels to quickly drop more than 2", the strut reaches its max extension by making a loud thunking sound. With a spacer lift placed ABOVE the strut assembly, this has the effect of not changing the travel length of the strut- it is still 8". You are also not changing the ratio of compression to extension. It is still (in this example) 4" up and 4" down. What you ARE changing is the relative position of the strut assembly relative to the body. When the suspension fully extends, it now fully extends into a position that is lower than OEM design by the thickness of the spacer installed above the strut. This can have the effect of causing the max CV angles to be exceeded, as I discovered after installing 1" spacers on my friend's QX4. I hope that helps.

Spacers 1" and up installed between the body and the top of the strut will cause the CV axles to bind and/or break if you get both front wheels off the ground. You won't get the topping out caused by reduced downtravel of the strut when new coil springs are installed. I opted to avoid 1" spacers due to the risk of breaking my CV axles while off-roading.

Try craigslist.

You can swap the mirror and interior door panel from your current door into the new one.

For non-working rear speakers, do you have the Bose system or not? If you have a Bose system, the rear speakers are powered by an amp mounted behind the left rear cargo paneling. The amp may have failed. (The front speakers each have their own amps built-in.)

Were they working before you replaced them?

What do you mean you're "planning to do body" on your Pathfinder? If I recall from your other post, you're on a limited budget. Custom ANYTHING is going to cost you a lot. For example, my CUSTOM rear bumper and tire carrier cost me over $1200, and my front winch bumper cost me nearly $800 (and it wasn't even custom when I bought it). You can save a lot of money if you are going to build the bumpers yourself. If you want to install a grille guard (aka shopping cart protector) just do a google search. There are several manufacturers who make grille guards for the 1st-gen R50 Pathfinder.

Question: Why do you want to maintain the same spring rate as OEM?

Wheel spacers that wide are prone to causing vibrations, and will increase the stress on the lug studs. If you can trade out the wheels, that's preferable.

Why are you replacing the control arms (and or control arm bushings)? You don't really need to, unless the rear control arm bushings are worn out; you will know if you experience the "death wobble", in which the rear axle will randomly mildly steer the vehicle back and forth under certain acceleration/coasting/deceleration conditions. Do you have slop in your alignment or front steering? If yes, then that would potentially be caused by worn front lower control arm bushings. It is fairly labor-intensive to replace the factory rubber bushings with polyurethane. The most difficult part is removing the metal collar of the old bushings from the control arm, so that you can fit the new bushings in. It may be simpler for you to simply replace all 4 rear control arms than it is to install poly bushings. Some time ago, after my Pathfinder exhibited the "death wobble" due to the rubber bushings becoming worn out, I replaced all of the rear trailing link/control arm bushings with polyurethane bushings from 4x4parts.com. The control arms are made of steel that does not twist when torsional forces are applied to it, so axle flex is controlled by the bushings themselves. Fortunately, I haven't noticed any decrease in suspension flex after swapping in poly bushings. By the way, the death wobble is caused primarily by worn bushings on the lower control arms. Those are the ones that locate the axle front/back. The upper control arms primary purpose is to control axle wrap. That is, they keep the axle positioned vertically during acceleration and braking. The panhard rod (or transverse link) locates the axle side-to-side.

Based on your use criteria and budget, I would recommend 1" spacers from 4x4design.com. They will run you a little more than $100, but they'll be the most affordable option for you. For tires, I would recommend 31x10.50R15 all-terrain tires. They fit on your stock wheels and won't have clearance/fitment issues that would require additional modifications at extra expense, and will last a very long time (30K+ miles) if you do not drive aggressively or recklessly. Unfortunately, 31" tires cost about $125-$180 each (before tax and installation) so you will need to increase your tire budget by about $200 or more. Check tirerack.com and check out 31x10.50R15 tire options.

Questions for you: On what terrain do you plan to use the Pathfinder? (ex: light-duty fire roads, mud, snow, rock-crawling, etc.) The answer to this question will largely affect the decisions you should make about how/when to make modifications to it. Is this your daily driver? How many miles per week do you drive? What is your budget for tires? How frequently do you want to replace the tires? What is your budget for a suspension lift?

Which technique to fit 32's did you use? What's the strut-to-tire clearance for the 32's on 7" wide wheels?

Either 3.75 or 4 will provide enough clearance for bigger tires. 4" is the max backspacing. If you get 4.25" or more, then you'll need wheel spacers.

235/85R16's would probably fit on 16x8 wheels with up to 4.25" backspacing.

If you want to keep your same 15x8 wheels when you eventually install 32's, be sure to get 15x8 wheels with 3.75" to 4" backspacing. They will fit both 31's and 32's.

By the way, AKPrecision, did you install wheel spacers in front to fit those 285's or did you find a wheel whose offset/backspacing provided clearance without needing spacers?

What kind of brakes did you install in the front? When was the last time you flushed the brake fluid? I run Akebono brake pads and powerstop rotors on my rig and it does a pretty good job of braking with 265/75-16 BFG KM2 tires.