XPLORx4

No gaskets or filters need to be replaced when changing those fluids. Be sure the remove the FILL plugs on the transfer case and differentials before removing the drain plugs. You don't need to use Nissan Matic D fluid, you can use any Dexron III/Mercon equivalent. Don't forget to also perform a brake fluid flush.

SES = "Service Engine Soon"

What kind of code-reader do you have? Does the SES light stay on, even after you shut off the engine and restart it?

Visit your local wrecking yard and find a set of whole diffs from a 96-99 SE, or at least verify the gear ratio to be 4.636:1.

No, unfortunately, I believe the speed sensors are the same. The way that Nissan "re-calibrated" the speedometer was to regear the front and rear diffs when going from 235 to 265 series tires. Models that originally came equipped with 235/70R15 tires had 4.363:1 gearing in the axles, while models that came with 265/70R15 tires had 4.636:1 gears.

When I pulled my t-case, I didn't have to remove any crossmembers.

Why do you want to install 10" wide wheels? You can easily fit 31" tires on 15x8's with 3.75" to 4" backspacing without rubbing on stock suspension.

What size tires did you put on?

The oil filter location on the VG33 R50 makes it impossible to fit an oil cooler sandwich adapter, so that's not an option. A tranny cooler will help keep the AT fluid cooler, but won't have much effect on the engine temperature.

BTW, when I go off-roading (4LO, 1st gear, ~6000ft elevation, ambient temp > 85°F, A/C on high), the engine often starts to run towards the upper range of "normal" (up to 225°F, monitored by a Scan-Gauge II), even with the stock belt-driven fan, because at idle the fan doesn't pull enough CFM through the radiator. In 4LO, the engine has to do a lot of work climbing up steep terrain, but speeds are typically under 10mph, and the engine RPM is also usually not very fast. If I shift to N and rev the engine to ~3000rpm, the fan makes all sorts of crazy loud noise and the temperature starts to drop. I'm pretty sure the stock fan pulls a ton more CFM through the radiator when the clutch is fully engaged than any electric fan could. I am not sure how cool things would be in 100°F+ temperatures. When I have time, I may install a 10-12" aux. electric "pusher" fan in front of the A/C condenser to help keep air moving at low speeds to compensate.

Did the fans work at slow speed previously when it was 100°F+ out, or is this the first time the fans have been used in these conditions? It is possible that the fans cannot pull enough air through the radiator on their own, when there is an insufficient ram-air effect from driving fast.

Do your fans cover all of the radiator, and are they shrouded? Did the fans keep the engine cool last summer?

New or old fan clutch?

I think the t-cases are the same (TX10), but the transmissions must be different. The WD21 tranny photo above looks nothing like what I remember mine looking like. And I distinctly remember not having to drain fluid or apply sealant or a gasket between the tranny and t-case. As for getting to those top bolts, maybe there's a way, but I must not have had the right combination of tools, knowledge, or experience to figure it out, so it seemed to me that the only way was to gut the interior. It sure was weird looking down at the ground through the middle of the floor when the t-case was out.

When I swapped crawler gears into my transfer case, I didn't need to drain the tranny fluid. The output of the tranny is a splined shaft that fits onto the front input of the t-case. Both the tranny and t-case are sealed. On the other hand, I did have to remove nearly all of the front interior (seats, center console, lower dash parts) to remove the plate over the top of the shifter, in order to access the top 4 bolts.

It's pretty straightforward to replace the bushing. You just need to loosen the brackets holding the rack to the subframe, slip the bushing around the rack, then replace the bracket. I assume the bushing that was missing is the driver-side bushing. It probably rotted from oil spilled onto it during oil filter changes and eventually fell out. If you change your own oil, you can avoid this (spilling oil onto the rack and subframe and rotting the rack bushing) by placing a ziplock sandwich baggie around the filter after you've loosened it enough to remove by hand. Oil will drip into the baggie instead of onto the rack. It takes a little longer to unscrew the filter, because the baggie will be slippery, but IMHO, it's worth it to keep everything clean. Alternatively, you can place aluminum foil, rags, or other coverings beneath the filter to catch the oil drippings and keep oil from rotting any rubber parts below the filter.

You mean this? Creeper Breather

Found it! Creeper Breather

The recommended change interval for diff and tranny fluid is 30K miles (48K km). You must drive a heck of a lot! Or is there some other reason why you replace the fluid so often?

You should know that just cranking your torsion bars may not provide enough to lift 1.5". You might need to re-index the torsion bars if there isn't enough adjustment left. Re-indexing involves pulling the torsion bar out of the A-arm or the adjuster and reinstalling it one or two splines further up, so there is enough adjustability in the t-bar adjusters. You will probably get better-informed responses from the guys in the 87-95 Pathfinder forum, since most of the guys here are more familiar with th 96-04 models.

Stock shock length is about 14" compressed and 24" extended, so add the amount of lift you're getting to those numbers to find the correct shock dimensions.

Hehe, yeah that was exactly what I thought as well, when I wanted to add a rear tire carrier a few years ago. That is why I compared my carrier-less Pathy with one that had the carrier installed from the factory, and discovered the extra gusseting under the body that nixed that idea. Instead, my ultimate solution was to simply have a custom bumper/carrier built.

It's not a good idea to drive off-road where the front suspension will flex while one of the swaybar links is connected. The reason is this: if the wheel that has the swaybar attached drops while the opposite wheel (with the link detached) goes up, the swaybar itself will drop onto that wheel's CV axle and apply downward pressure onto it. You'll get a lot of clanking and banging when this happens. You should also note that this situation could also occur on pavement, especially if you enter a steep driveway at an angle. If both swaybar links are still attached to the swaybar and to the struts, but just one of them is stripped, why don't you simply wait until you get new parts in-hand before cutting off the old one? FWIW, there is a tremendous improvement in off-road performance without swaybars. I've been driving without any swaybars at all on my Pathy for about 8 years, and though it does lean pretty heavily while cornering, I've adapted to it, and have adjusted my driving style accordingly.

No. When I investigated this possibility 5 years ago, I visited a junkyard and found a model equipped with the rear tire carrier, and I had to reach up into the body cavity behind interior sheetmetal at the D pillar and feel around for the gussets, which seemed to be made of the same gauge metal as the rest of the body. I couldn't determine the shape or dimensions of the gusseting because my hand was blocked by the first/lowest gusset. Now, if you wanted to cut the corner of the body open, weld in some of your own gussets and then weld the body panel back on, or even just weld in a D-pillar from the rear clip of a Pathy and do the necessary bodywork and paint, you could go that route, but it seems a little overkill to do so, when you could buy or build a custom bumper and carrier for potentially less effort and expense.

The quarter panel reinforcement for the OEM tire carrier hinges is hidden beneath the sheetmetal, above and below the taillight, behind the interior sheetmetal behind the plastic cargo panel. The structural reinforcements are not camera-accessible.