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If you want 5150's with 255/70 valving, part number is 25-186307. If you want 5125's with 255/70 valving, part number is 33-185552. If you want 5100's for affordability, and you don't care about the valving, get 24-185509. All part numbers above have about the same lengths: ~16" compressed, ~26" extended. Therefore, all 3 are compatible with the 2" lift. If you contact Bilstein, all you need to ask them about the 24-185509 is what valving it has. If it's lower (such as 170/60) that will probably be underdamped and you'll get a lot of jounce if you load the cargo area full of stuff, carry passengers in the rear seat, or tow. I had a pair of Rancho 9000's (p/n 999012) that couldn't be mounted upside-down and the right shock got dented from the panhard rod mount. (The 999012's were also horribly undervalved, even at max damping, the rear would bounce a lot over freeway expansion joints.) Speaking from experience, the Bilstein's 255/70 valving works well on my 2"-lifted Pathfinder. I opted for the 5150's because I wanted to be certain I could mount them upside-down (shock body on top) to avoid interference with the panhard rod mount.

A Class III 5,000lb 2" receiver will be fine for you. Draw-Tite, Hidden Hitch. U-haul, and others all can manage this. Be sure to have a reputable place install the hitch and do the trailer wiring for you, if you don't know how to do it yourself.

You can run your stock wheels and tires with the AC lift, it just might look a little funny if your stock wheels and tires are these ones:

The part number I gave is for the 5125 series, with 255/70 valviing. The 24-185509 is for the vehicle-specific 5100 series, and has approximately the same dimensions as the one I linked to, though the valving might be different, because the 185509 is intended to be installed on a Ford Ranger. The 185509 didn't specify the valving, so if you want to be sure what it is, contact Bilstein or a reputable Bilstein distributor/retailer. I have 5150's with 255/70 valving on my AC 2" lifted Pathfinder, and the handling is superb.

Looks like the shock specs for the 24-185509 bilstein part have the correct compressed and extended lengths for a 2" lifted Pathy. Those or the 5125's I mentIoned earlier will work. However, I am not sure what the 185509 valving is like. The 255/70 valving on my 5150's provides a nice, firm ride and the rear does not jounce up and down much over freeway expansion joints. If the 185509 valving is lower, you may have more jounce especially if the rear is full of cargo.

OK, 10mm offset/4.875" backspacing sounds right. I remember that I wasn't certain that 265/75R16 tires would fit on my Pathy with those wheels, so I purchased a pair of 1" wheel spacers before I went to the tire store for wheel/tire mounting. I had fully intended to install the spacers with the wheels, but when the tire store performed a test fit without the spacers, the tires had no clearance issues at all. That may not be the case for all tires, since the tread width and shoulder design of certain tires may cause rubbing. Like I said, I'm running BFG MT KM2's, which have no clearance issues.

I got 5150's with 255/70 valving (part number 25-186307). The 5100-equivalent part number for the AC 2" lift is 33-185552.

Let me double-check on those wheel specs. I may have gotten the offset wrong. I used this chart when I searched for wheels that specified offset, but didn't specify backspacing.

You don't need 3.75" BS wheels to run 265/75R16 tires. I've got the AC lift, and I fit BFG MT KM2's (265/75R16) on a set of Ultra Motorsports Rogue 175 wheels (16x8/6x5.5/10mm offset). To run 285/75R16s you might need a wheel spacer.

BTW, should this thread be moved from the R50 section to the Off-Topic section?

It was apparently a Nissan Navara. Followup, aftermath of the collision: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSyB_hDKS-g&feature=related

You apparently have never seen the Mythbusters Rocket Sled vs Car episode . Are you suggesting that the video is faked? Sucks to be anyone in that black SUV.

Nice fab work, man! Great way to reclaim storage space. Here's a tip about the location of your fire extinguisher. It would be very unfortunate to have a need to use the extinguisher, only to have it be inaccessible or takes too long to reach because it's in the cargo area. If the extinguisher small enough (I can't tell from the photos), consider mounting it horizontally below the front of the passenger seat. I found a small ABC extinguisher and mounted it there in my Pathy. It's very easy to reach from the driver's seat.

I second that opinion.

You use the same specs as stock. Caster is not adjustable. Camber is adjustable only with the use of camber bolts if it's way out of spec after the lift, and toe should be adjusted per factory specs on the alignment computer.

Yes; the 3.75 BS will keep the tire away from the strut, and the SFD will keep the tires away from the body.

Narrow 33's (like those that are installed) fit. 33x12.50's won't, at least not without some sheetmetal cutting.

How many miles are on your R50? Unless you can detect steering sloppiness, or the front can't be aligned properly (indicating that the inner tie rod socket or the outer tie rod end is worn) I wouldn't replace them.

Perform a chalk test to see what pressure is right for your vehicle. Tire sizes, load capacity, sidewall stiffness, and the weight over each tire all affect the optimum pressure you should use. Pay attention to tire wear from time to time, and see if the center is wearing faster than the outer edges (overinflation) or if the outer edges are wearing faster than the inside (underinflation). That being said, I am running 265/75R16 BFG MT KM2 tires, and I inflate them to 35 front, 32 rear. My Pathy's factory tire size (235/70R15) recommended pressure is 26psi, but it weighs a lot more than it did when it was stock. I also observe better fuel economy at these pressures.

Yah, but maybe his gear selector lever says "PRND321" while N/A models are "PRND21" with the OD on/off button... Just throwin' out crazy ideas...

Wow, that's a really nice-looking ride! Is that Rhinoliner? The silver/black color combo with your blacked-out tails/corners is super clean! If I saw your Pathy on the highway, I would pace you and admire it. Nice job, dude.

Maybe it's missing because it's not a North American model??? Assuming the Pathfinder in question is equipped with an automatic transmission (not a manual), how many forward gear shift positions are there on the shifter?

There aren't any aftermarket replacements, so I would recommend looking for a used (junkyard) third member (the front part of the rear diff, bolts to the axle housing, and contains all of the important stuff that's causing you grief right now).

Speaking from personal experience, Poison Spider/Golden Spike/Gold Bar Rim trails in Moab are doable in an R50 with just an AC 2" lift, sliders, a rear ARB locker, 32" BFG AT's, and no sway bars. Numerous trails in around Ouray, CO are also doable so equipped.

A few weeks ago I had a similar problem. I started to hear squeaking/squeeling, and, like you I removed the AC belt and the noise went away. I thought the AC idler pulley was the culprit, but even after replacing it, the squealing didn't go away. Eventually it was diagnosed to be the harmonic balancer, which is actually a 2-piece pulley. The outer pulleys (alt/AC) are attached to the inner assembly (crankshaft collar/PS pulley) by a rubber "bushing" of sorts, and when that rubber hardens, the outer pulley will start to slip around the inner.