XPLORx4

Great score on those lights, man! Since you got 'em for free, you can pony up a few bucks for some light locks. Both KCHilites and PIAA make similar products. Google for "PIAA light locks" or "KC light locks".

To prevent damaging your flimsy pressed-cardboard door panels, you should use a Door Panel Removal Tool. They're pretty cheap and you should be able to find the tool at your local auto parts stores. To remove the door panel, first you'll need to pop off the armrest covers to access the screws holding the door handle/panel to the interior door sheetmetal, and to unplug the power window/lock switches. Using a putty knife, pop off the door handle trim. With the screws and door handle trim removed, you can now start releasing the door panel from the door with the removal tool. Starting at the lower rear corner of the door, use the putty knife to locate the first of many plastic clips securing the door panel. Once you've located the first clip, pop the door panel loose with the removal tool by making sure the clip is centered in the tool. This reduces the chance that the door panel will tear away from the clip, leaving the clip stuck in the door instead of attached to the door panel. Pop all the clips loose, then lift the door panel off the window frame. For speaker wiring, you can use the stock wiring, but it's pretty small gauge, so if you're shooting for massive power, you're better off running new wire from the head unit. You will not need the speaker grilles, since the Pathfinder speaker openings are part of the door panel itself.

Check the connection to the temperature sensor itself. Is the terminal corroded or dirty? The temp gauge sensor is on the top of the engine, where the upper radiator hose attaches. Of the two plugs, it's the one with just one wire. The other terminal with multiple wires is the ECT (engine coolant temp) sensor.

How are you measuring the coolant temperature? The stock temp gauge is very inaccurate; it reads "halfway" from as low as 175° to 225°F (as reported by my ScanGauge II). Also, the location of the temperature switch's sensor is important, too. If it's an "insert through the radiator fins" type of sensor, it won't be as accurate as one that actually sits in the coolant flow, such as inside the upper radiator hose.

At highway speeds, the air moving through the radiator without fans pulling it through may be sufficient to cool the engine while the thermostat is open. Running the fan may be unnecessary under those circumstances.

Have it come on at 195°. Depending on what temperature thermostat you have, the engine generally will run below 190° when the weather is cool. When the weather is hot, and my A/C is running, it seems like my truck runs about 100° to 110° hotter than the outside temperature.

Rear hitch use: The problem with using a trailer hitch as a lifting point for a hi-lift, especially when using it for changing a flat tire, is that it will raise the entire rear of the truck, not the axle. The axle will droop, causing the jack to be extended towards the upper end of its range, and increasing instability. Plus, in this position, the jack may fall sideways if the front tires roll. In this case, wheel chocks are essential. You may even want to have someone keep their foot on the brake, so that the front tires can't roll. Front tow hook use: I have used my hi-lift with the front tow hooks before, but only after I got my bull bar. I can't say for sure if the stock bumper cover has enough clearance to do this without damage. Here's what you do: Use a threaded chain connector (photo below) and 5-foot length of 1200-lb or stronger chain. This will only work on the 96-99 R50's, which have a metal front bumper. • Lift the hi-lift tongue a little lower than even with the metal bumper, where it bolts to the frame. Position the jack so the tongue faces the bumper. • Wrap a small piece of 1/2" plywood (2" x 4" is fine) or a 4" length of a 1x2 piece of hardwood in a towel or old t-shirt, then place it between the tip of the hi-lift tongue and the bumper. The towel/t-shirt is to prevent damage to the bumper and to help spread out the load when the hi-lift starts to lift the truck. • Thread the chain through the tow hook and through the hole in the hi-lift jack tongue, twice, if possible. Secure the chain with the threaded connector. You may want to place a towel between the chain and the lower bumper cover. • Now, start jacking. The hi-lift will tilt toward the bumper and press against it as you lift. But, because the wood is there, the tongue won't dig into the bumper, and the jack's post is not allowed to come close to the body, so you won't scratch anything. It is possible that as the chain becomes tight, it will press against the bumper cover and slightly deform it, so watch out for this.

Unfortunately, there are no suitable jacking locations on a stock R50 to use a Hi-Lift Jack. You must use the Lift-mate and a means by which to keep the wheel in the air after you remove the Lift-Mate. You theoretically could use an extended bottle jack or block of wood (or as you mentioned, jack stands). If you have sliders or a bullbar, then you can use a hi-lift on those parts using other Hi-Lift adapters or chain, because they're strong enough. A hi-lift will damage the plastic bumper covers if it's placed against them. Another alternative is the Exhaust Jack, though you still should use something solid to ensure the vehicle can't fall on you.

Did the tire store that installed you tires include free lifetime balancing and rotation when you purchased them? Most of the good tire stores where I live offer this as standard.

Good choice. The GR2's provide vastly improved front end handling. FYI, no R50 Pathfinder after '96 used adjustable front struts, because, I suspect, that there wasn't really a big advantage to having the two modes of adjustability. So, IMO, you're not really giving up a whole lot.

Cupping isn't caused by improper camber, it's caused by improper toe angle, an out of balance wheel or a worn out strut or suspension bushing. What kind of tires are you running, when was the last time they were balanced, and how long have you had your struts in?

I run 32x11.50R15 MTR's on black steel wheels, and I definitely noticed a reduction in acceleration, braking, and an increase in A/T gear-hunting and torque converter locking/unlocking at freeway speeds, compared to 31x10.50R15 BFG AT on aluminum wheels. From what I've heard, MTR's are heavy, too.

Personally, I would not bother wasting the money on the spare tire mount bracket. You really shouldn't put the spare tire on the roof, where its weight will negatively impact your center of gravity and its surface area will increase drag. Have you ever thought about how easy it would be to pull down the spare, then place a flat tire back on the roof? I don't know how strong you are, but I can barely even lift my tires above my waist, and even then I get tire dirt and filth all over me... Just a thought...

You'd need to partially detach the rear swaybar and unbolt the extended shock to allow an AC rear spring to fully extend.

With the bolts loosened and the chassis supported, the subframe isn't that hard to move with ratchet straps. The hardest parts are suspending the chassis and loosening the bolts, because you need a hydraulic lift or jackstands suitably high enough to give you room to work, and an air wrench to loosen the bolts. If you live in a rust-prone area, that could be problematic. Before you tackle anything, check the tab holes' alignment with the chassis holes at the front of the subframe, where the swaybar passes through. If you see they're relatively lined up, then you probably have a bent right side A-arm. You should have your alignment professionally checked to see how far out of spec the caster is.

The alignment of the rear suspension is not adjustable. You have a solid rear axle! Besides, even if the rear axle were skewed slightly, your Pathy would not pull to the right, it would just drive crab-walk style. If the front alignment is verified to be in spec, you could have an underinflated tire or a bad tire. (Read about Tire Pull here.) Pulling to either side (assuming that the toe is correct and your tires are OK) is usually caused by uneven caster angles on the front. Right-side pull means the right tire has less positive caster than the left-side tire. A bent A-arm could be the culprit. But if you're certain that's not it, read on. The interesting thing about the Pathy is that, officially, the caster angle is not adjustable. Here's a tip I discovered last year after driving my Pathy with a right-side pull (hands-off steering wheel would result in an automatic lane-change in under 400 feet) for over 100,000 miles: The upper suspension mount (strut) is on the chassis, while the lower suspension mount (A-arm) is on the subframe. The subframe is bolted to the chassis. The subframe can be shifted forward and backward by about 1/8" on each side. This effectively moves the bottom suspension mount forward or backward, and will affect left and right caster angles. (Backward movement creates negative caster, forward movement creates positive caster.) Here's what I did. I lifted the front of the truck in the air by placing jackstands under the frame (not the subframe), right behind the front wheel wells. At the front edge of the subframe where it bolts to the chassis rails, there are little tabs with holes in them, that line up to holes in the chassis. I used these holes as your guides, noting the relative position of the tab hole with the chassis hole on each side. Then, using an impact wrench, I loosened the 8 bolts attaching the subframe to the chassis. Using a pair of ratchet straps attached between the subframe and the main frame/chassis, I pulled the left side of the subframe rearward, and the right side of the subframe forward. With the ratchet straps still holding tension, I retightened the 8 subframe bolts, and now my truck will lazily drift to the right, which to me is far more acceptable than before. (I think it still doesn't drive dead-straight because I bent the subframe slightly many many years ago.)

Tyler, there's no need to have rush shipping. How many miles were on the engine when it blew?

Hey Tyler, if you have the whole stock fan, and the lower fan shroud, too, and they're in reasonably good shape, I might be interested in those as well. How many miles were on the parts when you took them off? Let me know if you can find the stuff. I need everything installed the August 6th, so I pretty much have to order the part this week, so I can work on it over the weekend.

Yeah.... an eye-ball dremel tool... that sucked. Big time. Good thing the "corneal rust ring" and subsequent "dremeling" was not in front of my pupil, or my eyesight would have been permanently affected.

LOL. peasants. Hahaha. Such flattery! The OEM part is pretty expensive! I had no idea the fan clutch exceeded $100. There have to be better alternatives.

So, my truck has started to run pretty hot at idle with the AC on. After 160,000 miles and 12 years, the fan clutch is starting to go bad. Anyone know of the best and/or cheapest place to pick up a new one? Are there high-performance fan clutches available? Does anyone have an aftermarket fan (such as a flex fan) installed? I've tried rockauto and courtesy parts, but I'm not sure what anyone else has tried. Thanks!

So, I downloaded one of the PDFs for the tire carriers, and it looks like those are a fantastic option for those who don't travel over extreme offroad terrain, but instead must travel long distances where fuel is scarce, and the terrain does not have large obstacles. (Many parts of the Australian Outback are a good example of this.) The tire carriers are designed to fit over the stock rear bumper, so that the hinge mounts reduce the departure angles significantly. That would be a potential issue for many folks on this forum.

On the 96, the sleeves are only for use on the lower shock mount on the axle. The bushing slides directly over the metal stud on the body.

Because it's not a skid plate. It's a splash guard.

The OEM radiator has plastic end tanks, and it should last at least 5+ years. If it weren't for the fact that my OEM radiator exploded due to severe overheating (caused by me) a couple of years ago, I'm confident that it would still be working fine. The radiator was 10 years old and had 145000+ miles on it when it exploded. I'm not sure why yours is leaking. I wouldn't spend the extra money on the metal one.