XPLORx4

No, it's not bad when in 4H or 4L. It just means you're not really in 4WD if the hubs are unlocked. Keeping the hubs unlocked in 4H is basically the same as 2H, while 4L becomes 2L. 2L can be convenient at times. I have used 2L when descending a very narrow, winding, steep (11%) highway grade before. It was good not to overheat the brakes.

That's absolutely correct. Plus, given the reasons why you purchased the truck, it's unclear whether you'd truly benefit from having them. Take care not to simply jump on the bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. Case in point: I owned my R50 for 4 years without installing hubs; they were not a necessity. Or, at least they weren't as important as making other mods first. That being said, as 02silverpathy pointed out, I have taken my R50 over some very severe terrain. In '05 while off-roading in Canyonlands NP (Utah), I snapped the outer splines of my CV joint (axle had a hairline crack that eventually failed). With the manual hubs, I was able to drive with the hubs unlocked and use 2WD while still in low-range. Also, you should be aware that there is some risk to damaging the all-mode transfer case with the hubs unlocked (but I have not yet heard of it actually happening yet). My advice is that you should assess YOUR needs before making the modification. Not everyone builds or drives their trucks in the same manner, and your use cases seem to be not that severe. Finally, if you buy the hubs just for the 2mpg gain, consider how long it will take to recover the $150+ expense of the hubs. Let's say you average 17mpg, and the hubs gain you 2mpg. And let's say gas is $4.00/gallon. So, your cost per mile (before) is $4/gal / 17mpg = 23.5cents, and your cost per mile (after) is $4/gal / 19mpg = 21.1 cents. The difference in fuel savings with hubs installed is only 2.4 cents per mile. How many miles do you need to drive before the hubs pay for themselves? $150 (cost of hubs) / 2.4 cents = 6250 miles. <--- more miles if gas is under $4/gallon, fewer miles if gas is over $4/gallon. If you get less than 2mpg improvement or your [before] mpg is higher than 17, then it will take even longer! Anyway, there's your math lesson for the day! Cheers!

Why are you going to install hubs?

On the R50 (at least on my '97), the engine can enter closed loop long before the transmission has warmed up. The TC lockup logic seems completely based on the AT fluid temp, not on other engine sensors.

If it's true that Dynamic Stability Control was a feature offered in the last 2 years of R50 production, then that's good. DSC is far more advanced than simply Traction Control.

Haha, yep, that's true. 4WD=4-wheel DRIVE. All cars are 4-wheel STOP. Lots of folks think they don't need to adjust their driving style in snow because they have a "4WD". I'm sure many of those folks end up with wrecked cars, injured, or dead.

Note: the tranny is essentially the same between 2WD or 4WD models. If the tranny is well maintained it should last a while. My '97 has 160K miles on it, and still runs great. I've not heard of many auto tranny failures, and those that HAVE failed were likely due to poor maintenance (i.e. never changing the fluid). For ice/snow, you will likely want the all-mode 4WD system, not a lever-operated transfer case. I would not trust the ice/snow handling a 2WD R50 loaded with sandbags as much as an empty AWD R50. AFAIK, no R50's from any year have a traction control feature. The All-mode 4WD setting should do a decent job of controlling wheelspin on takeoff. Note: don't confuse traction control with dynamic stability control systems. The former simply cuts throttle when wheelspin is detected, while the latter senses understeer or oversteer, and will both cut throttle and brake individual wheels (as needed) to help maintain the desired direction of travel.

One thing you should remember is that my front is weighed down by a bullbar, so the front may be lower than yours.

No, the tranny fluid just keeps pumping through. Hopefully that grocery bag you're covering the AT cooler with isn't plastic. If it gets hot, it'll melt and then you'll be screwed. Better to cover it with cardboard or paper (or even thicker plastic, such as lexan).

Here's the best I have. Not sure if it'll work for you since the measurements aren't as you requested... This is with 31" tires and the AC lift, when I replaced my original custom lift's rear springs which were sagging:

FYI, the issue with not shifting into OD has nothing to do with the engine temperature, it has to do with the transmission fluid temperature. The torque converter slips to generate friction and heat to help warm the fluid to operating temperature. Once the AT is warm, the torque converter can lock. It sounds to me like it's just too cold out to get the fluids up to temp, so the others who have recommended some kind of radiator blocker are on the right track.

It didn't pan out; TJM lost or discarded the template and jig to build more R50 bumpers.

Wow, where do you live? Don't any local tire stores also sell wheels? (I mean, where do folks who want custom wheels for sedans and compact cars buy them?) I would recommend whichever wheels are made in the size you want and have the appearance you're looking for and are priced within your budget. If that means they're aluminum, then so be it. If steel, then so be it. That being said, aluminum wheels are usually lighter than steel, which saves on unsprung weight and rotating mass. That means you'll have better handling and acceleration.

If you want the honest truth, your safest bet would be to discuss fitment details with the store that you will buy your wheels and tires from.

I'm not 100% sure, but if I had to make an educated guess, I would say that if you are wanting a 16x7 then the max backspacing would be 4.25". If you want a 16x8, then go with 4".

93xe- Those seat covers are really nice. How did you order them on the wetokole website? They don't have "Pathfinder" listed under their Nissan category. When I used "Pathfinder" in the search field instead, I was able to get to an order page, but there was no mention of which model year the covers would be for. How did you do it? Thanks!

That depends on the tire manufacturer. Not all tires are created equally. Technically, 265/75R16 is this: width=265mm / 25.4mm/inch = 10.43in diameter= (10.43in x 0.75 sidewall height aspect ratio x 2 sidewalls per diameter) + 16" rim = 31.645" diameter So, a 265/75R16 is a 31.645x10.43R16. Close enough to 32x10.50R16. That's about the same diameter as a 32x11.50R15 tire, but a little skinnier.

ronin- the info I gave you was relevant for 32x11.50R15 tires. Since tires for 16" wheels are usually measured differently than 15" wheels (using metric sizing), the clearances will be different. Most of the popular tires for 16" wheels are not measured in inches. (A 32x10.50R16 tire is very uncommon, so you will be more limited in which brands/models you can use. I was not able to find a 32x10.50R16 size for the Toyo Open Country A/T (Toyo's website).) It's likely that the most common tire size that will fit on a 16x7" wheel with 4.75" backspacing is a 265/75R16. Do note that if you would like to try fitting a wider tire than 265, a wider rim (16x8) is recommended. In addition, I would still rather fit a set of 16x8's rather than 16x7's because the 8" wide wheels give the truck a wider track, which improves cornering and stability (as well as toughens up the appearance). But that's just my preference.

I'm going to agree with laxman on this one. If the truck sees mostly towing duty and 2-mile runs between cold-starts, you can expect pretty poor fuel economy. Engines and drivetrains don't run very efficiently until they reach operating temperature (which takes a lot longer in low ambient temps), and of course, towing doesn't help fuel economy much either.

Naive? Irresponsible? Wow. The example was only intended to be an illustration of the effect of weight transfer on braking. Where did you get your facts from? Do you have any references that explain how rear drum brakes "by application receive a small percentage of braking pressure"? While it is true that the front brakes always do more work than the rear, they do this because of the forward weight transfer inherent to braking, not because of the brake configuration. Even vehicles with 4-wheel disc brakes or 4-wheel drums (older cars) have the same issues: front brakes work harder than the rear. Only if the [non-ABS] braking system and chassis are paired and tuned properly will the appropriate tires lock to provide predictable handing. BTW, what did you mean with this statement?

Actually, you have that backwards. When braking, the weight shifts forward, increasing the weight, pressure, contact patch, and therefore, the traction of the front tires, decreasing the weight, pressure, contact patch, and traction of the rear tires. With heavy braking applied to the rear tires which now have reduced weight and traction, the rear tires will lock up much more easily than the front. Have you ever ridden a mountain bike and squeezed the front and rear brakes tightly (without sending yourself over the handlebars)? Which tire locks up first? (Hint: it's not the front.)

Probably a loud humming/thumping sound.

The installer of the Mile Marker hubs probably replaced the factory stud/nut method with cap screws, perhaps because the studs were rusty or in bad shape. Over the years, I have had the factory studs snap off inside one of the hubs, which required me to replace the entire hub assembly (not cheap). I replaced the studs/nuts with allen-head cap screws, and after a couple of years, a few of them also snapped off inside the hub. Now, I am running stainless steel bolts. Hopefully they won't break!

Your R50 has 3-channel ABS (right front, left front, rear). ABS is not intended to help you stop faster, although in emergency stops it can help reduce braking distance because the tires aren't skidding. ABS is primarily intended to help you maintain control of the vehicle during braking, especially on slippery surfaces. This is normal. To disable it, you could just pull the fuse, or you could unplug one of the ABS sensors on either the rear trailing arms or the front struts.

The EVAP system wont operate properly with a charcoal-less canister, because the charcoal traps the fuel vapor. I can't say for sure whether the sensors can detect whether the canister is empty of full of charcoal, though. If you get another error code, the canister should be replaced with a new one.