XPLORx4

The process of replacing the rotors is a lot like this: http://www.xplorx4.com/gallery2/v/pathfind...ub_replacement/ You will probably want to repack the bearings while you've got everything apart, too.

Yes, they will.

None that I'm aware of.

I like BFG AT KOs but if all-terrain tires were in my future, I would strongly consider Bridgestone Dueler AT Revos or even the Wrangler SilentArmors. And yes, if you do get the GR2's you lose the "adjustable" suspension feature, but as far as I can tell, that feature proved to be worthless, since it was discontinued after '96. All it means is that the GR2's don't have the [apparently worthless] ability to be valved differently depending on the position of a switch on the dash.

Have you tried a ratcheting box wrench? And you don't have to fully remove the nut, you only have to loosen it. The bumper bracket will slide forward after that.

You ordered the right locker (RD24). Here's proof that 96+ R50 H233B's have 33 splines: Installation details here

Yes, that's right. And yes, 30" tires will get better economy due to smaller contact patch (and therefore lower rolling resistance) and smaller diameter that closely matches the factory gearing. But if fuel economy is your goal, you should stick with 265/70R15 (factory size) or go with a 265/75R15 tire rather than a 30x9.50 if you can find your preferred tire model in that size, because the 265/75 tire is a bit wider than a 30x9.50, but not quite as tall as a 31x10.50

At what speeds and RPMs do you see this happening, and how many times per minute does it do this? The RPM difference you describe (300-500rpm) sounds like the torque converter is unlocking and re-locking while in overdrive, which is not abnormal. The TC unlocks to increase engine RPM for more power. When the throttle position and engine load fall within certain parameters, the TC will relock, because the engine RPM is now able to maintain the desired speed. For what it's worth, my Pathfinder TC cannot stay locked in overdrive at ~70mph while traversing a freeway overcrossing. Even the slightest slope is too much strain. Also, any type of headwind causes the same behavior. However, my truck isn't nearly as "stock" as yours, so this doesn't bother me. If you don't know the full maintenance history of the vehicle, consider replacing the transmission fluid (it's 56K miles old) and doing tune-up procedures (plugs, dist cap + rotor, throttle body cleaning, air filter, fuel filter) to help restore any lost engine power.

No. Stock LE rims (the fancy spoke station-wagon-style wheels) are 15x6.5", so the widest tire that you should try putting on is 30x9.50 because of the wheel width. It's safer to get a 15x7 for up to 31x10.50R15 tires or a 15x8 for up to 33" tires, although 32x11.50R15 is the practical largest size you can fit in the wheel wells anyway.

Huh? Lifting it won't increase the clearance between the tire and the spring. That's purely a function of tire size, wheel width and wheel offset. Since gap between the spring and tire shoulder never changes as the suspension moves, 2" is more than enough clearance.

IMO, they look too skinny and don't fill the wheel well enough for my taste, but if you don't do a lot of off-road travel, then they're OK. 30x9.50R15 is the size I replaced my factory 235/70R15 tires with, but when they wore out, I got bigger wheels and a set of 31" Yokohama Geolandar AT's, which lasted about 20K miles. After that I got 31" BFG AT's, which lasted about 40K miles.

The Warn premium manual hubs may have a larger diameter than the OEM wheel hub bore, which is likely why Warn says they don't fit, so while the hubs will mount and operate just fine, you will need to bore out your OEM wheels or replace them with wheels with a larger center bore. The Warn hubs require a 4" center bore.

Don't go with 30x9.50's. You're better off with 265/70's. This is a pic of 31" tires (on aftermarket wheels) with stock suspension on a 97 LE:

If you get 15x8's you MUST get a wheel with 0 or negative offset, or large tires will rub the strut lower perch. With 15x7's the largest tire that's recommended is a 31x1050R15. Tires larger than that will have excessive sidewall bulge as well, which isn't so great for handling and tire wear. When I swapped out my stock wheels and tires, I chose 15x8's with 31x1050's because I knew I would eventually fit 32" or larger tires, and I didn't want to have to buy new wheels again.

Dude, nice job with the mini-switches!

Got both of your PMs. Thanks! However, the cheapest I can get a GSP Part # NCV53128 CV shipped to me from rockauto (including the promo code you provided) is $89.87 (discounted part is 74.85, shipping is $15.02) Are you sure you got them for $68 shipped?

You can fit 31x10.50R15's on the factory SE wheels (which are 15x7). If you want to install larger tires, you'll need 15x8's with 0 to -19mm offset.

I have installed new coils in R50 struts too many times to count, and I burned through 3 pairs of those inexpensive strut compressors. Annoyed by the fact that the compressors take forever to do their thing using an impact wrench, and by the obnoxious noise of my air compressor, I finally decided to get a better tool for compressing struts. I got a good deal on this professional-quality tool via e-bay, and I built a stand for it using some leftover 2x4's.

Ceramic brake pads throw off dust that is less visible than semi-metallic brake pads. You can read about ceramic pads here. I have a set of Akebono Ceramic Pads on my rig. They work great. You can visit rockauto.com to get a lower price on those pads. They seem to have very competitive prices overall.

Networkguy- $120 for repacking both front bearings is a pretty good deal. But if you want to save the money and learn a little, you can follow the instructions for an Xterra bearing repack here (Xterra and Pathfinder bearings are the same). You can get some more ideas by looking at some of the steps of a bearing repack I've done on my 97 Pathfinder here and complete hub replacement here. Details about removing the outer hub cap are shown here. A bearing repacking tool is essential, a grease gun is helpful, and disposable latex gloves are highly recommended. You'll need to replace the inner grease seals when you repack the bearings. The parts are cheap (<$10 each). When removing the inner bearing and grease seal, place the hub face-up on the ground or workbench, but suspend it a couple of inches above the work surface, so that you can tap out the bearing and seal from the top using the handle of a hammer (or other non-metal instrument). The Xterra how-to shows prying the seal out with pliers or a screwdriver from the rear, which can be overly destructive.

Performing a pad-slap is pretty easy. A simple pad-slap involves removing the tire, removing one 14mm bolt from the bottom of the brake caliper, swinging the caliper up, and removing the old pads. Compress the caliper with a C-clamp and a piece of wood or metal (to span both pistons at once), insert the new pads (reusing the plates and clips from the old pads), swing the caliper down, and bolt everything back up. On the other hand, if your rotor is grooved or worn, it may need resurfacing, which is much more involved, requiring disassembly of the hub in order to remove the brake rotor.

msavides- Where did you see that the GSP half shafts have a lifetime warranty? I couldn't find that info on their site. Also, it seems weird that the remanufactured shafts ($69.79+core) are twice as much as the new ones. Have you purchased from rockauto before?

Hi, I tried to search, but the dumb search feature complained about "CV" being less than 3 characters. I just found that my left-side outer CV boot has a 1" split in it. Fortunately, since I have manual hubs, it hasn't been spraying grease everywhere, and I'd rather replace the whole axle than try to fix the boot. Anyway, I know some of you have been able to buy new or remanufactured CV axles for as little as $50 (some with a lifetime warranty!), but I don't recall where you bought them. I haven't checked my local auto parts stores (Pep Boys, Kragen, AutoZone) yet. Got any good tips on parts suppliers?

I think the channel is part #3, but the diagram isn't clear enough to be sure. There should be a channel on the front of the window as well as the rear. I'm not sure why only the rear is shown (if indeed part #3 is the channel). BTW, I got the link by navigating Nissanparts.org.

A window that's loose can't be "tightened up" in the way you may be thinking. The window travels up and down along channels in the front and rear of the door. The channels have a rubber or plastic guide that is probably worn, cracked, broken, or missing. You'll need to replace the rubber in the channels, but it's actually more likely that you'll need to replace the channels themselves. Click here for the link When you remove the door panel, you may want to use a door panel removal tool ($10-$15 at your local auto parts store) instead of just pulling quickly. The door panel is made of flimsy pressed cardboard, and tears easily. The plastic clips holding the panel to the door will want to tear out of the panel and stay clipped into the door instead. Once the clips tear from the panel, they lose their effectiveness at keeping the panel tight against the door after you reinstall it. Finally, after the door panel has been removed, the door interior is covered by a large plastic water barrier sheet. You will need to remove that plastic sheet to get to the door innards. The plastic is secured with very sticky butyl adhesive, which never dries, and often behaves like molten pizza cheese (i.e. it stretches and makes long strings of gooey mess that'll stick everywhere.). To remove the sheet, carefully pull away the plastic as you slice the adhesive with a utility knife, working from top to bottom. Try to keep the plastic sheet from sticking to itself again. By doing this, you will avoid getting the butyl adhesive stuck to everything, and will also keep the plastic sheet from being stretched out of shape.