XPLORx4

Except when driving through dust, such as while off-roading in dry conditions. Even with the windows up and vent set to "recirc", the next time you set the vent to "fresh" you get a nice blast of dust through the vents. I wouldn't mind having a microfilter... except on my truck, the HVAC ducts are already full of dust. On a 97, you'll need to cut open the HVAC ducting behind the glove box yourself to install an in-cabin microfilter. It didn't come equipped from the factory with a filter. If it has one, it was installed by the previous owner. Removal of the glove box is required to install/change the filter.

Whenever I open the rear glass, I always turn the key all the way back to re-unlock the hatch, although on my truck, I'm pretty sure that the other door locks aren't affected by the rear lock cylinder anyway.

I have the ultimate sliders, standard width. I have the grip tape and air storage options also. The air storage complements my on-board air compressor, and allows me to store about 2.5 gallons of air in case I need to operate air tools or any other application that requires intermittent low volume use of high-pressure air. I don't really use the air storage feature much since the CFM rating of my ARB compressor is quite low. It takes a long time to pressurize the sliders.

Yes, that's correct. Manual hubs disengage the front wheels from the front axles. When not in 4WD, the entire front drivetrain will not be turning. This reduces friction and wear, and in the unlikely event that a CV axle or boot breaks, you can unlock the hubs to prevent further damage.

What will the step rails be used for, and how much do you want to spend? If you want step rails that can support the truck's weight and also be used for severe off-road use, consider some rock sliders. They're about the same price as factory step rails. More pics here. They can be purchased at this web site.

Uh, I'm sorta confused. What's the point of having manual hubs if you have to keep them locked all the time?

Here are some pictures of the development so far: Tack-welded and first mock-up: Final design and location of receiver: The top tube will extend up to the rear of the wheel well, and will provide mounts to attach aftermarket mudflaps. As shown in the first photo, an angled vertical tube will connect the top and bottom tubes at the wheel-well, and the joints at the wheel-well will be mitered (instead of butt-fit and coped as shown in the first pic. Also, the bottom tube is moved slightly inward from the top, so that there is a slight angle on the rear and side faces of the bumper. It's not straight up-and-down, as shown in the first pic. 1/4" steel bracket: Body notched and OEM bumper mounts ground off: Hopefully the bumper structure will be done today, and I will be trail-testing it this weekend. Next week, it will get D-ring mounts and the gaps between the tubes will be covered over with sheetmetal. The spare tire carrier is next, and then it will all get sent off to be powdercoated. Stay tuned!

The most versatile wheel size (for any R50 Pathfinder) is 15x8 with 4" of backspacing. This wheel size will accomodate 31x10.50R15 to 33x12.50R15. It will have the effect of widening the stance ("track") of the vehicle with any tire size, and will allow larger-size tires to clear the strut. Your 6.5" wide XE wheels will safely accomodate only up to 30x9.5R15. If cost is an issue now, you should be able to get a set of basic steel wheels for around $200 at most local tire stores, and get 31's now. You can always swap out the wheels later without having to replace the tires.

28K is awfully low for a 7-year-old. It was either not driven very frequently or it was driven frequently on low-mileage trips. The latter is by far much worse than the former. Are there any maintenance records? Hopefully the oil was changed regularly at 3,000 mile intervals. Are there any seals or gaskets leaking? How's the battery? Brake fluid? Coolant?

Great mod! And it was just 1/10the the cost of my JDM HID conversion! (I also used relays triggered by the headlamp wiring harness to power the lights directly from the battery.) Do they sell the bulbs separately? Since the hi-beams are still halogen, I assume you have to replace the entire 9004 HID low/halogen hi if the hi-beam ever burns out... [edit: found replacement bulbs in their site: $89 each! :o ]

That's cause it was only offered in 96 models.

If the antenna motor has also been damaged and needs replacing, the easiest way to access it is by removing the mud flap and the plastic liner in the wheel well. The antenna is behind that.

Re: the P1447 code (or any EVAP code) and "fixing your engine when you feel like it"... I have a story for you that might compel you to do something about it sooner than later. In 2002, I had an EVAP code (I can't remember which one, though) that I ignored because my truck seemed to run fine, and I didn't want to pay for the repair. Well, this resulted in a situation that could have destroyed my truck! :o Read about it here.. My advice is don't ignore that light, especially for EVAP errors.

Bump. I hope to have pics of my rear bumper progress later this week. I stopped by the fabricator this AM, and they hope to have something tack-welded together for me tomorrow.

To get rid of the Knock Sensor code, either replace the knock sensor or hook up a resistor to the knock sensor's wiring connector. The KS is known to go bad on these trucks, and on the 97, its failure does not affect engine performance. Changing fuel grades will not fix the sensor malfunction. The CEL can be turned off simply by addressing the source the P1447 code. The hard part is trying to figure out which component of the EVAP system is at fault. One thing you could check are the EVAP purge lines that attach to the EVAP canister behind the left rear wheel. If any of the lines feel "crunchy" then it means that the carbon in the canister has disintegrated, turned into granules the size of coffee grounds, and clogged the lines. A few years ago, this happened to me, and I had to replace the EVAP canister and the valve attached to it, and remove all of the rubber hoses for the EVAP system and blow them out with compressed air. Parts were around $120. Labor to perform that repair would have been around $300 if I had let a shop try to find and fix the problem. Refer to Page 313 in this 9.6MB PDF for more info.

1) Knock sensor code: ignore it. A bad knock sensor won't trip the check engine light. It costs several hundred to fix, and replacing it won't actually make much difference anyway. 2) Never heard of ELC system, so I can't help you out there, but that's probably the code that tripped the check engine light. Do you know what the codes were?

If the pieces are painted, you can sand them and repaint them. If the pieces are unpainted, then you can either sand them and paint them or replace them.

Oh yeah, and speaking of brakes, don't you need longer brake lines?

Tyler, if you develop a shorter lift (such as 3" instead of 4.5") that would easily combine with the AC springs, I'd probably be interested in jumping on the bandwagon as well. 4.5" is just too tall for me. What are your thoughts on using 5.5-6" lift coils in the rear instead of using spring mount extensions?

How would you bolt them on? You would need to be able to access "inside" the volume of the block to get a nut on the end of the bolt and tighten it down. See the lift "block" in this pic:

Yeah, I guess I should have clarified that. "Land Cruiser" = 80-series. (However, in defense of the 100-series, it's no slouch off road if built properly. Just go take a peek over at ih8mud.com.)

Pathfinder is to 4Runner as Patrol is to Land Cruiser.

The key fob might need to be "activated" on that particular vehicle. There's some procedure to follow, but I can't remember what it is. It's something like "insert/remove the key 5 times in 10 seconds while holding down the switch on the door jamb that causes the dome light to glow, then rub your stomach and pat your head 5 times" or something like that. Edit: Duh! There's a pinned topic (bold) right above that specifies how to do it! Pinned: Remote entry reprogramming procedures, 96-up Pathy Remote die? Need to program a new one?

With the SE alloy wheels, which are 7" wide, you can fit a 31x10.50R15 with very minimal rubbing. To upsize to a 32" tire, you need an 8" wide wheel with 3.75 or 4" of backspacing so that the tire is moved away from the strut. The factory wheels are not only too narrow, but they also do not have the proper backspacing to allow a 32" tire to fit.

If the lever is all the way forward, it's in 2HI. Pull back one notch to put it in 4HI. Press DOWN INTO on the lever while moving it backwards quickly to shift into 4LO. (It will pop back up when it's in 4LO.) To shift back into 4HI (and 2HI), push DOWN INTO the lever while moving it forwards. It will pop up again when it's in 4HI.