GoPathyGo

Rockauto.com has Beck/Arnley brand for $8-$12. My understanding is that Beck/Arnley doesn't make anything; they repackage OEM stuff under their brand name. I just got a Beck/Arnley water pump for my frontier; it came in a Nissan NA bag! Alternatively, you could try Timken - they have a very good reputation.

Wow! Very nice!

Car VQ numbers are probably widely available. Core engine is the same. Some stuff may have been adjusted by Nissan for the Pathy but you should be able to get an idea of the change. VG may be a different story. I think the VG modifications by model were more significant than for the VQ.

Welcome! No real bolt-on BBK (Big Brake Kit) for the Pathfinder. No easy swap either. As others have said, rotors and pads are the best upgrade. I switched to blank Brembos with EBC pads and the difference was remarkable. Way better than what the truck had on. Don't think anyone has found an "easy" way to replace the rear drums with discs on the R50. The H233B came with drums on Frontiers and Xterras, too. Keep in mind that the parking brake setup is built around drums, too, complicating any swaps. I would also suggest a brake fluid replacement. Full replacement, not top-up or bleed. Brake fluid is hygroscopic - absorbs water over time. That lowers the boiling point and degrades the braking power. I boiled my fluid while wheeling. I have found speed bleeder screws (basically, bleeder screws with a one-way valve) invaluable for bleeding and replacing brake fluid. Good call on the tranny cooler. Honestly, if you're going to be trailering anything heavy, I would save the money from a BBK or rear drum swap and allocate it to trailer brakes. Folks often realize trailer brakes would have been good at the worst possible time - when slamming on the brakes because some doofus up front suddenly slammed on his/hers.

Let's put aside the argument about whether jacks can fail or whether pros need them. I can see how the comments could be interpreted as "You are stupid". They are well-intentioned. Let's look at this anothe way. Is it that hard to spend a few extra minutes to put a vehicle on stands ? If it isn't hard, why not do it and have the peace of mind and the security ? You don't have to guess whether the jack will give out or not.

Newer pathfinders have all independent suspension. Have not done as well as the R50 and WD21 in off-road tests. Much more geared to comfort; in essence, the Xterra has become what the Pathfinder used to be and the Pathfinder has become a sort of rugged-looking urban vehicle. It has suffered from a number of little gremlins as folks mentioned. The G35 is a great fun car. Nothing bad to say about it. I don't know if this is a consideration, but parts and servicing on newer cars can be pretty expensive. If you keep the older pathfinder, which shared parts with the Hardbody and many many other Nissans, you're guaranteed availability of cheap parts for a few years. Older cars are usually pretty well-known and most folks can work on them. Newer cars have a whole lot more electronics, doodad features and far more cramped engine bays. So if you do need to take either the G35 or the new Pathfinder to a mechanic, you could end up paying more. Just my $0.02.

Dude, jack stands! They're $20 and will save your life... Glad it was just the cv.

Can't really tell but it seems that the final drive side of one of the CVs is a bit mangled. I would suggest unbolting the CV from the drive flange (the 12 mm bolts XplorX4 mentioned) and see if the drive flange spins when you do your test. If it does, the CV is bust. Relatively cheap and easy fix - reman/pick-a-part replacement. If the drive flange itself is binding, then, yeah, chances are something is toast inside the diff. I had a front ARB. They rock. BUT, the angle of movement is fairly limited when locked. As a consequence, if you're locked and apply too much gas while turning or highly articulated, you risk snapping the CV joint. Before doing all that, though, I'd invest in some skids.... Of course, if you unbolted the skids for the video then never mind. Also, before you weld gears or get a locker, might be worth analyzing the age and state of the front diff. I've seen some pretty intense R50 wheeling videos that didn't result in busted diffs. Was the diff just ready to go and the mud the final straw ? Do you regularly wheel so hard that a new/reman diff will wear out quickly ? If so, then look into an arb/welding. If not, then get a new/reman diff or gears and spend the money on some quality diff fluid. HTH and good luck.

CHeck out courtesyparts.com They have all the diagrams online.

I worked on the VQ in my Pathy and am working on the VG in my Fronty. The VQ is more "modern", which means it is more complicated, parts are more expensive and there are a lot more things that could go wrong. It will probably be a tight squeeze in the WD21 engine bay, the harnesses will be different and ongoing servicing may be quite difficult because of space issues. There is a chance you may need to swap the entire cooling system (radiator, fan clutch, fan, hoses) to account for the difference in engine size and heat. I'm not sure whether a VG30 cooling system will be enough for a VQ35. The size and layout differences could also create clearance or position issues for the steering box and various other components. Basically, if you're going to that much trouble (likely a few thousand bucks assuming your time is worth SOMETHING), you might be better off just getting an R50 with a VQ. I've driven both the R50 VQ (GVWR of 4500 lbs with the junk I added) and a D22 VG33 (GVWR 5200 lbs stock) and the D22 never felt sluggish. Fuel economy is going to be terrible with all 3 engines. If it's fuel economy you're after, look at models with the KA24. That's a zippy little thing, parts are dirt cheap and it will run forever. Still not *great* fuel economy but better than the V6. Besides, the money you'll likely end up spending on a major swap will eat whatever you'd save in fuel economy...

I've reused quite a few parts each time I've done strut work. Most recent job was my Altima. Honestly, some things don't NEED to be OEM. Others do. Check with Rockauto.com

Yup. If you're gonna do it, spring for a Factory Service Manual ($15 online). Nissan's are (mostly) useful and provide the tightening torques, which is going to be very important. If you're going to the trouble of removing the strut and unbolting the sway bar, you might as well check all the bushings, ball joints and brake components. Honestly, you'll have to at least disconnect the strut from the knuckle whenever you replace the ball joint, so you might as well do it now. The 2 bar and clamshell rental spring compressors suck. People never grease the threads, often use massive impacts etc Not only that, but the design is fundamentally not great from a safety perspective. The clamshell ones are often particulary bad. If they haven't quite loosened the spring enough, you end up trying to compress the springs some more. You then risk hitting the compressive limit and blam, the whole thing flies apart. I've had the 2 bar typelet go on me. I would either have someone else compress them or, if the local shops are schmucks like they are around where I live, get a compressor with jaws and plates top and bottom to make sure the thing stays in there.

In the same vein, I highly recommend a screw jack. Requires more elbow grease but awesome on trails or when your vehicle's jack and lift points aren't optimally located. I have used them several times. The one below's pricey but you get the idea. http://www.amazon.com/441305-SJ-5-5-Ton-Screw-Jack/dp/B00079WOZI

Has anyone tried these ? All fine and dandy in sand, but where I go wheeling there are rocks, tree limbs and all kinds of junk everywhere. The idea of getting under or working around a 2-3 ton weight suspended by a balloon makes me a bit queasy...

Tough to use the Hi-Lift in the obvious places without damaging things or breaking off the "bumper" - which on stock Pathys (and virtually all stock trucks/SUVs) is really just a plastic cover over a metal crash bar. If you don't have sliders or metal bumpers (ARB/TJM/Custom rear), all I can think of is the rear hitch. But even that may not be a good idea. If you've got a lift and big tires, you would need a really big bottlejack. Suggest getting either the rock sliders or metal bumpers.

Should be fine with auto hubs. It took real effort for me to bust my CVs (long story). As far as wear goes, unless you're driving 100 mph 3 hours/day, you should also be fine. If you ARE driving that much and are concerned about CV wear, a cheap reman one from the parts stores won't really solve your problem. You'd just wear 'em out quickly again. I would suggest replacing the boots as fleury suggested and pack9ing the boots with a high quality grease like Royal Purple or something. A bit messy and time-consuming but will genuinely extend the life of the CV boot and joint.

You may have more luck with Frontys than with Xterras or Pathys. Xterras and Pathys tended to be marketed to a different audience. So they often came with autos. Also depends on the region you're in. In the mid-atlantic you can find a lot of manual trannys. Fewer in the Northeast. Try fleabay and craigslist if you haven't already - people often try to sell manuals there because dealers lowball manual trades.

Amen. I used to go exclusively OEM on everything till I started comparing parts in detail. Now I go good-quality aftermarket on "wear" items (air/oil/fuel filters, poly belts, coolant/engine oil/PS fluid) and OEM on "long-life items" (water pumps, control arms etc). Good-quality aftermarket can be anything from Royal Purple to Purolator to Goodyear; all high-quality stuff made by companies that will issue refunds or returns but are still cheaper than OEM. Even OEM "wear" items ordered online add up once you add in shipping. For reference, by going aftermarket for the filters and coolant, I was able to buy the long-life poly belts... Anyway, matter of preference. Overall, I've had a great experience on both eBay and online stores.

Nice! I use titanium-tipped drillbits. Home Depot often has them on sale for < $20. You can also get a mega-set on Amazon when they go on "Gold Box special" for $50. Great improvisation, though. Nice work.

I've bought both parts and tools extensively on fleabay. Saved me tons of $ and allowed me to buy things I wouldn't have otherwise. I stick to top-rated sellers (98% or higher feedback) who specify where they got the part from, e.g., junkyard, generic manufacturer, clearance, used out of their own toolbox/rig etc etc. Out of the 100-150 transactions I've done on eBay(buying and selling), I've had only 2 bad experiences. In one, a guy sold me clearly used impact sockets as "new". I asked him to return them, he refused. I disputed it with eBay and Paypal. He issued a refund. In the 2nd, a guy bought an LCD screen from me, bust it and returned it saying it was broken. I had pics of it working before it left. Disputed again with eBay. Took longer but they made him pay for it. So overall, I'd say I'm very positive on it. Just be careful.

B has good advice. Really really sux about the pain and damage. I don't know how the insurance laws over there work, but here I'd be calling a lawyer to discuss my options before agreeing to anything. Anyway, get well soon! Can they pay you the $5500 + value of parts even if that doesn't add up to $8200 ? I dunno. My experience was that, with the right tires and driving approach, all-mode wasn't really necessary for our trucks. Manual 4x4 is much simpler and less complicated stuff (ABS sensors, computer calculations, blah) going on. All-mode is great for "set and forget" cars since it is basically 2Hi with a clutch pack that engages the front when the ABS sensors detect wheelspin. But, in our trucks, chances are if things are bad enough to have you thinking about 4WD, you will have good tires on and engage 4Hi BEFORE you get into lousy conditions. Now, if you're getting it for the Xenon projectors, well that's a whole 'nother story.

The metal on some of these may be quite soft, not lending itself to welding etc. Try using a drill bit just a little thinner than the bolt itself. E.g., if the bolt is an M8 try a 6mm drill bit. Drill straight into it. Just enough to hollow it out a bit. Be very careful not to angle the drill (into the hub) or go too deep (into the hub). Just enough for the middle of the bolt to be hollow. Then insert a screwdriver into the hollow space and turn it.

Dude! If I'd had to spend that much, I'd be pretty frustrated too - specially since it's only got 100k and change miles (kilometres shilometres ). As others have pointed out, dealership and fancy mechanics charge A LOT. Heck, I get quoted 200% markups on AIR FILTERS - I had a local dealer ask $33 for ONE! BUT, I used to pay $75 for oil changes at the dealer until I started working on my own cars - so I can understand why things happened the way they did. Here are a few suggestions: 1. Don't feel bad about things. All cars have problems. You'll run into this with anything on the road, whether it cost $10k new or $100k new. Specially with used cars. All used cars require some amount of initial maintenance - filters, belts, tires blah blah. 2. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. The temptation to keep the car "like new" is high. Preventive maintenance can also turn into gold-plating the car. As B pointed out, control arms don't need to be fixed until the the wobble begins. Remember, some things were meant to last forever while others will wear out over time. The things that wear should be replaced and help keep the long-life stuff going. 3. If at all possible, do it yourself. This saves money and, just as important, ensures it's done right. I just bought a used car. The owner had taken it in for service regularly, right on schedule. The dimwits didn't tighten the oil filter enough so it leaked oil. *sigh* A local tool supplier told me that out of the 150-odd mechanics he supplies, he'd trust maybe 5 to actually work on his car... They are usually focused on volume, not quality - specially since problems down the road mean you come back for more repairs. I know it seems time-consuming but, honestly, think of the time you will be waiting for it to be done at the dealership - and fixed again if they get it wrong... 4. Buy parts online even if you don't install them. Parts markup is insane. Factorynissanparts.com usually has the lowest parts prices around (I check regularly) and the parts manager is a good guy who is on this board. 5. Find a decent independent mechanic 6. Spend $15 on the Factory Service Manual and read some online guides on how cars are put together. This will allow you to tell if the dealership/mechanic is being accurate. It may also be helpful to see how straightforward most things are. 7. If you do do-it-yourself, expect skinned knuckles and wasted time to start. I just changed the rusted-out rotors and gunked-in-place pads on my Altima. Took me about an hour and a half. The first time I did rotor-and-pad changes on a car, it took the better part of a day because I had no idea what was going on... 8. Don't get discouraged. We are around to help. Oh, and tell that "serpentine and timing belt weren't done right" guy to take a long walk off a short pier. What's the worst the previous mechanic would have done ? Not tighten it correctly ? BIG DEAL! Either he should fix it or the new mechanic should do it in 20 minutes. "Everything needs to be taken off"... It's a longitudanally mounted engine with the belts up front. Gimme a break... Nonsense... Good luck!