RWC5S2

You should be able to access it trim inside the rear right. It is a pain but you can get the inside trim off enough to check it out. i pulled mine out looking for places to put in a CD antenna mount, which did not work. Just be real carelull with the little pastic screws and fsteners,

I could have removed my shields and most likely never had a problem. I just figured I would try the other way first.

My 03 had the same problem but it was after I installed my skid plates. Had to have a "GOOD" friend press the brake and gas to track down the rattle. I ended up adding a washer for the correct spacing on the shield but it was an easy fix.

Making up some flyers sounds like a decent idea. There has to be a few that would enjoy doing some wheeling. And wheeling in a group of like minded folks is always more fun. Keep us posted on your efforts and results.

It is a shame that more folks do not know about the Pathy's capabilities. They will never be rock crawlers but they sure do every thing else well. I notice that the choice of off-road vehicle can vary a lot on geographic area's but the danged Jeeps always seem to have the most. Gotta be the after market parts availability plus Jeeps have been around for 60 years. Good to hear you are going to do some mod's on yours. The Pathy's sure do look awesome lifted and tricked out a bit. I get all kinds of looks from mine with the A/C lift, strut spacers and bumpers. They can not believe how much better it looks, not to mention the Jeep crowd being blown away that I can run with the best of them, other than the rock crawler part. Wonder if it be worth your efforts to put an ad in the paper (or similar) inviting R-50 folks to meet at a local off-road spot to enjoy a day of wheeling. Just a thought. Hope you get your mod's soon..............you will be a very happy camper with the results.

I am in So. Calif......Thousand Oaks, Ventura County. I have seen 1 other R-50 that has a few mods but nothing special. I am running the A/C lift, full under armor, custom rear and front bumpers and 1" strut spacers. I agree that the Pathy owners should hang out like the Just Empty Every Pocket folks do. I joined Point Mugu 4x4 but I am the only Nissan. Got a couple of Toyota's and Bronco's. Seems around here the only off road use the Pathy's get is the speed bumps at the mall. Heavy sigh......

I agree with Simon. You have to take the whole thing out so why not just start from scratch with a new starter/solenoid? I have found that those things usually wear out pretty close to one another so it is not worth the risk of having to tear it all apart again in 3 months. Be sure to check out your ground straps/cables. That can some times cause problems.

With regard to the 3rd member getting stuck, or being stuck, after removing the nuts, mine was a bitch to break free. Took a lot of tapping and careful creative use of a large screwdriver to get the dang thing loose to slide off. I saw nothing when removing mine that should have damaged the bolts in the process of removal, unless they got frustrated and just began pounding them with a small sledge hammer. I thought the lockers would come with the correct spline count for the axels. Should be a 33 spline if it is like mine. But, I only swapped out the 3rd member for a LSD with 4:66 gears so it was a straight plug and play application.

I agree. It is ok for very short term only. Kind of like the little spare tires......ok to get you to some placce to get it fixed only.

Mine is on the right side. Have no idea on where yours might be. Any leaks are almost always on the pressure side and not the return side on the lines. The pressure side has the more robust couplings to handle the pressure. If there is a leak that bad you should see drips of power steering fluid or find the actual leak while turning the wheel back and forth. And hey, it just might be mice. lol

Hope it is that simple. Be sure to check the lines while you have some one turn the wheels to look for leaking, etc.

I switched out the 3rd member on my 03 R-50 to put the 4:66 gears in. The bolts all seemed to be a tad righter than I would expect but by spraying them with liquid wrench, or similar bolt lossener, it was not that big a deal. None of the bolts broke off but I am quite sure I exercised much more caution than a shop would do. I think they just tried to hurry the process along and that usually spells trouble.

I have a hole drilled in my skid plate for the oil filter. I have had no problems despite bouncing/skidding on nasty rocks. My skids are 3/16" thick. I might not do it with a thinner metal.

Check power steering fluid, make sure it is not empty. Check power steering lines for leaks, also causes loss of fluid, check belt tension on all pulleys. A squeel like that is usually power steering. Will scream at full lock and also when just being used if fluid is too low.

Yes, the 33's will fit but you will have to trim the wheel wells. Yes, the 33"s will look quite skinny. On anything over 31's you should plan on trimming the wheel wells of the majority of the plastic that extends beyond the connections but still inside the wheel well. It will also help if you drill some holes in the splash guards and use zip ties to pull the guards deeper into the wheel well. Kind of a pain to reach around attaching the ties but is an easy fix for most of the potential rubbing sources. There is just a lot of excess plastic/rubber junk inside the wheel wells that is there for mainly commestic purposes. Also, the 33x9.50x15's are not the best choice for offroading in mud or real sandy conditions. Just too dang thin so even airing down to 10lbs will not give you the traction really needed. The only way to abvoid that is with LSD rear end. It will help a lot. As I said above I ended going back to 32"s just to get a fatter tire for the off-roading.