88pathoffroad

Wow, that a new one on me. Where do you live? AFAIK, they never made a 4-door model in '87. It could possibly be a '90 with an '87 tailgate on it... Is that the NAPS-Z 2.4L engine? Wierdness! Check the door tag inside the driver's side doorsill. It will have the production date on it.

Alternator's shot. Have it tested immediately at an auto parts store before you go on any trips. The lights all come on when the alternator goes on you, I know because I'm on my fourth one as we speak. Dang 1000W subwoofer amp, etc.

After backlash is set at the factory, there shouldn't be any need to mess with it, even when swapping third members around. I'd tear it apart and see what looks worn first. Might just be axle bearings. Are the rear brakes OK? Checked on them recently? I had an axle seal go out and dump gear oil on my brakes on one side a while back...

Just by chance, did you measure before and after to see how much you got from that lift kit? I thought it was just a 2" lift. Remember, the coils will settle in after a bit and you'll get a bit less out of them. I'd just take it to have a front end alignment. $45 versus messing it up yourself = clear choice to me.

Pacesetter headers don't fit auto Pathys either. You have to have the crossover pipe cut to fit for both the Thorleys and the Pacesetters. Any exhaust shop worth their salt should be able to do that easily and not charge too much for it. Personally, I'd install the headers at home and drive merrily on down to the shop, blaring away. It'd save a TON on install costs. CHEVEL67NI: Wow. Yeah, you can do better by finding the filter and adapter for less...but it's your money.

#1 is the centerlink end...it is a balljoint, but it's not the one you need to check, specifically when someone's talking about balljoints. The joints on the centerlink are just referred to as part of the CL itself. #2 is the centerlink, yes. Otherwise known as the drag link. #3 is the pitman arm. Attached to the steering box, yes-no? The idler arm is on the other side and simply sits idle, allowing the CL joint to move back and forth. The pitman arm actually applies a sideways motion to the CL, which is why they're different. The regular balljoints are located at the ends of the control arms, just inside your wheel and directly above and below your front brake disc. To check movement of balljoints: jack up vehicle, remove wheel, use a long prybar to wedge between upper control arm and the steering knuckle. Carefully try to push up and down with the prybar. If the balljoint moves in any direction but side to side, it should be replaced. To check steering linkage movement, have a friend sit in the driver's seat. Start the vehicle and crank the wheels all the way one direction or the other. Shut off the vehicle but leave the key in the "ACC" position so the steering wheel will still turn back and forth without locking. Have your friend turn the steering wheel back and forth repeatedly while you look underneath at the idler arm, CL, tie rods and balljoints. Also watch the upper control arms, if the bushings are bad the UCA will flex towards the frame against the bushings. To observe the other side of the vehicle, turn the wheels the other way and have your friend do the same thing. If any of the joints move up and down or back and forth too much, they are probably worn out and should be replaced. Normal allowance for movement is very little, so any noticeable amount of play between joints should have attention paid to it. Steve:

Fuel filter. Air filter. Spark plugs, distributor cap and rotor. New plug wires. Tune it up first.

I'd suggest going someplace other than NAPA. Are you referring to the idler pulley for the fan belt? Is it a v-belt or a serpentine ribbed belt? I find listings for idler pulley bearings on PartsAmerica.com for my '88, but not for your '94. Apparently there are 3 different pulley bearing sizes to choose from...try calling the dealer and asking about the bearing. It's a $15 part from PartsAmerica....

I'll take the o2 sensor if someone can carefully remove it and keep it from being damaged before delivery. I'd prefer to keep the whole wiring harness for it, but if it needs to be cut off, try and keep the wires long just for ease of resplicing. Got an idea on a price? What color is it? What color interior? Is it an SE or an XE? Auto or manual transmission? Does it have a tire carrier in the back? What size and brand tires doe sit have? Where do you live? and most of all...

I can't currently find listings for a Pop Charger for Pathfinder applications, nor a Stillen intake. I do know that you can buy a generic 3" cone filter, a Nissan intake adapter plate and put your own $120-$200 intake kit together for less than $75 if you find the right parts.

That is wierd...sounds like the transmission computer is messing up on the solenoid lockup sequence. Or your fluid level could be low. Checked the fluid recently? Perhaps a nice flush and refill could help. Taking the pan off for a gasket change and filter isn't really necessary because the "filter" is really just a fine mesh screen, plus you usually have to drop the exhaust to get the pan off. Tight fit! Anyway, I would recommend getting it flushed and filled, along with a shift additive that helps slipping transmissions as a first line of attack. There's really not that much you can do to investigate auto tranny problems like that aside from taking the transmission apart to see what happened insied, you know?

Dude, Schwab's has the best warranty and policy on tire replacement in the country. Just because you found one place that did you wrong once doesn't mean every shop is like that. I'm sure that if you take it back and put on a cool demeanor, tell them that one of the studs on your wheel has evidently been stripped out by one of the shop boys, they will fix it for free. My buddy's dually truck had six out of eight studs snap off when Schwab's tightened them up the last time he had tires put on, but you couldn't tell they were broken from the outside. After a while the other two studs went as well, causing the wheels on the back end to fly off the road and his truck to skid to a stop. Schwab's paid the tow bill, for a new drum, studs and all other costs to get it back on the road that day. They even worked late on it to get it done. People make mistakes. One stripped out stud(or two, I suppose, as it was in your case) isn't anything to lose your head over. I've had two studs break off on my front wheel on my Pathy as well. Just get it fixed and try not to be too pissed off about it.

Centerlink and tire/wheel balance. Also check your idler arm for slop/movement.

No, that's normal unless it's making abnormally loud hissing noises.

The sprag and planetary gear assembly is built inside a drum of sorts, for what it's worth. A big one.

12 degrees is what mine says, I believe.

Truth is, AC retrofits those body lift kits so they'll fit a 90-up Pathy. All the kit needs is longer body mount bolts for the rear mounts, I think. That and the radiator brackets, I guess. I could be wrong, though. If you do a search on the AC forum I bet you'll find out what they do to make the kit fit.

87 was the only year Pathfinders came with a sealed window hatchback. All the ones after that got the openable window.

Well, the things I've listed are the most common problems aside from invisible ones. Try looking things over thoroughly under the hood first. The activation button and stalk wiring is a strong suspect.

I'd think they're pretty resilient, considering that they get smacked around by hockey sticks on ice all night long...

The light quit, or the cruise control quit working? Could be a lot of different things, man. Wiring issues, bad switch/relay/connectors, vaccuum line unplugged from actuator, broken cable, loose cable, all kinds of things.

By the way, the same engine in your Pathfinder also comes in the Frontier and the Xterra, so it has nothing to do with it being a Pathfinder. Just an engine problem that happened to occur while you owned it. *shrug* I take it you didn't get a second opinion, then? You're just going to throw large amounts of money at it and hope it was the right thing to do?

That button simply switches the transmission's shift points in the transmission computer. If it's set to "power", it downshifts faster when you step on the gas, holds it in gear longer, and generally performs more aggressively. When power mode is off, it will shift normally, which is a bit slower and less aggressive.

More than likely it was the simple act of installing new brakes that elimated the squealing. How would silicone anti-squeal compound "wear out"?? Makes no sense.

31's fit perfectly fine on stock Pathfinders. A lot of them CAME WITH 31's from the factory. If the t-bars are sagging, it would be a good idea to tweak them upwards a bit, though. That and adjusting the turn stops. *nod*