Hi guys, just picked up a 1997 Pathfinder with 166k miles. Rust and dent free with 4wd and a m/t were my requirements. I'll be using this to go fishing around Boulder County and camping with our growing family - we have a 4 year old chocolate lab and we've got a baby boy due in a month or so.
Pre-buy inspection revealed torn cv boots in the front and the brake pads need replacing. While I'm replacing the cv axles and pads/rotors, would I be saving much time by installing locking hubs at the same time? I'm estimating it will take me 5 hours to do the whole job. All of my DIY experience has been in the last year on an old Ford Ranger - I did all four shocks and replaced all the fluids (rear diff, m/t, transfer case, p/s fluid, coolant, etc). Do you guys think 5 hours for my skill level seems reasonable? What if I wait until the spring to do the hubs - 4 hours total?
One other question, how do I know what trim level I have? I know it's not an LE (no leather, no auto trans) but not sure between XE and SE. Does it even matter? I ask because the auto parts stores always want to know.