hawairish

Pulled it out to give it a wash today.

Good deal. Hopefully easy fix...as before, check for anything jammed in the lines or ports. It's amazing how much of a mess a busted canister causes. Hopefully the canisters weren't too outrageously priced. For my truck, RockAuto wanted $140 I think for a replacement, yet replacements for similar year Nissans were only $30. I bought a new one for a Maxima and it had a slightly different mounting setup and one small change in a port size...made it work with little more than a couple nylon spacers and longer hardware. Still works 8 years later.

Haven't dealt with this on my Pathfinder fortunately, but did on my 98 Frontier. It sucked. Charcoal pellets all the way from the rear of the truck to the solenoid valve in the engine bay. My issue produced a P1444 (purge solenoid valve) but the codes in that series tend to be related, and in my case the code was brought about by a ruptured charcoal canister. Blowing and vacuuming the lines is not enough. The charcoal crumbs get jammed together in the lines. You need to use a stiff, but flexible, wire to push through every hard line, and it may be necessary to remove any hoses. Flush the lines with pressured water if possible, but house pressure is fine. Then continue to blow and vacuum the lines using whatever attachments you can to maximize pressure. Repeat this couple times. Any little charcoal crumb will eventually clog the line or find its way into the solenoid. My long term solution there was to put a transparent fuel filter on the line right off the canister. BTW, the solenoids can be fixed if they clog, since they're not cheap to replace. You just bend the little metal tabs in a little and split the coil portion from the plunger. Some pins/needles can dislodge pieces that are blocking the valve. The solenoids are also commonly used on other Nissans (the one on my 04 Pathfinder is identical to the one on my 98 Frontier). Not sure about the "405". What are you using to pull codes? Is the code exactly "P0405" on screen? Reason for asking is because in 98, you could pull "codes" directly from the ECU without a scanner, but the code it flashed was not the DTC "P" code. The FSM was needed to convert the ECU code to the DTC code. I'm not seeing "0405" as an ECU nor DTC code in the 98 R50 FSM, so that's why I'm curious about what's being used to pull the code. Maybe it's P0450 (control system pressure sensor) and there's a leak if a hose was disconnected or misrouted?

New lines (silver fittings) made and installed! PTFE hose vs. rubber. Same ID, both steel braided, both with fabric cover. The rubber hose just feels better, and while I still think the PTFE can withstand the working pressure, it was the end fittings that make all the difference. The new fitting style just feels superior to the PTFE ones. Installation of the new fittings wasn't too bad. Less prep work required for the hose; it cut easily with a mini-cutoff saw I have. The only tough thing about the new fittings was preventing the hose from untwisting in the outer nut piece when tightening the main fitting thingy in. It takes a fair amount of torque to tighten it, and because the hose installs into the outer nut as left-hand threaded, it wants to twist out. I had to misused some non-marring jaws on my vise to hold the hose stationary. Maybe I didn't lube it up enough, but eventually got it. Those hoses are rigid enough to stay in position. Good clearance all around, shouldn't interfere with belts and radiator fan. I'll find out the hard way if they ever do. K&N installed the other month...mostly straight-forward install. Heat shield didn't line up the way I expected, so just had to make a new hole. Also, this gave me a little more room around the fittings coming off the steering gearbox. There was room with the factory air box after it was shifted over and raised up a little. Definitely not a requirement for the SAS...but I figured why not. After topping off the power steering reservoir and cycling things a few times, I was stoked to see that the hoses had not grenaded! No leaks, no squeals, no nothing, which is great. Took it for a ride in the neighborhood and around the block a few times. The first trip was sketchy! Truck was wandering pretty badly and there was a lot of slop in the steering wheel. Fixed the slop easily...it was just an adjustment on the steering gearbox that I left loose when I rebuilt the box. Guess I could've tightened it up before the drive. Fixing the slop fixed the majority of the driving issues. It was still wandering a little, and steering was a bit tight. I increased the caster to be more positive, but it did not seem to improve the wandering or self-centering. Changing the caster means I need to adjust the drag link a little to correct the steering wheel, but I suspect the toe is also off a little, and maybe I'll fix that first to see what changes. There may still be other tweaks I need on the suspension. Feels a little hard hitting dips, but otherwise the streets feel smooth. Anyway...I was able to put 10 miles on it today, which is pretty huge. Acceleration feels laggier than I recall, but I'm sure the 114°F temp and 5.12s gears are surely factors. AC still works well, the ABS tone rings are doing their job, the engine is nice and quiet and maintained temperature (not sure who recalls all the mild-overheating issues I was going through before the SAS started). I mean, it better maintain temp...I replaced nearly every damn part on the system. For now I just need to sort out the remaining steering/alignment issues, get some miles on it to get the ECU emissions ready, get it tested, and get the tags renewed (I'm just a little late on those).

Ordered new brake lines (again) tonight from HEL Performance. First ones I got seemed like good quality and price, despite never installing them. Hopefully this time I ordered the right length...I've found it difficult to simulate the full range of movement these might see that also allows them to move without contacting other things. The new ones will be about about 26.5", or about 4.5" longer than stock at 22" (from mounting clip to center of banjo). The Rogue ones I've been using forever are 25", and they're still attached and seem almost right, but I just need a little more slack and movement. I previously ordered 31.5" ones, which were just comically too long, but seemed like what I needed at the time. Hopefully I can find another Nissan SAS guy in the FB group that can help me recoup some money. Speaking of money, tonight's purchase has me over the $5K mark for all parts, tools, and supplies (purchased, sold, returned), and $6K after tax and shipping. Having a personal machinist in @TowndawgR50 has been a real project saver. I should be able to recoup another $500-$800 in leftover, unused, or rebuilt parts. At some point I'll rebuild the R200A with 4.6s and a Lokka and get that out the door. I have enough parts to rebuild the CVs and steering rack, but not sure how I feel about doing that work.

Yeah, that's the thing. It was putting enough pressure a few months ago, but as of the other day it's not putting any noticeable pressure. I also don't hear it whirring when the pump relay clicks, but it was whirring a few weeks ago. I swapped out some of the hose when I installed the pressure gauge...there's only about 1' of hose that's not been replaced in the last 2 years, but I'm going to try pushing some air back into the tank just for kicks. New K&N fuel filter went on a few weeks ago. The air filter is otherwise fine...issue doesn't change when it's removed. Pulling the vacuum lines off the throttle body and FPR made no difference. Leaning towards something with the pump. Haven't ruled out rodents on the tank, lol.

Hopefully! They arrive tomorrow so we'll find out if I have the motivation to dive into it after work. This is the video that convinced me this was the better direction. The company that posted it does steering stuff for automotive applications, and I've since seen similar kits used for hydro-steer setups. Brake fluid is nasty stuff, too. I'm certain it's not the case on the WD21, but ATF is used in the transmission, power steering system, and transfer case on the R50, btw. It's a universal fluid that universally pisses me off. I can't wait to power wash the crap out of the truck. I think it's just a combination of crappy fuel pumps and the truck sitting too long. I've had similar problems over the years, and each time the pump had seized and a new pump fixed it. I barely drove it from 2017-2024. I last replaced the pump in April 2024 with a new sender unit so I could address the misreading of my fuel gauge and install a new fuel temp sensor, which had failed and was throwing a code. Commuted with the truck from April to August, and it ran fine, but it's been sitting since September. The truck will start up instantly, every time. And always a good start, not just stumbling over. It just stalls out maybe 5-15 seconds later. Won't idle or won't rev, for the most part, and has not thrown a code throughout all of it, not even for a misfire. I've swapped the fuel pressure regulator, fuel filter, and vacuum tubing since they're inexpensive and easier to change out than pulling the bed. I put a pressure gauge on the line and it was reading 40-45psi prior to starting, but dropped soon after starting. The fact that it'd always start and run suggested it was at least getting some fuel. Spark and air were for sure good. As of the weekend, it was not building pressure...but it was also still able to start every time and run for a couple seconds. Guessing vapors, but I was kind of surprised. It never got to the point where it just cranked and didn't start. I had ruled out the fuel pump relay because I can hear it clicking just fine, but I tested it and swapped it anyway. When the key is turned to ON, the relay engages for a few seconds, the pump primes, and then the relay clicks off. This time around, I didn't hear the pump whirring, which aligned with the no-pressure reading. Rather than testing the ECU for power after the key is off, I tested the fuel pump relay to see when it was turning on and off. The pre-starting signals were good. When the truck is running, the camshaft position sensor that's integrated into the distributor tells the ECU to keep the relay closed. The ECU controls the relay. A faulty signal from the CPS will tell the ECU to open the relay, which will cut fuel. Since the relay remained closed several seconds after the engine had stalled, it means the CPS (and distributor) and ECU are fine. And apparently, a bad CPS signal won't throw a code according to the FSM. Beyond that, no codes present, a functional relay, and no pressure seem to suggest the pump has seized again. I have a new one coming, but before pulling the bed, I'm going to see if I can "shock" the pump loose by alternating the polarity on the leads or smacking the tank with a mallet a few times. Pulling the bed isn't difficult, but still sucks to do. Not sure I ever shared pics or info of my Frontier, but we got it new in 1998 and it's just been passed back and forth between my dad and I since. In 2021, I swapped in an H233B, WD21 discs, LSD, and 3.9 gears into it. In 2022, I tore it all down to the body and got it all repainted. In 2023, I redid the interior carpeting and headliner, including adding insulation/sound barrier stuff, and getting a set of LE wheels repaired and powder coated. Got it all tinted mid-2024. On the last day I was going to use the truck for commuting in August (I had just bought a new car and was picking it up a couple days later), some fskchead hit the truck. The damage was super trivial on the bedside and it's since been repaired, but I've not driven it since. That accident is still an ongoing @!*%show...last I heard, he was still trying to sue me...yes, after HE hit MY truck. Anyway, here's how it sat when it was still on the road. And here's the proof I changed the fuel pump last year, lol.

The rust repair depends. Owners could have it done by a dealership, or bought the panels themselves. It’d be marked if done by the dealership. In a lot of those cases, the rust would’ve been severe enough to scrap the vehicle. The air bag thing…I’d forgotten about that one. So that’s a likely a big deal. If you’re not familiar with it, it was a global recall across multiple car brands and models identified as having potentially dangerous Takata air bags. There was a risk of shrapnel being expelled during deployment. Any Nissan dealership can inspect and/or replace them, but given that a few years have passed, I’m not sure what the inventory looks like. Mine was also recalled and I had that work done (and because of all the lawsuits at the time, even got paid a few hundred to do it). Every now and then there are still articles about the defective airbags being fatal. Might be a bargaining chip, provided you are wanting to see if the recall work can still be performed.

It's been a minute and I hate to say this project is still not done. I think somewhere since my last post I had another power steering line failure (I've honestly lost count) and then there was a fight were I spent weeks trying to remove the pitman arm off the box, having destroyed a pitman arm puller and time spent waiting for oddball-sized sockets and such, all while just coping with hot weather and declining motivation. At some point I did eventually get the pitman off using my floor press. Insane battle...thing wasn't even rusted on or anything, and I tried penetrating oil and heat a few times, too. Gearbox got rebuilt (hope to never do again), but the repeated steering line failures just shut me down mentally. ATF is a nasty, nasty fluid and it's frustrating to work around...that @!*% permeates everything, particularly after it's sprayed all over. Oh yeah, I did also install a K&N FIPK kit at some point. Looks good, no clue if it works because I can't drive the truck or even start it without the power steering system in place. I had a moment earlier this week where out of the 4 vehicles I own, 3 were non-operational, and it kind of pissed me off. One is the Pathfinder, of course. The other is my 98 Frontier which has been having an issue of stalling immediately after start-up months that I've not been able to figure why, and it basically can't be driven let alone moved. Then the battery in my 2020 Telluride crapped out. Fortunately the battery was under warranty and replaced for free. In the end, the situation provided some motivation to work on the Nissans this weekend. I've been thinking about the power steering situation in the Pathfinder for weeks now and have been dragging my feet to just call a shop to come out and build some custom lines. I had ordered some pre-made crimped lines from Summit a few weeks ago but the lengths just weren't going to work (the lengths I needed were right in between sizes of 4" increments, and these sort of lines just aren't flexible enough to account for it). But tonight I stumbled across a style of fittings that, for whatever reason, never seemed to surface during all my searches in the past. These seem specifically for high pressure power steering, which pisses me off because I was looking specifically for custom high pressure power steering lines the whole time! Anyway, found a few manufacturers, went with one that seemed the most reasonable in price (i.e., least expensive), and found an online shop that didn't have tax or shipping. Suck it, Uncle Sam. This style of fittings looks far more promising, so hopefully it's exactly what I need. Stay stay stay away from the crap style I bought previously. I think beyond that, I just need to get new brake lines still. I bought some nice custom ones months ago, but I apparently did not measure correctly as they are too long to be useful. More to follow soon, hopefully.

This generation of Pathfinder (96-04) I've highly regarded as being Nissan's bastard stepchild. It's "similar" to all other Nissans of the era, but almost never the exact same. The VQ engine is no exception. Some internal parts interchange, but beyond that, they only have some commonality in terms of dimensions and specifications. The same is true for the drivetrain and suspension, which is largely similar to other Nissan trucks and SUVs, but also completely dissimilar in enough ways. In the end, there's very limited aftermarket support. I also get a lot of parts from international sources like Amayama.com (Japan, UAE) and Partsouq.com (UAE). VQ35 parts might be your toughest parts to find, but across all R50s, the only real differences where the engines used. Everything else on the chassis, including transmission, drivetrain, and suspension will pretty much be identical.

Several years in NY means it will likely have rust. Key points to look for rust are around the strut towers, and the pinch welds towards the front-bottom of the front doors where water from the cowl is channeled behind the fenders...debris build-up causes issues. The power valve issue was limited to 00-02 model years, but that's not to say it's not possible on 03-04. It does require pulling off the intake plenums to address, but again, 03 models were not in the affected range. Unfortunately, the VIN tag on the engine is buried on the top-backside of the block and not easy to see to confirm if it had been swapped, but it's unlikely it has. Still, if the engine has been swapped and runs fine, then any prior issue doesn't matter much. The truck appears to be an SE trim given the wheels and 4wd shifter. Since the truck has the part-time 4wd system (as indicated by having a shifter lever instead of a dial switch under the radio), I don't expect any issues with 4wd, but you should always check that. Truck otherwise looks good to me. €7300 is $8575 in the US, and that's pretty steep for the truck if it were still in the US. But 70K and good interior can go a long way. If you can confirm the amount of rust, and the price is negotiable, it might be a reasonable purchase. You may also want to consider parts availability. I'm not sure what engines were in European-spec R50s (Terranos), but there were turbo-diesel options out there. I believe the VQ was widely used, though, but just note that its VQ does not share a lot of parts with other Nissan VQs. Drivetrain and suspension parts were the same across all markets, though, so should be easy to find those.

It’s a pain. I recommend a reciprocating saw and some patience if you’re going that route. An air chisel might also be helpful. Best route is a floor press and suitable dies.

The bushings can be replaced, if that's what you're asking. It's a bit of a task, but doable depending on what tools you have access to. OEMs are still available, as are aftermarket polyurethane options.

This is a tough one. Agreed that the rear differential or axle is the next target. May come down to being a driving load vs. a coasting load, if that makes sense. Force is being applied differently. I mentioned previously noise induced by having bad pinion angles. In my case, where I have 6" lift in the rear, I would regularly have a buzzing sensation whenever the truck transitioned from a drive load to a coast load. Notably, the noise comes from the u-joints, even if they're good. In your case, when the driveshaft was off, there's was no drive load; it would've been 100% coast load all the time. So if you suspect it's a drive load, that might suggest either the pinion angle is bad (not likely), a/the pinion bearing(s) are worn, or the gearing backlash is a little off (though this could have also produced whining on coast).

Haha, I'm definitely a troubleshooter...and in this case, I've had my fair share of vibrations and some really wonky stuff on my own truck. The motor mounts are just deceiving. I'm not fully convinced it's your problem, but it's definitely one thing on the drivetrain that tends to get overlooked and worth ruling out. I randomly decided to replace mine a few years back after getting a good deal on a new set. I figured my current ones were just "worn", but wasn't having any problems with them. Well, they were beyond worn...they were split in half and rusting from the inside, and came off the truck in 4 pieces: I've not had a transmission mount split on my R50, but have had it happen on my D22 Frontier (Navara) where all 3 mounts were split in half like this. I'm surprised the motor and transmission didn't just flop over. Bad mounts also manifest into other odd things. My buddy's R50 had this thump at all speeds that he couldn't figure out. His driver's mount had split and the engine was basically lifting and falling onto the mount with every gear shift. I swapped in a new mounts for him and the issue was gone. That's actually very clever! Did you pull the dust shield off to do it, too? I tend to have a lot of spare parts around so any time I've thought about how I'd do it if I needed to, I figure I'd try to put a spare slip yoke in, but never figured out what would be a good way to keep it in...considering it'd be spinning like a blender. I actually now have that option, though, since the output shaft on my transfer case has been tapped to support a "slip yoke eliminator" that installs how the slip yoke would, except it's bolted to the output shaft and can't fall out. Allows for using a driveshaft that has a slip joint on it, instead of relying on slip at the transfer case. For now I still have my OE driveshaft, but will switch to a slip-shaft eventually. Run-out is the amount of axial deviation something has...it's "wobble", so to speak. Imagine a circle spinning around a "center" axis, except that center is slightly off-center, so that the distances from any point on the perimeter to that center aren't all equal. Runout is a measurement of those differences. It can also be used to detect axle shaft warpage by measuring it at the face of the wheel hub, and also on the outside perimeter of the wheel hub. These axle shafts aren't puny like that craptastic ones found in Jeeps and 05+ Nissan trucks that magically bend, so I'm not convinced it's the problem either...but again, things to rule out. Specifically for the driveshaft, I would expect runout to be checked during the balancing process. Sources of runout include a bent shaft, but also the u-joints not being centered in the yokes when installed. Most replacement u-joints only come with one set of snap rings, but in reality, many applications call for using snap rings of specific thicknesses to ensure they stay centered. That ultimately means there may be some play that allows the joint to be slightly off-center, thus introducing runout. I have experienced this first-hand on my truck after having a shop build an extended driveshaft for my R50 (which they screwed up multiple times, the shifted joint just being one of the problems)...and each time that shop gave me my driveshaft back (3 times!) it was supposedly "balanced". The amount of runout observed was appalling. I always check for it when I replace my own joints, too. Now, you've tried two driveshaft, and literally no driveshaft, so again, I'm reluctant to think it's the problem. However, the sanity check here is just confirming that there's no runout observed when it's actually on the truck, vs. when it's on a machine in the shop. Specifically for a 2000 R50 (and likely the same for all R50s), the runout limit is 0.6mm/0.024", and it's measured at 3 locations on the driveshaft. If you don't have it already, you can download the chapters of Nissan Factory Service Manual (FSM) here: https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals. When you dial down to Pathfinder > 2000, you'll have a list of chapters. View the "Propeller Shaft and Differential Carrier" (PD) chapter and jump to page PD-8. That has the specific distances where run-out should be checked. Note that you'll need a dial indicator and magnetic base to measure it, but sometimes it can be eyeballed. One option is to lift one rear tire up (other on the ground), transmission in neutral, and have someone steadily rotate the up-tire, while you watch the driveshaft or feel for runout with your hand on it. Can also hold some sort of stationary object, like a screwdriver, piece of chalk, etc., to see if there are little anomalies. Riskier option is to get the rear axle off the ground, and let the truck idle and spin the shaft (be super mindful of spinning things, especially the tires!). Also, you're correct in that your driveshaft cannot be phased incorrectly. It only applies on shafts that can be split apart, such as the front driveshaft, or two-piece shafts that use carrier bearings, presuming the splines aren't keyed. One thing about having a suspension lift is that it will pull the driveshaft out of t-case a little. The driveshaft should be fairly recessed into the t-case shield, maybe 50mm/2" from the outer lip of the shield. You may want to confirm it's not out too far (unlikely), but at the same time, you don't want it to be all the way in either. It has to slip with suspension travel. I take every opportunity I can to observe my wife's behind wife from behind.

Have you checked the motor mounts and transmission mount? They tend to look intact when they’re really split apart, and metal-on-metal contact is possible if the rubber has worn down enough. Just curious…when you drove around without the rear driveshaft, did you have something to plug the output on the t-case? As far as the rear driveshaft angles go…it takes a bit of lifting to cause the noise, like beyond 4”/100mm of lift. I suppose it’s plausible, though, depending on what the pinion angle is, but looks like you’ve checked that. How is the 2” lift being achieved in the rear? You’ve mentioned the u-joints were replaced and the shaft balanced. I’m presuming the run-out is good then, but have you confirmed it while on the truck? Every now and then, I see vehicles with bad shocks that allow for a tire to rhythmically bounce while at speed. I’ve always wondered how that manifests inside the vehicle…like, how do people drive like that and not notice?? To that point, possible to have someone pace with you in another vehicle or someone hold a camera out the window and observe something like that is not occurring? That’s something that would be speed-dependent, but I suppose I’d have also expected it when the rear driveshaft was removed.

I'd have to pull things apart on my truck to get those sort of pics, but you may want to start with the Factory Service Manual (FSM) if you haven't already: https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals. Check the Engine Control System chapter (EC) and jump to page EC-31 and EC-32. It has both the full system diagram and drawing showing where things are routed. If that doesn't help, I'll try to get you what you need in pics.

A lot of times, a 9V battery provides sufficient voltage. Otherwise, I tend to keep old cigarette charger cables around and cut the end off to expose the wires. Correct on the override. Little rectangular cap pries off and then you stick a tool in.

There are actually two switches on the brake pedal, but you're correct in assessing that if the brake lights work then the switch is good, because the AT interlock is triggered by the same switch. The other switch is for the cruise control system. The likely culprit is the park position switch on the back of the shifter assembly. When the shifter is in the Park position, it closes the ground leg of the shifter solenoid that unlocks the shifter when the brake pedal is pressed. If you supply 12V to the solenoid (also on the shifter assembly) and it latches, then the solenoid is good. You can check for continuity on the switch. In my case, my truck's previous owner tucked a chunk of tubing into the shifter override (the hole you can stick a screwdriver in to manually get the shifter out of park) because the park switch had failed. I found a replacement switch on Digikey (.com) for a couple bucks and soldered it in. You can use the tubing approach in a pinch, being fully aware that it will allow the truck to be shifted out of Park without a key and without the brake pedal being depressed. I'd just keep a screwdriver or tool in the truck until it's fixed. Don't forget there's also an interlock cable that provides mechanical functionality. The shifter moving from park also requires a key in the ignition and turned to ON. It's unlikely it's the problem, but you'd want to confirm that the correct slack/length is set where the cable connects to the shifter assembly. Full details are in the Factory Service Manual: https://www.nicoclub.com/nissan-service-manuals. Check the Automatic Transmission (AT) chapter, "A/T SHIFT LOCK SYSTEM" section after all the diagnostic code stuff.

The axle is the same with the exception of the shock mounts.

Appreciate the extra info. Digging into this stuff is never fun, and many times the error code isn't specifically for the part it references. If you suspect the ECU isn't turning the solenoid off, you may need to look into what conditions would instruct the ECU to keep it grounded, or otherwise confirm that there isn't a ground when the truck is off. I suspect a bad pressure sensor would be one of those conditions. Have you pulled the plenums off to visually inspect all hoses, actuator activation, etc.?

I've not dealt with the code before, just reading through the FSM now to toss some suggestions out there. You've confirmed the solenoid gets 12V when the temperature is up, but where are you checking for the signal, and have you confirmed that the solenoid is actually actuating? The ECU provides a ground signal for the solenoid, so if you're reading 12V before the solenoid and just grounding it, you'll see 12V. You need to confirm if the ECU is grounding. Have you Have you also stepped through the troubleshooting procedures in the FSM? There are 3 procedures based on which symptom(s) you're seeing. An improper voltage signal is sent to ECM through swirl control valve control solenoid valve. The vacuum signal is not sent to swirl control valve under specified driving conditions, even though swirl control valve control solenoid valve is ON. The vacuum signal is sent to swirl control valve even though swirl control valve control solenoid valve is OFF. Which applies? Checked the vacuum switch?

Falling behind on updates again... My guys' trip to Moab has come and gone, but unfortunately the truck was not ready in time for it. I still made it up there and had a great trip riding shotgun in Towndawg's truck (recently fitted with 4:1 t-case gears and a rear ARB locker...front ARB didn't get installed in time). Long story short, I was able to get the truck out of the garage and around the block a few times, but the steering and alignment didn't feel right, and the gear box started leaking. I had already rebuilt the power steering lines again (they had sprung a leak a 2nd time) so I have little confidence in their ability at the moment, but they seem to be holding now. This time around I snugged the fittings up a little less thinking maybe I was over-tightening them and compromising the liner. But frankly, if they're this sensitive to assembly, I probably don't want them. For now, they'll do. Parts are on order to rebuild the gear box, which I probably should have done in the first place. Beyond that, the setup has not been tested at all...but at least it drives now! Here were the finishing pieces of the build... The driveshaft adapter turned out great: Got the new rear 5.13 (41:8 = 5.125) gears installed. That took a lot of effort, though. I've surely mentioned it before, but the H233 used thick rings/spacers/washers of different thicknesses to set pinion height and preload, and practically all of those pieces are either no longer available, or several bucks each (and you don't really know which piece you'd need unless you have the proper setup tools). It didn't use traditional shims, and even then, there aren't really any good options available due to odd metric sizes. Fortunately, the new pinion gear sat high, so I was able to grind down OE spacer pieces on a flat belt sander. Unfortunately, it was a lot of trial-and-error to dial in the height (a lot of pressing pieces on and pulling pieces off), and I basically took the pieces down to the minimum factory dimensions to get it as close as I could. It sucked and took a lot of time, but the pattern is good. I also managed to strip some threads on the bracket that holds the actuator piston for my TJM, so I had to pull that off to weld some nuts on get some threads. I got the switches wired up for the overhead console the other week. I ran some 8-conductor wiring up the passenger A-pillar and into the engine bay. Six of the wires are for the overhead panel, and the other 2 I'll wire up for powering a USB port for the dash cam eventually. I ended up drawing ACC power, ground, and illumination from the compass module. Opened it up, soldered on leads, and crimped on terminals and harnesses. The panel is for a Patrol, and while the color isn't a perfect match for my gray "K" trim, it's close enough for me and I'm super happy to finally put it to use. Things are wired up in a way that's consistent with their usage; i.e., you can't engage the front locker unless the rear locker is engaged, and you can't engage the sway bar disconnect or rear locker until the compressor is on. Remote Air is for the tire inflation setup; it can either hold the air, deflate, or inflate. I was not able to get the compressor, relays, or solenoids wired up until last night, and tonight I needed to sort out some leaks from having to shuffle around my setup. These are not the finished pics, but close enough for now. I opted to use some modular solenoids that stack together instead of the ARB style solenoids...that 4-solenoid modular unit costs less than one ARB solenoid, but was a little tough to find. That funky rubber boot thing is an adjustable pressure sensor switch that I was hoping to use for the tire inflation (Remote Air) switch, so that it would stop inflating at a set PSI. Unfortunately, it's so sensitive that it'll just flutter at the set temperature and cause the compressor to keep cycling. So, I'll probably just retain it as a safety cut-off. Also determined tonight that gauge is garbage...it's way off. Lastly, this is how it sat as of yesterday before a powerwash. I spy something SASsy.

Well, this weekend was very productive. Wasn't able to roll it out, but we're getting close. Last update I mentioned the axle was being done. It's officially done and back on the truck. The bulk of the weekend was getting the axle back under the truck and slowly completing the final assembly. Right now, everything's torqued down and ready to go. Axle's centered, thing's aligned as best as I can get them with my eyechrometers. Got it to the point where the truck is resting on the axle, and tires were slapped on for a while. Still needed to tweak the steering stabilizer a bit. I finished up the mount v3 today and it's finally in a position where I don't think it's going to contact anything. Also figured I'd work on the center caps while some parts baked (powder coating). Limit straps, driveshaft adapter, and custom brake lines delivering tomorrow, among other small goodies. Been waiting on the brake lines to start the ring and pinion swap in the rear, so hopefully I get started on that mid-week.

Absolutely!