hawairish

These Febest ones are OE for $27/ea US: http://www.amazon.com/Febest-Nissan-Bumper-Spring-55240-0W010/dp/B00C6MTQIW. 55240-0W010 is the Nissan p/n...they run about about $50 from Courtesy Parts. I want to say it was a 10mm head...I probably still have the bolts laying around somewhere to confirm. You'll find that the Energy set you ordered are a bit narrower at the base by about an inch, and also shorter than stock by about the same. I was going to install the exact pair on my buddy's R50 when we did his SFD, except with 2"D x 3"H spacers. I wasn't a big fan of this setup for a few reasons, but it was cheaper than OE (I discovered the Febest ones later), and we end up going a different direction anyway for his AirLift 1000s. Also, the hole in the center of the ES ones is pretty large, so plan on using washers. The ES actually felt firmer than the OE ones, though.

Yep, check this. It's actually integrated into the latching mechanism...just a simple plunger. You can test it wth the hatch open just by sliding a screwdriver into the latch...as if to replicate the latching action when it hits the striker.

Actually, the hole in the spacer was a bit oversized (5/8"?), but that's where the nylock comes in. I used the nylock to attach the bolt to the OE bumpstop...this allowed installing the bumpstop onto the truck by hand (getting a socket inside the rubber was kind of a pain), and also centered up the bumpstop when installed. I used an 8mm x 1.25 x 70mm tap bolt and corresponding nylock...45mm-50mm should be fine for a 1" spacer.

I used body lift spacers (3"W x 2"H p/n BB02) and 50mm longer hardware on mine (and some nylocks to simplify installation). TownDawg's PO apparently put JK bumpstops on...probably bored out the hole and tapped it. I while back, I took some measurements on a 96-ish Toyota 4Runner, and it looks like those would be a perfect fit, too...I'd have to dig up my notes, but IIRC, the bolt used and style was practically identical.

Hey PrecisionX, sorry didn't make it to the JY over the weekend, but it's still on my radar.

I might make a trip the JY this weekend for some other stuff. Want me to see what it costs? I doubt it'd be $800 to buy and ship it across the country. AZ = low/no rust. May also want to talk to some of the guys in the For Sale section...I think there are some part-outs, though also in the E/NE areas so probably some rust.

Isn't the splashguard attached to that? I would think there'd be a big gap on the back side. Too bad you're not closer to AZ...two R50s at the JY I frequent have the subframes pulled and sitting by the truck. One even has the front diff pulled, removed by yours truly. Swapping it won't be fun, but it's all just bolt-on stuff.

If it works for you, great.

Is this sarcasm or agreement? What you've recommended is wrong. Bushings are meant to dampen NVH. Urethane bushings generally do less dampening than rubber, but last longer and firm up the application (control arms, sway bars, steering racks, body-on-frame/subframe). Lubing urethane bushings is to aid movement around the bushing in such applications like control arms, or to aid assembly in some cases. The steering rack needs neither: it is supposed to stay stationary, and many of those bushings are of a split design to ease installation. If you want to lube them, go nuts; the rack has notches to keep the D bushing in place. But when the rack starts moving because the O bushing is now lubed, blame the lube.

Sure...if the part is supposed to move. I don't recommend lubing urethane steering rack bushings.

Can't help with the original question, but here is the free FSM for a 1999: http://www.nicoclub.com/FSM/Pathfinder/1999_Pathfinder/ Just download (right click each link, "save as") to a folder on your computer. That way you can click between the PDFs to jump to different chapters. FWD (Forward, not front wheel drive) is the index.

Ha, I think we're driving the same truck...I'm having almost the exact same problem. The steering wheel is ocassionally off-center and I get a pop when starting turns and over bumps (two bumps if taking something at an angle, like backing out of my driveway and going across the curb). I suspect it's the sway bar bushings, so I'm installing a new set this weekend. The sway bar on the passenger side has always been a small amount off-center inside the hole where the bushing is, but now it looks like it's touching metal. Since I hear the noise on the side that's turning (i.e., left turn, noise from left side), I doubt it's any one side having an issue. The only shared systems are sway bar and steering. Since you've been testing things with the front sway bar, maybe that pushed it over the hill? Also, learned an interesting way to tell if the steering rack bushings are loose or worn...there might be a grime line where the rack has shifted in a bushing, pushing any dirt and grease away from the bushing on either side. I'll have to take a better look when my skid is off.

MichiganAve, where are you located and how much longer where they over stock (or what are min/max lengths)? I haven't read the thread...will later, in case if they dimensions are in there.

Same issue. I put a resistor on it, problem solved.

Hahaha...so B is for Bunny. Yeah, she's going through this "that's scary" phase. "Cute" was last month. Last week, a lady bug was scary. The week before, when towing an empty trailer, I told her all the noise was a ghost...and that was scary (bad move on my part...the whole drive she kept telling me about the scary ghost). I guess now's the best time of the year for that. But yes, Darko would be way over the top...tempting, though.

Sorry, my answer was in the context of maddmark81's quest to replace rubber bushings around the vehicle, given all the other posts. Mine were nylon (98 Frontier). I had an idler arm brace on it at one point, so I had it partially disassembled...but that was long ago. Oh, and B...every time my 2-yo sees your avatar she says two things: "Bunny!" and "He's scary." She makes me stop browsing the forums to find you. Just thought I'd share. Anyway, carry on.

That's your idler arm. Connects to the steering centerlink, mirrors the motion of the power steering pump and pitman arm. No bushings, instead a ball joint and some bearings.

This. Especially for anything code related, you should always consult the Factory Service Manual...it spells out all the troubleshooting procedures for all codes. Do a Google search for "Pathfinder FSM"...it'll take you to the NICO website where they're all freely available.

Small math error on my previous post...the offset on one of my setups was -1.4% not -0.14%... Yes, lower low range gears will give you a mechanical advantage in 4L (and technically 2L if you dare), but axle gears affect the entire drivetrain regardless of transfer case or transmission gear. And for that reason, you're better off correcting the axle gear ratio first if it sees any on-road use (and I think this is more central to the original discussion). When it comes to off-road, though, the discussion really converges on crawl ratio. It's not usually for comparing dissimilar vehicles, since it neglects engine performance and tire size, but it's a good way to calculate your own baselines. If you went from 4.363 to 4.636 and swapped your low gears from 2.02 to 3.71, you almost double your crawl ratio.

No need to guess about this stuff. All you need is your OE tire size and OE gear ratio. Let's use 255/65/16 and 4.363 as an example. It's best to use actual sizes from the tire manufacturer's website (even a 32" tire isn't 32"), but to convert a metric tire to inches: Double the section width: 2 x 255 = 510 Multiply it by the aspect ratio: 510 x .65 = 331.5 Divide it by 25.4: 331.5 / 25.4 = 13.1 Add the wheel diameter: 13.1 + 16 = 29.1 Now, divide OE tire size by OE gear ratio: 29.1 / 4.363 = 6.67. What gear is ideal for a tire size? 33 / 6.67 = 4.95 What tire size is ideal for a gear? 4.90 x 6.67 = 32.7 So let's say I jumped to a 33" but kept 4.363 gears...offset can be determined using the ideal gear or the OE tire size. 4.95 / 4.363 = 1.135 (or +13.5%) 33 / 29.1 = 1.134 (or +13.4%) Here's how to think about it: your tires are 13.5% taller and longer in circumference you're going 13.5% faster than your speedo says you'll travel 13.5% farther than your odometer says your engine will work 13.5% harder when accelerating you might see up a 13.5% increase in mileage at cruising speeds your effective gear ratio and torque at the wheels decreases at least 13.5% Long story short: bad for slow speeds, good for high speeds. You can see the trade-offs of changing tire sizes with and without changing gears, though this doesn't really take into effect heaver tires, rotational mass, rolling resistance, etc. (but you can rest assured they don't help!). YMMV for accelerating and cruising loads/speeds, of course, but you get the idea. Since I've had a few changes already, I have other numbers for comparing to OE: 30.5 / 4.363 = 6.99, 30.5 / 4.636 = 6.58, and 31.6 / 4.636 = 6.82. 6.99 / 6.67 = 1.048 (or +4.8%) 6.58 / 6.67 = 0.986 (or -0.14%) 6.82 / 6.67 = 1.022 (or +2.2%) That all said, if you want to improve—or retain—your off-roading performance, you'll want to re-gear. I wouldn't really consider it until you're pushing 8% or more, though. I re-geared because I was already planning on the LSD swap/re-pack and larger tires, and the gears were a very inexpensive upgrade.

Here: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40619-rear-axle-id/?p=760750 Yep, if you've got 4.636 already, then you're already out of options. Those with 4.363 (HG43) can swap up, which is what I did a few months back. If the diffs are already pulled, the ratio is stamped on the side of the ring gear as ring teeth to pinion teeth (i.e, "49:10"). If you can get them for $90 each, that's a deal! But that's where I get some of my numbers...$200-$300 for both sets of gears from the JY, already set up in the diffs and another <$700 for the outsourced work. Since you have the right tools, I would think this would be right up your alley. At minimum, it also puts a front diff in that better aftermarket gearing options, which is also key here for you if you want to push 35's.

Of course, the simpler the design, the cheaper the costs. The design in my mind is essentially a simple cradle that the axle fits into, a few inches of weld, and that's it. The only reason for the laser/water jet is because if the parts are simple enough, it's cheaper to have a few pieces made rather than one-off...the idea being that I make a few of them to justify costs. There are some 5.13 (rear only) and 5.14 (front and rear) gears out there, as well as taller rear gears...Rugged Rocks sells them. The 5.14 front gears are Nismo gears and appear to be usable in the C200 axle...but the C200 and non-R50 R200 are both low-pinion. So, still SOL on front gears.

I won't make this a debate about SAS vs IFS, but until an IFS wheel comes off the ground, there is no difference between a straight-axle and an IFS in terms of traction. The SAS affords being in wheel-up situation in more extreme conditions. I don't think the labor or costs are nearly the same. I have no doubts I could have all that parts needed for a full-vehicle 4.9 swap and work outsourced (welding, CNC milling, laser/water cutting parts) for well under $1K. That's competitive with a normal re-gear on a non-R50 Nissan truck/SUV for aftermarket gears alone, and wouldn't require any gear setup.

Might've been me saying it in my R200 vs R200 thread. But it's pretty much exactly that...just need to weld/bolt on something to mimic the R50's version of the axle. Since the non-R50 axle is shorter, this helps the situation greatly. I disagree, for the reason above and because there are much fewer challenges here: 1. Find a replacement cover; probably from a C200 rear axle (if patterns are the same). 2. Cut/grind a mounting bracket off the non-R50 axle 3. Weld/bolt new brackets to the non-R50 axle 4. Widen the axle; this can be done in two ways: 1) CNC-milled spacers between CVs and CV flanges, 2) X/FRs CVs and a spacer (this would also increase articulation) 5. Guys with missing links would need to remove them; no impact to guys without. Done correctly, a new ML could be made or incorporated. There's more research needed for the above, but this how I see it happening. The finished axle would bolt right into the subframe.

I'd like to hear more about a group buy. I'd have an axle to donate if helpful. The X/Fr axle swap is something I'm planning to look into further in a couple months.