NovaPath

I'm starting to put together a tool kit of parts and the accompanying tools to take with me on my camping and wheeling trips. So far what I either have or am working on acquiring is: Spare front CV axle Spare tie rod end spare ball joint tire plug kit misc fluids and quick set metal epoxies(think JB weld etc) Should I be carrying spare u-joints? Seems like the Jeeps I go with are always either popping caps off or grenadine these things, but I haven't seen reports of our pathfinder doing the same thing. Would this be a replaceable component mid trail if it were to break on one of these? Any other items common to break when wheeling these things? Thanks!

oops, username is actually not the same. This is the link to the post though, user name RG5384. http://www.expeditionportal.com/forum/threads/138822-R50-Pathfinder-Progression-Trip-Thread

I think the top out issue with the Ac lift is overblown. The only time I've noticed it is if I take a speed bump way faster than I should be anyways. I've wheeled the thing harder than most(with exception of a select few of you ;D ), and never run into a problem. Perhaps it is just my opinion but I find the ac 2" lift to be a perfect combo of stiffness and ride quality, but then again I haven't ever ridden in one equipped with the OME setup, either. From Indy's picture above it looks like the OME would fit your needs equally well, hard to go wrong with either IMO as they both have to be a huge improvement over the stock. If you don't need to the ground clearance might as well go with OME for the better ride(again, no personal experience just what I've read and researched prior to going with AC.) If you want to see pictures, articulation etc of the Ac lift check out my build thread on expedition portal, same user name.

That looks great. Sorry if you have covered this elsewhere, but what fender flares are you using? They don't look stock. Thanks,

Thanks for the clarification on OME not having an HD spring, I could have sworn I was trying to decide between those and the ac lift but it was a while back... I can tell you that swapping out my rear Springs was Huge on the ability to safely carry cargo. I don't know if the factory Springs were always weak be design or if they just fatigue, but replacing them with an upgraded coil is almost a must on these trucks in my opinion...

You are definitely going to want to upgrade the rear springs, I used the lift kit from ac customizers (4x4parts.com) and haven't looked back. You will also want to put airbags in the back, but to that note I have no experience with as my Springs solved all of my issues, but I Don't tow with mine. The most I've done is haul a trunk load of firewood or camping gear... I've heard great things about the OME lift, but don't have any personal experience. With what you are towing and hauling regularly I'm surprised you aren't looking at the HD lineup though. Nice Pathy!

For what it's worth I checked the resistance of mine after a similar driving situation, and even though I could audibly tell it was locked it still spun easily by hand with the engine off.

While not ideal, the best solution seems to be to get a 31" spare to fit there, that way you are decreasing your rolling diameter difference to 2". When I upgrade to 33's that's what I plan to do, and I will just put the smaller tire on of the front wheels so I don't burn up the LSD. I've got manual hubs in the front so aside from it driving funky there should be no real mechanical problems.... Good Luck

Thanks for the replies guys, but this job is already over and done with . I went with the Raybestos professional grade from rockauto and ordered the rest of the parts from the dealer.

So, the new starter is in. I did not take any pictures(sorry!) as it was a very messy/dirty job(I do wheel my truck, afterall...). The good part is I did not have to move any other components out of the way. The bad part is, this job sucks, flat out sucks. There is no room to work what-so-ever, you have to wait until you get the two bolts out before you can disconnect the starter solenoid wireing, and then you have to literally turn your hands inside out to twist and mangle this thing out of a hole that is maybe 1/4" bigger than the assembly when it is in the exact right position. Installation is, of course, the same as removeal. I'm glad this job is over. All said and done it took about 3 hours, including fiddling with the lift electrical connection so we could use it. That may not seem bad, but remember, this job is literally 3 bolts....and it took That long.

parts and labor totalled 300(288 to be exact). I purchased the starter and will be installing myself tomorrow. Thanks for the help guys!

So, there is another thread on this, but being that I am debating between paying the $300.00 to have a shop do it, or doing it myself for the part cost of $80, I Thought I would start another in hopes of getting some feedback. Anyone done a starter replacement on a 2001+(VQ 3.5) 4wd automatic? Was it a bear or as easy as the FSM states?(two bolts). The shop has it listed as an hour labor, but if I'm having to remove axles or twist steering racks I'll gladly pay to have someone else waste their time installing this thing.. Thanks in advance

The clutch on mine only "locks" when it is significantly hot our and I am either idling for long periods of time or am moving and stop and go traffic(I live around the DC area so stop and go traffic is severe). If it is not cold at first start up while idling, I suspect you are low on freon. Good Luck!

Yup, as they said either A. low on Freon, or B. mechanical fan clutch is not "clutching" any longer.

Great work!

Good to know thanks for the post!

To be honest I totally forgot about that(in regard to attaching to the strut. The only way I can think to verify is to turn the wheel all the way to one side, and try to eyeball if the new joint will have that much rotation. This would also remove a heim style joint from a possibility up front as well. If only I had thought of this sooner I could have investigated it when I was doing my brakes this morning(upgraded to hawk LTS, HUGE difference especially when combined with finally adjusting my LSV after the lift). I'm going to remove the rear sway for the trip in a couple weekends, and get the rear sorted and fabbed up. I may just leave the front the heck alone until I'm able to turn this truck into a camping/wheeling only rig(probably a year or more away).

I took this project out again today and se it on my counter, but that is about as far as I got with it. I think I lucked out as my 180* disconnects are like your one good one. I've got an offroad event planned for the end of June that I will probably just take the rear one off for, but after it is off I can mock up the replacement pieces and figure out how to make at least the rear work. My issue with the pin type ones shown is noise, they are going to create quite the racket with two moveable pins, and 2 moveable clips all banging around on every bump.

My 180* ones seemed to be okay, but maybe a slight bit of play. Regardless, i'm going to give them a go. Stainless steel rods came in while I was away on business travel, but this past weekend was spent detailing the family hauler and trying to get rid of the rotten egg smell(literally) from the trunk. Hoping next weekend to have the nuts here and be able to tinker...

Thanks for the follow up. I know I will eventually be in this boat again, but for now the starter has not been acting up(well, once or twice since I posted that back in February). Once it starts acting up again i'll deal with it...

I know you did not mention anywhere that you wanted to lift it, so this may not be helpful. I had the exact same issue as you and it was absolutely terrible to drive over any sort of speed hump(not bump, but hump at any sort of speed), or dip in the road. It was compounded as there is a dip in the road that you must hit everytime you leave and come back to where I live, so it was at a very minimum happening twice a day. Once I installed the 2" lift and bilstein 5100 series rear shocks it rides like a dream over those same bumps.

That was nice of you to come back and post the outcome. All too often threads like this end without any resolution, which is very angering for someone searching for the same problem down the line!

Placed an order through Grainger tonight for 2 1ft sections of 316 grade 1/2-20 right hand all thread. Still need to source the bolts but that shouldn't be all that difficult I wouldn't think. Scheduled to arrive May 20th, and I should have some time to tinker(I hope) the weekend after. I will update once they are cut and installed!

I received them in the mail yesterday and had a chance to unbox them. The good news is I definitely think they will be strong enough, but there are two downsides: 1. The springs on the 90* angle ones are very difficult to compress with one hand. Perhaps they will be easier once mounted. 2. There is play in the joints that will undoubtedly lead to noise. I'm wondering if I can pack them with some super thick grease to help reduce it, time will tell I suppose. The rear noise won't bother me as much as the front, but I hate being able to feel clunking and loose parts through the wheel and the floorboards. I'm still moving forward with the project, but suspect I may ultimately go the heim joint route as well. This will serve as a very practical, useful, and cost effective stepping stone I think, but I don't expect it to be the end result.

For a grand seems hard to go wrong, depending on what registering fees etc are where you live.