DanF.

Thanks. I was starting to lose my mind.

How did you access the Nissan Pathfinder lift on their site? I can't seem to find it except by clicking your link. I have an Xterra as well as my wife's Pathfinder, and am curious if they offer a kit for that.

It doesn't seem to be as far back as the transfer case/driveshaft connection. It's in the same exact area as the 4wd sensor location that was a leaking issue before.

Yeah, the drip pattern is only on the passenger side. It's as if it's being sprayed up at the body of the truck, and traveling down the "frame rails" and dripping further out towards the doors/step-bars. I'll be moving to rental house soon, and it has a small garage. I'll be able to jack the Pathfinder up and take a peak at the problem and try to find the issue. Right now our apt. parking lots are all angled, and covered in snow/ice. It's also too f$#king cold out to bother trying.

OK, thanks for the suggestions guys. Where are the lines located on the transmission? I've got a ton of snow outside now, and am going to have to wait until there's a bit of better weather to do any investigation.

2004 Pathfinder 3.5 4x4 Automatic There is a sizable leak that coming from somewhere not visible on the bottom of the transmission/transfer case itself. It is as if there is a pressurized leak spraying up and over to the passenger side, between the two doors. It is coating the underside of the Pathfinder, but not actually leaking down from the transmission. It's getting difficult to figure this out. Several months ago my wife brought it to her mechanic who said that the 4WD sensor was leaking. After replacing that sensor with a new part the leak seemed to go away, until a couple weeks ago, and now the leak is happening fast enough where it's causing issues with how the transmission operates. It is currently spraying out onto the bottom of the passenger side in the same place as before, and causing the same drip pattern on the ground when the Pathfinder is parked. I don't normally drive the Pathfinder (wife's rig) and have to rely on her description of the issue. She finally admitted that it was shifting weird and stalling out at STOP signs. I drove it yesterday, and while checking the fluid level found it was not even registering on the dip stick. Awesome. Once I filled it up with Dexron III ATF the transmission shifted normally and operated as if there was no issue at all. So that's nice. Her mechanic swears that he can't find the source of the leak, and I'm not too fond of his lack of ability since he seemed to have no problem finding the previous leak. He claims that sometimes the transmission just runs low after a lot of driving. WTF?!? So, my question is: Where are the possible places where the transmission could be leaking from?

Ok, thanks. I know the wheel will mount the hub just fine. I was wondering more about the offset and backspacing issues, but after reading some more info/specs. I was able to find out that there'd be some rubbing issues.

Edit: I posted this question on clubxterra.org, but haven't gotten any replies. I found a craigslist ad with Nissan wheels and year old winter tires for cheap, and am wondering if they will fit my 2004 Xterra without rubbing. I know the centerbore and lug pattern are the same for the two vehicles, but I'm wondering if any of you guys know about whether the offset and backspacing would be an issue. My Xterra is stock. The seller messaged me back saying that the wheels are off of a "mid-90s Nissan truck". I'm guessing he is referring to a D21 Hardbody. Here is the ad: https://nh.craigslist.org/wto/5936221805.html TIA

Is the R50 manual gearbox the same one that is in the WD22 Xterra? I know the automatic transmissions are the same JATCO units.

Is there a write-up anywhere with pics. on this forum? My wife's '04 SE 4x4 is starting to leak PS fluid and the shop wants $700+ for the rack before labor is added.

I threw a reusable, synthetic dry-element, air filter into my 3.5L R50. Added at least a 2%* increase in power. http://www.upgr8.com/store/oem-replacement-panel-air-filters.html?make=88&model=554&year=61 The 3.3L and 3.5L are (dimensionally) identical as far as I can tell. I got the red one on Amazon because Prime > anything else, and I don't see any info on why the green version is $10 more. *might be more like .02%

Short-term update: Filter arrived three days ago in perfect condition. Nice packaging, and came with two decals/stickers; one to throw up on your window, and one to affix to your airbox with date/milage info. I didn't whip out a tape measure and compare dimensions to the 0.0001", but my calibrated eyeball didn't see any variation from the stock paper filter. It fit into the filter holder, and dropped down into the airbox easily. It was the smallest bit snug, but I was able to get it clipped into place with no problems. Driving: The old filter was at least a year old, and was dirty. Car seemed to be getting more sluggish, so my butt-dyno perceived a small improvement in top-end acceleration, but I assume this is a placebo effect, or simply because a new filter will flow better than a dirty filter. Anyways... it's a filter, so it's not that exciting. If it lasts for a couple years, and allows me to easily clean it, I'll have gotten my money's worth. Not the worst thing to spend $20 on.

Yeah, there were one or two others that I was also going to buy, but noticed that they were pre-oiled. No good. It was either this filter, or one of the others... AEM perhaps, that had some reviews saying the rubber surround was dimensionally off by a few millimeters, and that it was necessary to trip some of it. Either way, I'm not worried about it as long as it's close. I care about a good seal and air flow vs. filtering/protection. I should get it in a few days, and I'll take some pics.

What is the benefit of running HD springs up front and MD in the rear? Are you guys dealing with a lot of extra weight mounted up front (aftermarket bumper, winch, etc...) or is there a handling benefit?

Upgr8 U8701-3001 Hd PRO OEM Replacement High Performance Dry Drop-in Panel Air Filter https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00LNOY5WG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1Q57SEEA9S0XO&coliid=ILMG2S5WZGUAK&psc=1 It's more than a stock filter, but it's reusable and should pay for itself if it holds up for a year or so.

Biscuits.

Thanks for the reply. Rear springs seem to sag a lot over the years on these R50s. I know mine are really sagging.

Was that the AC 2" lift?

It's not moderated, so there's lots of dumb stuff: same lift questions posted 3 times a day, help... my engine won't work, should I run LED lightbars during the day, etc.

For some reason I posted twice. Mods, feel free to move Post #2 to my other thread and delete this one. I hit the back button as I hit Post, and thought it was deleted. WHoops.

Are there any pros/cons to crawling along (+/-5mph) in 1st gear with OD off? (automatic gearbox) Next, is there a guide to how much I should air-down with stock-sized tires? I'm thinking about going down to 20psi as a starting point, and see how that works. And, does anyone have any experience good/bad with the Viair 88P Portable Air Compressor? My wife is demanding an Xmas present suggestion (she didn't think rolls of crisp $100s was appropriate) and I pulled this out of thin air. Are there better options in the sub-$100 category? I've been exploring a lot of the class VI roads nearby, and realized that I don't really know what I'm doing other than trying to be safe and not break anything or tear up the ground. Thanks .

Newb questions: Are there realistic pros or cons to driving off-road at slow speeds (+/-5mph) in 1st or 2nd gear with the OD off? Does having the torque convertor locked add any benefit to crawling along at low speeds? Next, I've been looking for ways to increase traction while still adhering to the "tread lightly" philosophy and had a "duh" moment over never bothering to air down. For OEM size tires, what is a good pressure to drop to? Is 20psi still too high? Also, I've seen a lot of positive reviews for the Viair 88P 12v portable compressor. Do any of you have experience with that model, or know of a better model in that sub-$100 category?

Here: http://www.andysautosport.com/performance_mufflers/nissan_350z.html

All these nice rigs, and here I am just slipping and sliding up a rutted Class VI road I found yesterday on my winter tires and saggy springs. Just enough clearance for 99% of the road. Look at all that flex! The ruts in that small hole were about two feet deep, and I would have been stuck out in the middle of nowhere. So I just took the go-around. I drove maybe a half mile (?) up the road, and turned around at a fork where it was wide enough to do a 234-point turn. It was the only time I needed to engage 4wd. The road and ground consist of wet leaves covering muddy stones, so my rear tires spun too much. The road goes for a bit more, but I had my sleeping daughter in the back seat and didn't think I needed to do anything reckless like pop tire. The winter tires on the truck are M+S Firestone WinterForce 245/70R16, so nothing too off-roady. Anyway, after I left that road I continued to explore the (million or so) backroads near where I moved to. Even thought peak-foliage has passed up here in NH, the colors are still amazing. Saw my 43rd* flock of turkeys. I imagine they have some Spidey-Sense® that alerts them to non-hunters. So they just walk out in front of me and take their time pecking away at the ground.

A tech specs repository for the various options offered for the R50 is what's needed. Too much, "well I heard this..." about a certain year's specs, and not enough verified data floating around. Hope this post gets stickied for future questions.