Saturn

I have 2.5" spacers and .75" coils, I aligned the truck myself, camber was barely out, didn't even touch it, tires wear fine and the truck drives straight. Don't worry about it. Any tech worth his salt can align one of these after a lift.

You remind me of me. I'm 18, my pathy was my first car, I absolutely love her (Jennifer) and I've done weeks worth of work to it. There's always something to be done to it but it's my car and I'm not ever letting it go. Cars are a lot like girls and relationships, you need to go look at your truck for a long time and decide if this is still the one for you. If you have the money to fix the critical stuff then it's up to you. Remember that body work/paint scratches isn't necessary for driving, that can wait. A leak can be filled with silicone, or duct tape depending on loaction, electrical stuff can usually be fixed on the cheap if you have the patience for research and diagnosis, which leaves the tranny and the rust. You can do the transmission yourself if you can find one at a JY and you have the skills, and don't be intimidated by the job, you could probably do it given the list of things you said you did. My biggest concern is the rust, that can require some serious cutting/welding/coating and it really isn't a DIY thing depending on how bad it is. Ultimately if you're willing to work for it this can be a great truck, but it takes a ton of effort. You're a college student , that takes a lot of time, but your pathy obviously still runs and drives. What I would do is, if you decide to keep it, pick one project and tackle it in a weekend, just one thing at a time. But you have to decide if she's worth it. follow your heart dude.

The right side (tech and temp) gauges on my truck wouldn't light up so I popped the cluster out and I barely even touched the bulb and it kit up, I guess I'd had come loose a bit, might be your case too, it's not difficult to get it out. If that's not it I'd check the dimmer switch like the dude above me said.

Trail rig sounds nice dude. My pathfinder is everything, DD, trail rig, personal living space, road trip vehicle, if something breaks I gotta fix it but you have options. I'd make it the woods truck, Pathfinders are tough, it'll do you right until the newness of the jeep wears off. From the posts of yours I've read you don't like working on the thing, so don't, I've put my truck through absolute hell and it's never perfect but it keeps going. You could take it to a shop for work to be done if you're just tired of the work, but I understand being worn out with a vehicle in general. And if you ever go to sell it let me know, I'd be interested in parts at the very least.

Jennifer

Keep in mind that while they have the same differential the axles are different. http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/42436-31-spline-swap-or-how-to-install-a-rear-mechanical-locker-in-the-r50/?hl=%2Br50+%2Blocker I think Xplorx4 is right (he usually is) in that they're both called H233B, but there are different versions of the rear end in each truck. I don't know of any plug and play rear mechanical locker for an R50 but there are some for the d22. Some websites with mechanical lockers for d22s say that they're compatible with "H233Bs", but they don't always specify and I don't know if I believe them that they fit R50s because R50s have 33 spline axleshafts and D22s have 31 splines. http://www.lowrangeoffroad.com/powertrax-rear-lock-right-locker-nissan-h233b-4-pinion-carrier-pt-3220.html This one claims all H233Bs, including R50s, which I found unusual. http://www.4x4parts.com/i-18915694-complete-detroit-locker-assembly.html This one only says 31 spline https://www.summitracing.com/parts/pwt-3220-lr Summit has the same powertrax as lowrange and says 31 spline only So rear end compatiblity is questionable to me, I tend to lean towards mods not swapping over, but OEM parts should into the axle case. The NPORA link I posted goes into more detail.

Thanks all, I think I'm gonna go with ARB coils and I'll get the d21 brake lines just in case I put it all together and its stretched. Just curious Hawairish, what shocks are you using? I just put on a set of Rancho rs5000s which I think are slightly above OEM length. And why does everyone seem to use KYB GR-2s? Are The longer or tougher or something? The mechanics in my shop say that KYBS are often defective, I have Monroe's up front cause they're our main supplier, discounts!

Also, I'm pretty sure that if I used the AC 2" coils, for 4.5" of total lift, wouldn't that be too tall for more than just the brake lines, like I'd need a SFD? I'm RWD so no CVs to worry about, but I figured there'd be too many limiting factors in the stock suspension. Just curious.

Quick question related to brake lines: I have 2.5" spacers all the way around but my coils are so worn out you can barely tell its lifted, so I'm gonna get new ones, the question is if I get the ARB coils, which give about a half inch of lift, will I need longer brake lines at because I have 3" of lift all the way around? I also saw a video where a guy with a toyota truck just bought two sets of soft brake lines and attached two together on each side for double length brake lines at OEM prices, is this feasible for us or is that just toyotas?

You definitely have macpherson style struts, no upper A-Arms. Monroes shouldn't cost hundreds more than anything, mine were under 100$ each, although they didnt come with coils and mounts, so maybe thats the difference, but I still doubt they'd cost that much more than bilsteins. Armadas didn't come around till 05, so 03/04 shouldn't matter. My best guess is that he made a mistake when entering the year because he asked if it was a V8, 00-04 Pathfinders only ever had the 3.5 V6, and 4wheelparts' website reflects that, its the only engine option for those years. He is right that there aren't many offroad options, if any, for the r50 struts. ARB makes coils for it, but you're gonna be hard pressed to find a whole assembly. 4wheelparts' catalog is somewhat misleading, under my selection of my vehicle, 2002 RWD Pathy, it gives me several listings of sets of 4 individual shocks when my truck only takes two and has struts up front, but it claims those have direct fitment even though I'd have two useless shocks if I bought them. If you want an offroad setup I'd go OE equivalent front strut tower with ARB or some other taller coils. A second professional opinion definitely wouldnt hurt.

I was unable to find a how-to on a VQ powered R50, there were plenty for WD21s, Frontiers, and Xterras, and one video of an alternator for an R50, but nothing for the starter. There just isn't as much DIY info out there for these trucks. The Haynes manual was about as useful as the normal general "how to replace a starter" videos, which basically just say unplug the battery, unplug the starter, unbolt the starter, reverse.

My pathy has had occasional slow starts, have to crank it a little to get it going, I ran a starting system check on it with our machine at work (tire shop) and it came up fine, didn't realize you have to re-run the test over and over until it actually does the slow start, it started up just fine when running the test. So I figured it was just a quirk of the car. wrong. Friday night, go to get hiarcut, lady cutting my hair has an Integra, her clutch died on her way here and she had to get towed in to work. fate has selected its victims. Its dark out, ~8 o'clock, pathy doesnt start. Have to be at work at 6:30 next day (saturday, my company sucks like that), Try the hammer on starter thing, no cigar, call buddy to bring me a starter from parts store and help me out (he owes me one), he can't. Mom shows up, takes me to autozone, buy the only starter for my truck they have in the country and the haynes manual. Too tired to mess with car that night. AAA tows my truck and drops it in the driveway. Drive moms van the next day, lucky she doesn't work Saturdays. Work 6:30-5:00, no break, go home, parents are out of town. I'm here with my truck that doesn't start, no one to help me, my toolbox, a lot of lights, and a date to go on the next day. Sit down for 30 minutes, drink a jaritos mandarin soda. I've never been on my own to fix a car like this, always had an experienced mechanic or DIYer watching over my shoulder, but now its just me, 18 years old and it's time to find out if I'm a man or a boy. It's just two bolts and a wire. that's all. that's it. right? Gotta move the wiring harness and some other stuff, spend tons of time getting it loose, wrench the little f****r out of there, order pizza (thank God for late night delivery), transfer metal gasket thing over to new starter, compare them to make sure I have the right part. I do. Grit teeth and start wrestling the new one in after taking pics of the inside of the engine with my borescope, curious. Shove it in after lining it up wrong a couple times, hook it all back up. My truck was covered in oil (rear main seal leak) and clay/mud (Ocala National Forest), and now so am I. Work has never made me look this filthy. Lower the rig, reconnect the battery, put key in, hold breath, accessory on, give it a flick, it hesitates for a second then cranks up. Shout of victory probably wakes neighbors two blocks away. Look at clock, 11:27, I've been up since 5 and working most of that time but I have a joyride to get too. get home just before midnight and pass out in the shower for a bit. In bed at 12:30. This is kind of a weird post, but I felt like sharing it, this was kind of a turning point for me, I'd never been on my own to do something like this, and I didn't really have time to prepare for it, and I got it done with nothing but my wits and my tools. Haynes manual wasn't all that helpful, glad i have it though, it's come in handy since then. Replacing a starter may not seem like a big deal to yall, and it doesn't to me either, but it was the circumstances that made this feel like climbing K2. So yeah that's my story. I don't have a whole lot of pertinent information that yall probably dont already have, but I figured I'd share this anyway cause it seemed interesting to me. Moral of the story: listen to your car, I could've avoided some serious headache by replacing this thing earlier.

Hey dude, you're pretty close to me I think, bring the truck on by my shop! My truck has a 2.5" spacer lift and we got it aligned no problem!

Hey, welcome to the forum! I'm also in Florida, Jacksonville to be specific, and I'm running rancho RS5000 like 03Troutfinder, no complaints. I'd recommend replacing the struts as well as the shocks, I just dropped in a set of monroes up front and a 2.5" spacer all the way around. I'm RWD so I have no concern for CVs, but you might have issues if you keep going higher. My advice is just do the coils first and test it out, unless you're doing some hardcore stuff you probably wont need to go higher. Warn hubs will help reduce front drivetrain wear, or you could just go SAS lol. Welcome to Florida and the wonderful world of R50s, cheers!

johann_peralta's description is pretty accurate. I replaced mine ~6 months ago. be careful when pulling the TREs and putting them in, I busted one of my new ones and had to re use and old one, luckily mine weren't in too bad of shape, the rack just came with new ones. This was the first major job I ever did on my rig, took ~4 hours with help, had to make one run to the store for a socket size we didn't have. Don't forget to have the truck aligned afterward. To mitigate the off alignment, count the number of turns it takes to get your TREs off the tie rods and put the new ones on the same number of turns, this will give you roughly the same alignment but you'll still need it done professionally. Hardest part for me was just getting the thing lined up and seated right, but I was pretty scrawny at the time. You should have a pretty easy time of it with an impact, I did it all with hand tools. Good luck m8

I did mine recently, the plastic around the tube seals cracked when I tried to remove them. If you have a high mileage VQ (180 on mine) consider replacing the whole valve cover. Its plastic and warps over time and may be compromised. Mine were 400$ for the set because I had to rush them from a dealership, but they may be cheaper elsewhere.

Problem found, my blend door actuator went out on me. None of the parts stores near me have it so its gonna be a dealership or junkyard trip, in the meantime i managed to get the blend door all the open with a screwdriver, so the AC blows hot all the time, but at least I can just roll down the windows when it gets hot. Thanks for the info everyone!

So after a recent off-road bout my upper a.c. vents i, the cabin won't blow. When I run the AC on I can hear the fan and everything start moving, and the vents in the footwells work perfectly but nothing comes out of the vents in the dash. I pulled the glove box out and the cabin filters were dirtt, I'll change them, but I started the system without the filters and still nothing from the vents, even when I sealed the slot for the filters. This is really frustrating, the AC system obviously works, it just won't blow out of some of the vents. 2002 LE by the way, electronic HVAC controls. I've looked around and no one else seems to have this problem. Any ideas?

I recently replaced the steering rack in my 02 Pathfinder and can't figure out what to do with the old leaky rack. I bought my new rack on Amazon, it never mentioned core or return other than a label on the box when it got here that said my warranty would be void until I returned the core, but there is no shipping address and I didn't purchase or see anything about a warranty. I don't care about the warranty and my mom wants this rack out of our garage ASAP. What do?

Thanks guys,it sounds like I'll be taking it into a shop as this is a bit beyond me and I already have to replace my trailing arms and I'm doing that myself.

My 02 RWD pathy has been puking power steering fluid for some time now, after going through 3 bottles of it with stop leak and checking the pump and all lines around it I finally took off the skid plate and an H-shaped brace in front of the rack and noticed that the leak seemed to be coming from the drivers side boot, which has been completely ripped open. However, the passenger side has also been ripped and does not seem to be leaking. I don't have much knowledge of steering systems so far, so forgive my inexperience, but do the boots hold fluid? And if not, then where might the leak be coming from? Are there any well known trouble spots in this area? Thanks for your consideration!

I didn't realise there were front and rear cats until now, the one that has already been replaced is the rear passenger side. I'm probably gonna replace the rear driver side now. If the bolts won't come loose and it has to be cut, is a weld mandatory for replacement or could I use a hose clamp or something else?

Code is "catalytic innefficiency", don't cats have a metal or reactant that burns up a bit whenever their used? I don't know why it's clogged, but the car was already stranded on the side of the road because of the first one wearing out and I really wouldn't like that to happen againn. My dad's engine blew up 4 months ago and today my mom's car left us stranded on our way home in Georgia, probable ECU failure, so we're really strapped for cash here. If I were to replace it, would a weld be required to hold the new one or could a hose clamp or other solution do it? All my makeshift breaker bars couldn't get the bolts loose and the other cat had to be cut, so this one probably will too. My brother can weld but not very well.

If I replace it I'll probably get one from a junkyard with the rest of the pipe for about 90$, I'm really low on money and mostly looking for advice on how to do it. Do you know what would happen if I just straight piped it?

We've already replaced one cat on my 02 3.5 and it was a hefty chunk of change that I'm not ready to spend again. My other cat is clogging up and has been making the car rumble intermittently for over a year. I'm 17, a student, trying to save for a new car (probably a 4x4 pathy) and it's really not in the cards to spend close to a grand on a small exhaust part at a mechanic. The bolts on the converter are basically welded on, will probably have to cut it. I want to know if anyone here has replaced theirs and how it was done. I also would like to know if anyone has gone catless, just straight piping past it. We have no emissions inspection where I live so I'm not worried about that, what I'm worried about is my ECU possibly not running the engine right without it and throwing a nasty code. All thoughts are appreciated, as evidenced by my youth I am quite new to this.