RainGoat

If just popping the tail up offroad it shouldn’t be detectable. I never noticed it in about 20 years usage

That sounds alot like what happened to my engine - the ticking, not the secondary noise I hear. I was told probably lifters but when we got in we found 5 screws on the power valve missing & one of the butterfly valves had somehow ended up on top of another. Unfortunately, by this point they had pulled everything apart. The shop couldn’t find any of the screws & was hesitant to put it back together as we couldn’t say for sure we had fixed the problem. Ultimately, we put a JDM engine in as it was only $1,000. The whole experience was costly & traumatic. I wish I had pulled apart the intake & had it fixed & put back together first as I suspect my noise might have been that loose butterfly valve - sadly, it was at a shop & they had pulled everything apart so we were too deep into it to unwind easily. Huge regret on my part - plus, F Nissan for not notifying owners about the power valve problem-especially when they compensated CA owners & sent out TBs on Altimas & Sentras with the same problem.

Please post a pic of the sensor behind the glovebox. I didn’t know about that one.

I ran AirLift 100s on my R50 for almost 2 decades & also on a Jeep Grand Cherokee for over a decade. They work as advertised & are alot of bang for the buck. That said, they inevitably leak & they require frequent attention. At some point, I’ve let each system get underinflated, pinched & needed replacement. AirLift replaced them for free on 2 of the 3 times I asked (once per vehicle), which speaks great of them - still it was a pain & the reality is that I drove it significant time periods with them non-functional. For that reason, I would leave your bump stops in place.

I have a 3”SFD that’s been waiting for install since February- probably will get done in the spring. I put in the springs to match that lift - right now I have significant rake. I haven’t updated my rear sway links yet. Top out is rare but has been occurring on some of the rougher trails. These 5100s are from[mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] who lent them to me as a placeholder until we get the SFD on & determine the correct 5165.

I’ll tag it as yours in the future. It’s very handy & I’ve sent it to many members who were very happy to have it.

Make sure you’ve read about & know the differences in the strut top hat - you need that spacer. The OEM one is welded on, most aftermarket are not. You will be very impressed with these new clamshell spring compressors - they work great. The notches on the bottom spring seat and the top spring seat must be aligned as shown. Note that the side of the strut shown in the photo is the inboard (engine-facing) side. When reinstalling the struts, orient the "L" or "R" on the strut insulator (aka "top hat") so that the "L" lines up with the notches for the left strut, and the "R" lines up with the notches for the right strut. [XPLORx4] Finally, I’m not sure with that spring set but you may need to lengthen your rear brake line. Extending the breather never hurts but Nissan did a good job of tucking it right under the cargo area floor & it will still reach fine, even with the Britpart NRC9448 springs. It’s on my ToDo list but really, I’m very unlikely to get that deep - it’s really up there on mine.

Why a spare sway bar? Extended links I understand but not sure why a 2nd sway bar (or had you removed & lost yours)? What rear springs are you using? I’m on Britpart NRC9448. This is exactly what I have been waiting to do but [mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] & I weren’t sure which part number since Bilstein switched to the 5165 from the 5160. The last attempt at this showed a shock with one of the lines coming out perpendicular- but I note both of your attachments are 90* - Perfect. I’ve been running on[mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] old 5100s with some top out - I can’t wait to get this step done!

The underside in particular

Is this an Australian R50? If so, I would not be surprised at all if it’s hitch is different. It seems like every time I peruse R50s at the JY, I find new variants, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if a whole different market had some differences we didn’t expect. Not even 2 U.S. 2002s are exactly the same[mention=40509]Pathy_02[/mention] & my truck are manufactured only months apart & a dash switch (power seat defeat) is on the opposite side of the steering wheel.

Those upstream O2 sensors are a PITA. The downstream are a cake walk.

Can you PM me a link. I prefer RIGd => Wilco => Detours in that order. If I can’t find a used one for a reasonable price, I would probably buy what you did as I want it for Tire/HiLift/RotoPax & Wilco has the best price/utility ratio new. I would probably use a different plate relocator as I’d like to have something with an LED that I can just keep in place with or without the swingate - possibly a ladder mount for the 4Runner.

Actually, this is an excellent product. Only the RIGd is nicer but it is substantially more costly. I’ve been following these products, I’ve seen them in person, I’ve spoken with the manufacturers, I’ve read countless threads & I’ve spoken to numerous owners. I even had one with the HiLift & Rotopax accessory mounts I bought used for $500 - but was stupid enough to let go (I’ve only seen about 3 used in the country since). The biggest advantage is that it’s way lighter than a metal bumper & removable for the 90% of the time you’re not off road. I actually have an OEM carrier that came from someone who removed it because it is such a PITA to ALWAYS have to open it & close it every time you use the hatch - plus it blocks access curbside. Mine sits in my garage for the past 3 years as I wait for @PinestoSpines to work out a system to attach it to the bumper instead of the body. Retrofitting the OEM is no minor task. I would only do it because I’m fortunate enough to have[mention=37543]TowndawgR50[/mention] available to do it & he’s now done at least 3. It’s worth noting; however, that all 3 have suffered damage in use & required notable repairs - a very big part of the reason I’ve delayed on mounting mine. All that said, I’ll be mounting my OEM on the Pathfinder at some point - especially as I will ultimately need it for my new tires once the SFD is in place. But my Pathy is a weekend toy, for our 4Runner, which only sees a couple big trips a year, I continue to troll for a used Wilco or RIGd. They are a far better choice for our uses because they are removable. Admittedly, it’s the new cost which has made me hesitate & keep trolling for another used one. Honestly, their cost is a fraction of a rear bumper with the same capabilities & tons more weight & mounting effort. We in the Pathfinder community just aren’t used to the exorbitant costs in the rest of the off-roading world. The Wilco wedge lock system eliminates clunking & shifting; however, it won’t work with the boxed end OEM Nissan receiver (it’s about 1/4” too long), which is why I inadvisably let mine go - something I regret regularly. I also agree 100% that they are infinitely resellable, especially here in the PNW where off-road stuff is in huge demand. Of course, if you change vehicles, zero work to use it on your new truck. I’ve seen them on everything from Tacoma’s & 4Runners to Land Cruisers to F-150s & big Pickups where I’ve seen them far more than on softroaders. The HiClearance version was definitely the way to go. There is a version with a bike carrier receiver mount which lets you use a static carrier instead of needing a swing away. Similar version in the RIGd. It’s a topic I’ve thought about extensively for about 4 years & I think it is an excellent choice. I look forward to hearing you real world experience.

AC is Automotive Customizers out of Florida. They have an undisclosed spring set they offer - 2” of lift but generally acknowledged to be a bit harsher than the ARB OME stuff. AC is oft despised for hiding their brands & charging outrageous shipping. Land Rover (LR) springs have become the product of choice for lifting the rear - just search the forum. The NPORA forum is, quite honestly, the gold standard information source on R50s -[mention=36148]hawairish[/mention] is one of the gurus. Welcome! (Also - I’m the self proclaimed Power Valve Evangelist - if you’ve got an Auto tranny & especially if your ‘01-‘03 ish, you need to secure your power valves to avoid a potential engine failure - a 2-3 hr job http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/17104-threadlocker-on-power-valve-screws-pics/page-1

Those are some beautiful places. When I traveled through the area decades ago m, I was struck by the surprising (to me) beauty of the mountains of North Carolina & Georgia. It was not a place I’d expected to find such raw wilderness.

I wonder if this isn’t a good mission for some of those temporary preps like FilmFluid?

@hawairish I just wish you’d be more precise & specific [emoji16]. Always a pleasure to read!

The security system can throw a code as well. When I’ve accidentally started it with the key without the chip it gives a code I can read with my generic OBDII readers

I’ve only had to replace that one once in 106K but I’ve replaced the lower ones about twice each. Easily my most common repair.

Trail Lunch!

Pictures don’t do it justice. I’ve been behind & in front of all iterations - especially as we’ve started to make it our practice to run with lights on for safety due to the congestion on trails these days & the occasional idiot tearing down a trail in a Side by Side (SxS). This last version turned out great. It’s really rich & full. It was also economical - I’ll be following suit.

Back on topic!

Well, at least you won’t have lake effect snow. You’ll probably have to go to Western PA, WV or KY for off-road opportunities.

Having lived in Cleveland for 4+years in the late ‘90s, the salt there will eat a car alive. Look 2014+ facelifted models (also when they switch from calling it the Trail Edition to the much more cumbersome & marketing influenced TRD Off-Road). It has the much better looking front chin & better headlights. I would also try & get one with KDSS though that’s going to be much harder. KDSS is like magic - stabilizes on road at speed & increases off-road articulation 10cm. Rarely a failure problem. Rust is much more of an issue on 4Runners than Pathfinders so I wouldn’t even bother looking in the rust belt. Another great option are the GXs. They depreciate much faster than 4Runners but are essentially a combo of 4Runner & FJ underneath. GX470(Prado 120)-2009/2010+GX460(Prado 150).

Since the 4Runner Pro is actually the wrong choice (added cosmetics but can’t get KDSS & comes with a suspension you’ll want to change anyway - all for ~$5,000 more), you’ll find lots & lots of people putting Pro wheels on Off-Roads (the actual Pro wheel us 7” & you’re better off getting a custom 7.5-8” from the same manufacturer for the same or less). Anyway, it gluts the used market with Off-Road trim wheels. As you’ve said, way more so in places like CO, UT, WA, OR. I actually troll the KC & Asheville NC Craigslist market & the supply there is virtually non-existent. Used Toyota wheels are still the easiest to find but beware they take Mag Lugs, not Acorns & Toyota uses a different pitch than Nissan so expect to buy Nissan threaded Mag lugs.