Mark

You're gonna have room left over for a passenger?

Are you sure you don't want an air-locker? I've heard some horror-stories about what happens in 4wd when you're cruising down some dirt road and in the middle of a sweeping corner your front locker kicks in and puts the vehicle into an unrecoverable spin. Story ends in tears. Personally, I'd go for a detroit in the rear and an ARB air in the front. I'm just waiting for my Lotto numbers to come up...

Thanks, Precise1. This is all really helpful, and relevant to R50 also. It will all go into my brain for retrieval when the mailman delivers the much-anticipated new toy.

WOW. There are some folks here that need to sort out some issues. It's hugely unfashionable around here, apparently, but I dig Jeeps. The different models, Grands, Libertys and Wranglers, are targeted at different buyers. Just like Nissan targets, Armadas, Pathfinders and XTerras at different buyers. (Strange but Jeep calls the Liberty the Cherokee in Australia - Changed the model but kept the same old name). Either way, we're kinda spoilt here 'cause ours are built (right-hand-drive) in a Mercedes plant in Austria (that's Austria in Europe, not me misspelling Australia) and then shipped here to Australia new. The build quality is pretty good. What you'd expect from a Mercedes production line. They're really expensive to service and repair out here, though. All parts being imported. Anyhow, I dig Jeeps. They're very capable in the right hands. It's just that for my money, the Pathfinder was a better option. I looked at Jeeps closely and found: Grand Cherokee too expensive and too complex (for my tastes) XJ Cherokee (built in the USA) have a very inconsistent build quality (sorry)- You'll either get a trooper or a lemon and you'll never know which 'till after you bought it. Also, they're a major electrical problem looking for a place to happen. KJ Cherokee (Liberty to most of you) a great vehicle - I loved driving it, BUT a cargo space too small to justify it's existence. Wrangler too small. I love Wranglers. I really do but I need something just a bit bigger than that. So I ended up looking at Nissan Pathfinders and Mitsubishi Challengers (Montero Sports to you North Americans). Pathfinder won. It's build quality is easily equal to the Austrian-built Jeeps. It's cheaper to buy, run and service. It's easier to get parts. And for me: It combines the simplicity of a Wrangler with the room of a Grand Cherokee. I think Jeeps are great. But the best one I could find is built by Nissan.

I've run both of these sizes before with no lift and standard wheels.

Man, I am so jeleous of you guys with the 240 HP 3.5-liter. Here in Australia they never gave us that engine. We still get the 3.3 version that only generates about half that much power. Nissan Australia are a pack of bastards.

I CAN SAY WITH 95% CERTAINTY WHAT YOUR RATTLE IS. I had the same sound at the same RPMS you're talking about with my '96 and for months I looked everywhere. I stripped the heat-shields (good riddance anyway) and that wasn't it. The mechanic told me he couldn't hear it. Another mechanic told me it was the honeycombe inside the cats, breaking loose from age. The exhaust guy said 'no' it wasn't. He said it was something else. The auto engineer said it was in the tranny. :confused: The transmission guy said it was the cats!!! Finally I saw ANOTHER exhaust guy and he discovered that one of my cats was touching the cross-member under the chassis and vibrating against it BUT only at certain RPMs because of the way the motor torque-twists on it's mounts (normal) at those specific RPMs. He heated up the exhaust-pipe a couple of inches in front and behind the cat, stuck a pry-bar in there and jimmy'd it upward about an inch. The problem that had been plauging me, buggin the $h1t out of me for months and really causing me worries about what may happen to my credit card was solved for $30. :bow: I hope that this is the same for you. Let me know.

Dude, That looks awesome

Jrvanas, Dude, did you ever figure out what was squealing?

I love my pathy. I really do. But it's the most underpowered, sluggish thing I've ever driven on a highway. We got no Nissan V8 in Australia to transplant (or I would). As my 3.3 is perfectly healthy, though, I'm going overbore (3.5), K&N, chip, custom exhaust and supercharger. It'll cost a bundle but I got passed by an 18-wheeler going uphill on a highway last week. It was embarrasing. Everyone's Pathfinder is their own and if they were all alike then this would be the most boring forum on the web, I reckon. Good on ya SPK & SW. (And Semper Chevrolet.)

Is this offer still open KnightRyder?

WANTED: An original spare wheel carrier for a '96-'99 R50. Prefer with mounting hardware. I live in Australia and these were never offered here so I'm importing. Good condition. Price negotiable. Talk in US or Canada dollars and I'll convert to Aussie dollars. I'll pay freight. Definitely want one for myself and may want a second for a friend, also. Please PM me. Cheers,

You're a braver man than I... (It's not the risk to life and limb. I'ts the fear of bending something expensive).

It was never an option on the Australian R50s. That's why I'm trying to get one 2nd hand from the States / Canada.

From '96 onward they got 2 hooks at the front. Unfortunately, dealers often removed one or both of these hooks when fitting nudge bars / brush guards etc...Easy to fabricate replacements. If ya still got them, The manual says the LH one is "tie-down only" and the RH one is for towing/snatching. Having said that, the two hooks are mirror-image identical. SO: What most guys I know have done is upgrade the bolts on both hooks (just in case) and when they go 'wheeling they shackle an equaliser strap between them. Then they'll tow / snatch from the equaliser strap. Anything to reduce the risk of damage.

If you get it in your mind to put it up on axle stands - DON'T. You're right, it's a danger to life, limb and sheet metal. If you have to do this, take it to a mechanic and get him to put it up on his hoist with you in the car. Then put it in gear and roll the wheels with him standing underneath listening. It's his neck, his workshop, his insurance and his responsibility. A good mechanic will have a go, though. I did exactly this recently to diagnose a different kind of sound. Worked perfectly. Took the guy 5 minutes to correctly diagnose what half a dozen "specialists" couldn't find in the previous 6 months... Oh, yeah, also: Don't bother trying to put the truck on a dyno to replicate the sound in a workshop. The rollers make too d@mned much noise.

Awesome. I'm getting one. I carry my jack on the roof, anyway.

I reckon if it were your brakes they'd do it either when you were braking or when you're not braking. Not both ways. Have you checked out the wheel bearings? Usually, old bearings will make an audible humming sound for a few weeks or months before they start to squeal. BUT, sometimes not. And sometimes you won't notice the humming sound over the hum from A/T or M/T tires. A quick test: Get on a nice, smooth, uncrowded piece of road somewhere, crank it up to about 40 MPH (or whatever works best for you) and slip the gearbox into neutral. Just coast and see if the sound is still there. If the squeal is there when you're rolling in neutral, It's definitely your wheel bearings. If the squeal is NOT there when you're rolling in neutral, It's definitely in the driveline (gearbox / diff) etc....

I'm not a brake specialist either but I follow a similar theory...

There's a thread in General Forums called "Brush guard for sale" There's a couple of guys with them there for sale. Maybe wrong year but may be worth a try.

Is the squeal there all the time? or just when you brake? or just when you're not braking and it stops when you brake? Is the squeal there in 2WD and 4WD? On any particular road surface? Just curious...

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWW :cool2: I found the rattle. The exhaust dude said it was engine (I thought it was the exhaust) The dyno guy said it was transmission pssd The transmission fella said it was exhaust... Finally went to ANOTHER exhaust dude and guess what: The LH cat was vibrating against the crossmember at certain RPMs when the engine was torque'ing just so on it's mounts. :o It took him 5 minutes to find, 5 minutes to fix and cost me 30 bucks. After all that drama. Of course I'm still gonna replace the factory exhaust with something better but now I can wait awhile.

Snosnk, Awesome pics. I reckon this is the carrier I'll start looking for. I'll try and find one from a wrecking yard in the US or Canada. Nissan Australia never gave us these after 95. B@$tards.:oops: I think I can get into that panel by pulling the taillight out. I'll get some sort of reinforcement in there. sly Just curious, does your flip-glass (not the tailgate-just the window) open without swinging the carrier? or is a 31" spare too big? I ask 'cuz I have 31" as well (how many blokes would love to say that?) Cheers for the pics, mate.

How about a 3.0-Liter Turbo-Diesel with manual gearbox from a Nissan Navara/Frontier? Maybe diesel from a Japanese Terrano?

I've got a couple ideas. I'll let you know.