ennacac

My daughters Mazda mirrors, are powered, heated and they fold also, better design, much better.

Another step that is not needed to do a simple job and 5 min on and off seems a bit optimistic to me.

Even so, why design the door so the entire panel has to be removed to replace the mirror??

The other day at the store some wonderful person smashed the right hand mirror on my 2002 Pathfinder and obviously couldn't find a piece of paper to leave a note claiming responsibility. I figured just great, another expense I didn't really need, but then how difficult can is be to replace the mirror, after all, replacing the same mirror on my daughters 2007 Mazda 3 took less that 15 min. Was I surprised to find the mirror on my Pathfinder is connected to the door exactly the same way as on the Mazda, but some MORON at Nissan decided to place the electrical connector inside the door panel, so that has to come off to change the mirror. What were they thinking???

FWIW, I used two spring compressors on each rear spring (OME) and they went in and out in less than an hour in my 2002!

Thanks for the replies, I realize the R50 is a compromise vehicle, and when I purchased mine I really wanted an Xterra, since I really loved the last one I had. When I found the 2002 R50 on Craigslist in SF, I just couldn't pass it up since it only had 42,000 miles on it and it was a 5-Speed. I'm not trying to make it into something it isn't, just trying to make it into the best it can be for my use as a hunting and fishing vehicle, along with my Photography. The "Link" seems to make the steering more solid than it was by just a bit, which works for me.

I have one also, but I do see some new stability on roads that have quite a few imperfections in them, where the front wheels seem more solid than before I installed the Link.

I was wondering if there are any negative issues coming from installing the Missing Link on my 2002 Pathfinder? I have read all the positive aspects of the instillation, but was wondering of stiffening up the body causes any negative results? If not, why didn't Nissan include this simple produce on the SUV in the first place? Tom

That's what I was looking for, thanks!!

Doesn't someone make a rear body brace for R50 Pathfinders? I remember seeing the post, but for some reason I can not find it again. Tom

When I first got my Truck I was getting 16mpg, then I installed manual hubs and a Magnaflow exhaust and now I am getting 19mpg in Winter, 21mpg in Summer on the highway. Tom

Why don't you just divide distance you drive by the amount of fuel you put in if you fill up each time?

The center hub size makes a difference with the R50 if you have converted to Warn Hubs.

FWIW, this is how the Grill Guard looks on my 2002:

I paid $8,000 for my 2002SE, 5-Speed, 4x4, all stock this summer, although it did only have 42,000 miles on it.

There is no link I just went to the parts department and asked for the bushings and they gave me all of them in a plastic package for around $120. Tom

I replaced all of mine on my 98, including the panhard rod with OEM bushings and it really didn't take that long. I pressed the old ones out with a Snowmobile piston that I turned down to fit the metal sleeve on the old bushings. All of them came out just fine except for one, which I had to heat a bit to convince it to come out. I then just pressed the new ones in and put everything back together and the truck drove just like new once again. $120 for the bushing package from Nissan and about two hours time invested! Tom

I don't know about getting a video, but here are a couple of shots of the setup. The first is the two into one exhaust and the Magnaflo Muffler which I painted with high temp paint to hold of the corrosion from salt during our winters. The second, which is kind of difficult to see, is the tail pipe with the SS tip which exits at a 45° angle instead of straight out the back like the stock system did.

I will try and get that done tomorrow!

In Chicago and Milwaukee the city puts down around 5 tons of salt a year per mile of main highway to melt the snow and ice on the roads. Kind of like you driving your truck through the surf once a day for 4 months of the year and not washing it off!

Hey you guys take a rust free vehicle as normal, I try to buy mine in CA so I can purchase a ten year old truck without the rust we have here after that period of time.

Since I actually live in Wisconsin, Santa Rosa is quite a drive!

I only drove the truck for about four days before I made the change in the hubs and the exhaust, about 500 miles, most of which was SF Bay area freeway driving. I never got better than 16 mpg, after changing both the hubs and exhaust, I drove about 250 miles to Monterey and got 21.5 mpg on the first tank. Also, I have far better power at highway speed, where I barely have to touch the gas to gain speed, or go up a hill. FWIW, I had the exhaust done at Meineke Car Care Center in Santa Rosa CA, they did a great job at a fair price in case anyone is interested.

I purchased my 2002 Pathfinder SE 5-speed this August in California with 45,000 miles on it on Craigslist. When I flew into California to pick it up, the first thing I did was to replace the Auto hubs with Warn Hubs. I then replaced the exhaust with one that put the two small pipes into one 2.5" pipe with a Magnaflow muffler and a 3" SS tip. Both of those mods, converted my 16 mpg on the highway to a constant 21-22 mpg which is more than I expected, but very nice. I put a K&N cold air intake on before driving it back to Wisconsin, but I kept wondering if the system would start sucking water if I got into heave rain, so I took it off when I got back and am now back to the stock air intake. I am going to put it on Craigs List since I really don't see me putting it back on, considering how much rain we get where I live. I then replaced the rear springs with OME coils to bring the rear end up since it was sitting fairly low in the rear for some reason. I read the manual and searched this forum on how to do the spring exchange before digging in this morning. All I did was to take off the rear wheels (on a lift) and remove the rear shocks. I then used two spring compressors on the stock springs and just lifted them out. I than compressed the new OME springs and put them back in place, put the shocks back, the rear wheels on and it was finished in less than 45 min. I have no idea why the service manual claims you have to take the control arms and the pan hard rod off to do this, when I it so simple using spring compressors. They actually are Strut compressors that I used, not actual Spring compressors, since that is all I had available! Just thought I would pass the information on about my method of replacing the rear springs in case anyone is interested. Tom

Yes it stays on after multiple starts, and the code reader I have is a INNOVA 3100. The reader seems to work, since my 2002 Altima SES light recently came on also and the reader showed code PO128 on that. My R50 is a 2002, 5-Speed with 45,000 miles on it. After I clear the SES light with the code reader, it stays off for quite a while, but seems to eventually come back on, but there is never a code. Tom