alexrex20

all Xenon lamps are HID, all of the time. but not all HID lamps are Xenon. an HID is a gas-discharge lamp that produces light by creating an electrical arc between two elements; versus a Halogen or incandescent which produces light by superheating a filament until it glows.

rear drums hardly do any work, so i'm not too worried about it.

my leaky axle seal is much worse than yours (my entire brake assembly is completely saturated in grease), but i've wheeled the piss out of it and put about 60k miles on it since the leak was discovered. when i checked the fluid level a month or two ago, it was only low by about 1/8 quart.

i wouldn't consider that a leak. check your diff fluid level and top it off if needed. other than that, i wouldn't worry about it.

expect to pay $40-50 to have the struts assembled. i tried to DIY my AC coils, but the rental tool was a piece of crap, so i took it to my uncle's shop and used his big fancy wall-mounted spring compressor. to reinstall the strut, i like to keep a floorjack under the lower control arm. you'll want it down pretty low, but be mindful of the CV boot. i get the top of the strut inside the fender near its mount holes, then attach the lower mount bolts to the spindle. it's pretty tricky and cumbersome to do by yourself, but it's possible. the floorjack comes in handy here, as you finesse the spindle into position (by raising/lowering the jack) to align the bolt holes. once the bolts are in, you can align the upper mount bolts with the holes in the strut tower, then raise the jack slowly as you guide them into place.

as for the grinding noise... if the noise goes away when you apply the brakes, it's probably the brakes. it's obviously directly related to the brakes. just pull off your wheels (if they're not already off) and verify that your brake pads are not metal on metal, or wearing unevenly. if it's not the brakes, it could be the wheel bearing. does it always make the grinding noise, whether you're going straight or turning? does it only make the noise when turning in one direction, but not the other? does the grinding noise change with vehicle speed? you say it's a "grinding, but not" noise. my bet is the brakes.

the strut mount bolts and sway bar end links use flanged nuts; the strut mount bolt is also flanged. i'd recommend going to the dealer and getting the nuts and bolts from them. it's less hassle - in my opinion - than figuring out the thread/pitch of the nut, then finding a suitable replacement. most nuts/bolts on our vehicles are metric fine-thread, and are difficult to find at your local hardware store. buying online is also a hassle, and probably not worth it to pay for shipping for a few nuts and bolts. if you're going to lift your pathfinder, i would just replace the strut mount bolt with camber bolts, even before the lift is installed. you can buy a pair from O'Reilly for $27.99. i needed two pairs for my vehicle (AC lift). an easy way to learn the thread of your end link nut is to just bring the other nut to the hardware store and match it up. at my dealer, the strut mount bolt is $4.29; strut mount nut is $1.88/ea; end link nut is $1.11/ea. you may save a dollar or two by going to Home Depot, so the real question is: how cheap are you?

your pathfinder does not have torsion bars. to level the front, you'll need strut spacers. 245/75 is kinda tall, and you might rub. i'd recommend a 245/70 or 255/70 if you want to be sure you won't rub at all.

i'm halfway through installing my AC lift as i type this, so i got a real good look at how shot my rear uppers are. i am very interested; can you PM me a price for uppers and lowers, and separate? i'd like to have a single flex joint on each link. thanks!

it's quite a drive from you - about 325mi. if you want something more local, another group of nissans is going to Green Acres on 8/14-16 in Clayton, OK. that's about 220mi from you.

the computer will only check that circuit under certain conditions; it's something like steady-rpm cruising between 50-55mph for at least 60sec. try going for an easy drive where you can sustain 50-55mph for a few minutes. you will have to pass the test 2 or 3 consecutive times for it to pass. i try to avoid cruising at that speed on the drive to work, because my CEL loves to turn on for 'catalytic converter efficiency below threshold.'

i always get my parts from Courtesy Nissan, if i want them to be OEM Nissan (it's a Nissan dealership). they have very competitive prices, and are somewhat local to me, so the parts always arrive within a day or two. if they don't have to be OEM, but only OEM quality, i go to RockAuto. they are much cheaper than NAPA/O'Reilly/AutoZone/etc. for both OEM and aftermarket parts.

every time i come around yo* city

i got them from Top Gun Customz, but i went through their eBay store for the added eBay/PayPal security. i got them for $280 plus shipping, which was the cheapest i could find them online. they have great customer service, as well.

you don't necessarily need longer shocks when you install a lift.

the final torque spec is 4.3-13.0 in-lb, which is barely hand tight.

if you have an extra vehicle (or a helping friend), i would suggest you remove the strut yourself, and bring it to the shop and only have them install the spring. it will save you a lot of money, as removing/installing an assembled strut onto the vehicle is very easy. the install the rear springs, all you have to do is unbolt the track bar on the axle side, unbolt the shocks on the axle side, and possibly even unbolt your rear sway bar at the end link. from here, the axle should drop enough to fully decompress the spring, so it will just drop right out. the AC coils are the same overall uncompressed length as stock, so they will go in just as easily. the brake lines and breather hose should have enough slack to remove the rear coils, but be sure to keep an eye on them anyway. only lower the axle as low as you need to remove the spring, and you should be safe. i personally have Bilstein 7100s so of course that's my recommendation. everyone is going to recommend what they have, but from what i've read on the forum over the years, Ranchos tend to have more reliability issues than the other options. either they were junk from the getgo and they had trouble warrantying them, or they wore prematurely and also had warranty difficulties. i've heard lots of good things about bilsteins, whether you go with the 5125/5150 shocks or the more expensive 7100s. KYB does make rear shocks, but most people don't use them.

as long as there is no side-to-side axial end play, then you tightened it enough. you're supposed to torque the lock nut to like 100lb-ft. i use a brass punch and hammer, but you can just as easily use a screwdriver and hammer; just estimate 100lb-ft as "pretty tight." lol once you tighten the locknut, you rotate the wheel 2 complete revolutions in both directions. (at this point, all the work can be done with the wheel installed.) verify the locknut is still tight, and rotate the wheel again. now verify that there is no axial end play, and loosen the locknut all the way, and then tighten it to hand tight. use your specialty tool (screwdriver and hammer) to carefully tighten the locknut so that the screw holes line up. you don't want to overtighten because it can result in premature bearing failure/wear due to excessive heat buildup. secure the locknut with the 2 screws and again rotate the wheel in both directions, and again verify that there is no axial end play. grab the tire on the left and right, and try to pull out on it. there should be no play. if you grab the bottom of the tire, and pull upward, it's ok to feel a very slight clunk. this amount of play is ok and required for the tapered roller bearings to do their job. the axle is free to move in and out of the hub, so those measurements are moot. just make sure there is no end play, make sure you didn't overtighten the locknut, and make sure you reinstalled the retaining clip on the axle.

looks are subjective. speaking of subjective, blacked out headlights are fugly. at least the $2k HIDs serve a purpose.

Dean has a set on his R50

actually, this is the strut insulator you need: http://www.courtesyparts.com/54320-insulat..._4800_4802& i'd edit my previous post, but it seems i've lost that privilege as well, despite being told i would be given a 20min window to edit my posts. YAY!

i have Bilstein 7100 rear shocks. 10in total travel with 26in compressed length. that's the same total travel but with 2in longer down travel. for the struts, you'll need: http://www.courtesyparts.com/54320-insulat..._4800_4802& http://www.courtesyparts.com/54325-bearing...4-p-203546.html you will probably need: http://www.courtesyparts.com/54050m-bumper..._4800_4802&

the factory airbox extends all the way into the driver's front fender. without the inner fender in place, the intake is more susceptible to pull in water. he flooded his first engine.

33s or bust

ya, it's been months and even years for one member, and the NPORA member still has not completed a single set. even though he took all their money. i suggest begging tmorgan4 to build you a set. probably a better quality kit, and definitely a more trustworthy member. good luck with that though. he's really busy with his own V8-swapped front-clipped SAS'd Pathfinder...