jyeager

I think some aftermarket pads are just made of a compound that under the right amount of braking force will make a grinding sound. I noticed that 3-4 times over the last 6 months even though my brakes are in fine order.

I've had the starter symptoms you describe, as well as at least 1 other person I know of, simply because of a loose battery cable. Check that before buying a starter. I'm impressed with everything you've researched and resolved already! Kudos.

I believe that 29091 is the one you want. The only reason they might not work is that some vehicles came with wheels where the center opening isn't wide enough to clear these hubs. In those cases, using these would require new wheels (but most people do that anyway to get the offset they need for bigger tires) I understand that the consensus is that using these with the QX4 is fine, if you don't drive around with the t-case in an 'auto' mode.

Yes, sorry about that mistake, I couldn't see that picture clearly enough at the time. The sliders, as they come from the manufacturer, have thin metal templates included that have the holes drilled in the right place for you to pre-drill your pinch seam holes. If you don't have those, then mount them up and clamp them in place and use a center punch to mark the center of each hole in your pinch weld. The proper installation of these requires that bar be pressed up against the unibody when it's installed so that upward force isn't just supported by the pinch weld, but by the top of that bar holding up the unibody itself. In my case there was 1/4" between that bar and the pinch weld. You could fill that with washers or small bushings, but I put 1/4" plate between the feet and the framerails to put the bar right against the pinch weld....and then welded them in.

This thread has decent pictures of the sliders, compare. http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/29102-rocky-road-super-sliders-installed/?hl=%2Brocky+%2Broad+%2Bsliders

That doesn't look like the super sliders to me. Where is the bar that butts up to the pinch weld?

It would certainly help a lot, but no. You can support the engine by the oil pan with a 12"x12" piece of plywood so you don't hurt the pan. But all that underneath will just make it a bit harder to get in there and access what you need to while installing the blocks.

I'm not familiar with 'econ', but I know 'auto'. (model year differences I guess) Mine has OFF/AUTO/LOW/MED/FAST. Temperature control is only automatic in 'AUTO' mode. If I were to select low/med/fast and the temperature control didn't work, then I wouldn't be looking at sensors as the problem. It would be a simple matter of the air mix flapper not working. I don't think you should be looking at a sensor problem unless you only see this behavior when in an 'auto' mode (not sure if 'econ' is auto or manual). I'm guessing your trouble code is probably not related.

Wait a minute. The only reason to do a SFD is to avoid binding your CV axles. Since you don't have any, you can just use a 4" strut spacer and be done. Or are you concerned about alignment and bump-steer issues?

I assume you meant "repercussions". Long term repercussions from a misfire? Probably nothing to worry about. Here's an idea for you. I changed plugs/wires/rotor/cap once and about a week later it began to misfire and stall and eventually didn't restart. I found that the rotor had worked loose under the cap. It's only retained by 1 screw. If that has happened to you, it would also explain the plastic clicking sound you hear. So just pop off your cap and inspect that rotor really quickly.

Glad you're doing this! Thanks.

I also don't see why poly would break anything. But they will give you a harsher ride and this is a truck, not a sports car. So it seems clear to me that rubber bushings are the best way to go. It is cheaper to buy new control arms. I think they are only about 20% more money than the bushings and after you consider the labor charge to install new bushings in to your old arms, it will be a lot more expensive that way. So most of us choose new control arms rather than replacing bushings....except for those people that want to go poly.

Rocker repair and Rock sliders in one. Good! I'm very impressed you could do it without blowing through the rotted rocker everywhere and creating a big useless mess.

It would be around your tailpipe. Assuming it exits behind your right rear tire, then the lower part of that entire fender panel to the back bumper. But also, if it's bad, the junk will be sucked in to your slip-stream and swirl around onto your entire tailgate. The fan will always spin somewhat do to the natural drag of the viscous coupler. That doesn't mean anything. If you put a rolled up magazine against a fan blade and held it there, if the truck were then started, would you be able to keep it from spinning? (asking you to guess, not try it. It would be dangerous if you screwed up and had your hand pulled in there). But in theory, if you did that experiment with a good fan clutch...and the engine were cold...you should be able to hold the fan.

If you do not have a check engine light on, there are no codes. So you are fine there. But if it's ever on, take it to the autoparts store and they will read it for free. Since you are planning to replace the fan clutch anyway, start by removing the fan and starting it and taking it for a spin. You will immediately know whether your roar is caused by the fan. But the fan, when the clutch locks up, is known to make a very noticeable roar. It sounds to me, from your description, that the oil leaking isn't enough to explain the loss of oil. So I think you are consuming oil. There are a couple of possibilities there. 1 is that you have one or more bad rings and are losing oil past the rings. You will be able to see this by doing a cylinder compression test. That needs to be done by someone who is at least an average shade-tree mechanic. You might be able to pay a friend a reasonable amount to do that. Another possibility is bad valve seals, so oil is seeping from the top of the engine, down the valve stems in to the intake/exhaust. That is seen as a bunch of blue smoke when you first start your engine. A third one is that the PVC system is not working right and oil is being sucked in to the intake and consumed. That would also be blue smoke, but not as obvious and not in a big blast at startup. It's usually easier to smell it. (if you know what burned oil smells like) Also, if the PCV valve isn't working at all, crankcase pressure can build up to the point that it forces pressure (with oil) past the rings and it gets burned...even when nothing is wrong with the rings, or the engine otherwise. All of these oil consumption issues will result in a buildup of black soot on the side of your truck in the vicinity of your exhaust pipe. Do you notice anything like that?

I'd like to know more about your bumper...

you know what? I have the same problem, right down to the vehicle seeming to go up and down around 5-10mph. For me it began when I installed new rims and tires. I have had them rebalanced and rotated numerous times. What I haven't done yet is checked for roundness of the tires/rims. I suspect I was sold a defective tire or rim. Definitely check for run out at the rim and check the roundness of the tire. You will have to lift it and turn it by hand..it will help to have a dial gauge and magnetic base...

thanks. this is nice!

That's a good use.

Well, the trailer lights are supposed to behave like your vehicle's lights. I know that when your car is turned off, the brake lights still work. But then you probably weren't on your brake pedal when you saw voltage there. Perhaps it's for electric trailer brakes? Those would need to keep working even when off, or you could die if your car died while towing a trailer. I'm guessing this is a harness with many circuits? (driving lights, backup lights, turn signals, brake lights...) Which one(s) are hot with the ignition off?

I really appreciate what youve done here!

You are pretty sure to find oil pressure, temp and voltage. Here are the live values available through OBD2. http://www.totalcardiagnostics.com/support/Knowledgebase/Article/View/43/6/reading-performance-information-data-pid Note that some of these values are dependent on vehicle options and whether your scan tool supports them.

Rear is no problem. Front is a potential problem. That size is 31.6" in diameter. Adding the lift makes no difference, because the limiter is the distance from the hub to the strut's spring perch which wasn't changed. I put on 31"x10.5" tires and had about 1/4" clearance to the spring perch. Due to small variations in actual diameter from one tire brand/model to another, it's likely that there are some 275/70x17 tires that would fit and some that wouldn't.

That happened to me once when I installed my LED map light bulbs. I think one of them made contact between the power side of the circuit and the metal body of the reflector above (which is grounded by the mounting screws).

Well, I had 31x10.5 on stock rims without spacers and never rubbed I wonder why you are? Is the back spacing different from stock? I will try to remember to photograph my fender modification for you this weekend.