Lifting 1997 Pathfinder

[norcalpathy]

I've been trying to browse the forums as of late, and I am looking to lift my Pathfinder. There is a lot of information, but it is a bit intimidating looking at all of the info and trying to decifer it myself.

 

I know some will direct me to the pinned threads, but I'd be grateful if someone could just simply outline what I need to lift my Pathy here.

 

What parts do I need to buy to lift my Pathfinder? (What shocks, coils?) What other parts do I need to replace/add with the lift?

 

How big can I go with tires?

 

And lastly, where can I buy these parts? (Best deals, haha )

 

Thanks in advance for your guys' patience, I know its always a bit frustrating to help a newbie out, but my Pathy is aching to be lifted.

 

-Norcalpathy

[CDNBullrid]

Do you want to lift the pathfinder for ultimate offroading or just to give it the lifted look with more comfort? if you look at the thread a few down from this, you will see one for lifting pathfinders... the decision. it basically outlines what you need. as for shocks, i would go Bilstein shocks in the rear and KYB GR-2 Struts in the front. go to ToraSport to find coils from OME and go to 4x4parts.com to find the AC lift.

 

while you are already replacing shocks and struts, it is recommended to get new strut bearings, strut mounts, and strut bumpers. as well, it is also recommended to get warn manual locking hubs for your pathy.

 

Most say you can put up to 31" tires on the truck. some, however, say they can get 32"s. i dont know the truth, but 31"s are proven to fit. you may need different rims however to beable to fit by the front struts.

 

 

I am looking to do this exact thing with the OME lift coils on my 01 path LE. haven't ordered anything yet but have spent hours and hours researching different forums around the web. this is the most helpful one. if you want the all in detail, go to This topic to get all the reading you can handle as to which kit to go for.

 

LMK if you need any more!

[norcalpathy]

Do you want to lift the pathfinder for ultimate offroading or just to give it the lifted look with more comfort? if you look at the thread a few down from this, you will see one for lifting pathfinders... the decision. it basically outlines what you need. as for shocks, i would go Bilstein shocks in the rear and KYB GR-2 Struts in the front. go to ToraSport to find coils from OME and go to 4x4parts.com to find the AC lift.

 

while you are already replacing shocks and struts, it is recommended to get new strut bearings, strut mounts, and strut bumpers. as well, it is also recommended to get warn manual locking hubs for your pathy.

 

Most say you can put up to 31" tires on the truck. some, however, say they can get 32"s. i dont know the truth, but 31"s are proven to fit. you may need different rims however to beable to fit by the front struts.

I am looking to do this exact thing with the OME lift coils on my 01 path LE. haven't ordered anything yet but have spent hours and hours researching different forums around the web. this is the most h$69 eachelpful one. if you want the all in detail, go to This topic to get all the reading you can handle as to which kit to go for.

 

LMK if you need any more!

Thanks for the help CDNBullrid, I've been reading more carefully for the past hour or so.

 

I think I am going to go with the 2" AC Coils, KYB Struts, and Rancho9000XL Shocks in the rear. I found the AC Coils for $360 on the AC site, the KYB Struts for $69 each, the Rancho9000xl shock for $85 each. The Camber adjustment bolt is $20 on tirerack or $10 for the 1 degree bolt, but which one should I get? 1 degree, or 2 degree? Lastly, the KYB strut/shock mounts will be $49 each.

 

360 - AC 2" Coils (4x4 Parts)

138 - KYB Front Struts (Tirerack)

170 - Rancho 9000XL Shocks Rear (4x4 Parts)

40 - Camber Adjustment 2 degrees (Tirerack)

98 - KYB Strut/Shock mounts (Tirerack)

--------

$806

 

Excluding the labor, and tires/rims, I've calculated around $800 for parts. Does anyone have better prices for these parts? Thanks.

 

and Btw, can anyone recommend what tires to buy? I'm looking for something I can use on AND off-road. Can 32s fit? And does anyone have info on where to get good, cheap offroad black rims?

Edited August 4, 2007 by norcalpathy

[19pathy97]

You might want to check out AJUSA.com they have the struts for about $120 and may have other parts for a little cheaper and they also offer free shipping. As for the tires, alot of people go with the BFGoodrich A/Ts and you can go with 32's if you have a 15X8 wheels with 4.00 or 3.75 backspacing, but you'll have to trim the plastic in the wheelwell a little bit but its no big deal to do that. a lot of people go with summitRacing.com for the black Rock Crawler wheels made by Pro Comp or you could go with the American Racing wheels there are a couple of options. I hope this helps you out a little bit.

[norcalpathy]

Thanks again, this is helping me get my plan for a lift together.

 

It looks like my lift will look like this:

 

$360...2" Lift Coils by AC

$120...KYB Front Shocks/Struts (www.ajusa.com)

$170...Rancho 9000XL Rear Shocks by AC

$180...U.S. Wheel 84 Series Black Daytona wheels (15 in. x 8 in., 5 x 4.5 in. Bolt Circle, 3.75 in. Backspace) (summitracing)

$___...Dunlop 32x11.50x15” Mud Rover Mud-Terrain Tires (haven't found a place yet)

$40.....Ingalls Camber Adjustment Bolts +/- 2.0° (Tirerack)

$98.....KYB Strut/Shock mounts (Tirerack)

 

 

Question: on Tirerack, there are two options for the Camber adjustment bolts. (Camber adjustment +/- 1.0° or +/- 2.0°) Which one should I be getting?

 

It has been recommended that I get warn manual locking hubs, where can I buy these for a good price?

 

Any help or guidance is gratefully welcomed.

 

-Norcalpathy

[19pathy97]

Amazon.com has just about the best prices for the warn locking hubs. They are between 140-150 and also have free shipping I believe. The part number is 29091. im not sure about the camber adjustment bolt but i know a lot of guys get them from AC.

[RWC5S2]

Keep in mind that the BFG AT's will run quieter on the road and still provide good off road capabilities. The mud track tires will be LOUD on the road. Just depends on what type of wheeling you will be doing and if you can handle a noisy tire.

[norcalpathy]

Keep in mind that the BFG AT's will run quieter on the road and still provide good off road capabilities. The mud track tires will be LOUD on the road. Just depends on what type of wheeling you will be doing and if you can handle a noisy tire.

Ah, TBH I hadn't quite thought that out. Thanks for making that clear, lol.

[FUELER]

I can vouch that the BFG AT is a very quiet tire.... but the triple sidewall (great for offroading) makes it a heavy tire. I had some 265/75/16 BFG AT on my R50 and it couldn't lock those tires up if my life depended on it.

[ozzy]

Thanks again, this is helping me get my plan for a lift together.

 

It looks like my lift will look like this:

 

$360...2" Lift Coils by AC

$120...KYB Front Shocks/Struts (www.ajusa.com)

$170...Rancho 9000XL Rear Shocks by AC

$180...U.S. Wheel 84 Series Black Daytona wheels (15 in. x 8 in., 5 x 4.5 in. Bolt Circle, 3.75 in. Backspace) (summitracing)

$___...Dunlop 32x11.50x15” Mud Rover Mud-Terrain Tires (haven't found a place yet)

$40.....Ingalls Camber Adjustment Bolts +/- 2.0° (Tirerack)

$98.....KYB Strut/Shock mounts (Tirerack)

Question: on Tirerack, there are two options for the Camber adjustment bolts. (Camber adjustment +/- 1.0° or +/- 2.0°) Which one should I be getting?

 

It has been recommended that I get warn manual locking hubs, where can I buy these for a good price?

 

Any help or guidance is gratefully welcomed.

 

-Norcalpathy

isnt it supposed to be 6 x 5.50?

[DJ Dank]

Get your camber bolts at Summitracing.com They are $17 for the pair IIRC. You can find your Rancho 9000x's elsewhere for cheaper than what AC sells. I got mine from Amazon.com for $60 a piece when they had a special running. I would ONLY buy the 2" coils from them since thats the only thing that you can't get elsewhere.

[RWC5S2]

I was running BFG 33x9.50x15 AT's with my AC lift. Had to trim just a little bit of extra plastic. Out here in So Calif I kept running into problems with loose sand so I just changed to 32x11.50x15 and have no problems with them fitting well.

[norcalpathy]

I was running BFG 33x9.50x15 AT's with my AC lift. Had to trim just a little bit of extra plastic. Out here in So Calif I kept running into problems with loose sand so I just changed to 32x11.50x15 and have no problems with them fitting well.

You were running 33s? Was the trimming bad?

 

I'm gonna be getting new tires as I get parts for my lift, recommend 32s, or 33s?

[XPLORx4]

You were running 33s? Was the trimming bad?

 

I'm gonna be getting new tires as I get parts for my lift, recommend 32s, or 33s?

 

Do you want tall skinny tires (33x9.50)? 33x9.50's will be good for increased ground clearance, but aren't so good for flotation (i.e. running on sand). What kinds of trails will you be running?

[norcalpathy]

Do you want tall skinny tires (33x9.50)? 33x9.50's will be good for increased ground clearance, but aren't so good for flotation (i.e. running on sand). What kinds of trails will you be running?

I'll be running the trails up around here in Sonoma County, and farther north. Not much sand, ,as you can guess.

[vengeful]

Don't get the KYB strut mounts. They're garbage. I've had mine installed for barely a year, and they're toast. Go with the OEM Nissan ones. They're substantially more expensive, but well worth it in the long run.