1994 Pathy SE questions

[sprinthead]

Hello all !

 

I just made what I think was a decent score ! I just picked up a 94 Pathy SE for a mere $2000 .... and the frame seems to be in REALLY good shape ( compared to my 93 XE's which isn't all that bad ... ). I have a few questions to the guru's on the board here. The 94 SE has a ton of options ( PW, PL, electronic adj shocks {don't seem to work tho}, htd seats, sunroof, racks, big tire package with cast rims and so on.

 

Questions are as follows ....

 

1) I've heard the 31x10.5x15 tires are really hard on the steering box. Is this true ?? I have noticed already that she doesn't turn nearly as quickly or effortlessly as my 93 XE that has the 235x75x15 tires. Should I keep the cast rims and stick with the big tires, or maybe switch all the wheels and tires from one to the other? What do you all think of going to a 30x9.50x15 tire on the cast mags. My thought is that these would be a good comprimise between the the two and give a bit quicker steering, less wear and tear and the steering box, a tighter turning radius and a slightly heavier footprint.

 

2)LSD differential or not !?!?! Do the 94 SE's equipped as mine is have an LSD in the rearend factory ??? I know ... find some dirt, rev er up and dump the clutch !! I could do that, but if its pooched, how will I know if it IS an LSD equipped truck !???

 

3)How nasty a job is it to put a 3" body lift on one of these babies ??? Am I in for lots of rusted and broken off bolts taking things apart ???? Considering the frame is good and body rot is a bare minimum, am I good to go with little headaches, minimal cussing and busted and bloody knuckles ??

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts !!

[adamzan]

I don't think the bigger tires really have an affect, since they were an option from the factory. My 93SE has had it's 31's on the cast rims for 200k and it's steering is fine. My 95XE on the other hand has only 150k with the 235's and it needs new steering components, go figure

 

I'm pretty sure most of the se trucks came with an lsd but you can easily check by jacking up the rear end (block the front wheels first!) and spinning one of the tires by hand. If they both go the same way it's an lsd. Or you can look for the orange sticker on the back of the diff.

Edited July 2, 2008 by redfinder

[sprinthead]

I don't think the bigger tires really have an affect, since they were an option from the factory. My 93SE has had it's 31's on the cast rims for 200k and it's steering is fine. My 95XE on the other hand has only 150k with the 235's and it needs new steering components, go figure

 

I'm pretty sure most of the se trucks came with an lsd but you can easily check by jacking up the rear end (block the front wheels first!) and spinning one of the tires by hand. If they both go the same way it's an lsd. Or you can look for the orange sticker on the back of the diff.

 

As for the tires thing .... I noticed it was a huge difference in the turning circle and such with those big 31's on it !!

 

Aha ! Orange sticker you say .... that makes it an LSD then eh !???

[nige]

1) keep the wheels. they are nicer than the xe chrome and can accommodate wider tires. 31's are a decent size for them. I have only driven mine on 31 and 33" so i can't comment on the 30's. I would get a spare set of snow tires (new or used) on the side. I know what the roads around kelowna can be like in the winter

 

2)you might be able to find out in the vin code, otherwise look for the orange sticker on the pumpkin. If it has fallen off, jack up the truck spin the tire to see if they rotate in the same direction. laying a peeler in gravel is the easiest way to find out. Just make sure you're turning a little and there should be 2 strips

 

3) if you spray down all the bolts you need to move with deep creep or pb blaster, that is a big help. If you can get an impact gun (electric or air power), it will help with the body mounts. As always, the job goes much easier with a friend or 2, but people have done them on their own. I have helped out with body lifts on 2 WD21's and an xterra. It is not too hard of a job, just lots of steps to do. there is a nice body lift thread in the garage section you should read

 

nice truck though, i like that blue paint

[eglaisi_91pathy]

Another Pathy from BC! I just upgraded to bigger tires (from 235/75 to 31x10.5) and noticed a difference for sure. I like it better, feels more stable (my wheel backspacing also helps that). Since the 31's are a stock size, I don't really think more wear would be anything to be concerned about.

 

I also just finished a 3" body lift on mine on Sunday. My bolts were rusty as all hell, but since I ordered my lift 11 months ago, I've been spraying mine with WD40 and fluid film for the past year. I only broke 1 body mount and luckily it wasn't one that was threaded into the body. Doesn't matter if you break them anyway, your putting in longer bolts.

 

Good luck with your rig

[RedPath88]

Hello all !

Hello

 

 

I just made what I think was a decent score ! I just picked up a 94 Pathy SE for a mere $2000 .... and the frame seems to be in REALLY good shape ( compared to my 93 XE's which isn't all that bad ... ). I have a few questions to the guru's on the board here. The 94 SE has a ton of options ( PW, PL, electronic adj shocks {don't seem to work tho}, htd seats, sunroof, racks, big tire package with cast rims and so on.

Congrats

 

Questions are as follows ....

I'll try

 

1) I've heard the 31x10.5x15 tires are really hard on the steering box. Is this true ?? I have noticed already that she doesn't turn nearly as quickly or effortlessly as my 93 XE that has the 235x75x15 tires. Should I keep the cast rims and stick with the big tires, or maybe switch all the wheels and tires from one to the other? What do you all think of going to a 30x9.50x15 tire on the cast mags. My thought is that these would be a good comprimise between the the two and give a bit quicker steering, less wear and tear and the steering box, a tighter turning radius and a slightly heavier footprint.

My SE came with 235's and I switched from them (all season tread) to 31x10.5 AT's. I noticed a little differences in the steering but not a whole lot. It might have partially been due to the fact that I kept the steel wheels (15x6) when I first put the 31's on. When I changed the wheels out to a set of 9.5in wide wheels it was noticeably stiffer at very low speed and even more so when stopped on a high traction surface.

As for being harder on the steering box, sure I bet it is as the box, pump and the rest of the steering system must work a little harder. BUT, I personally would not worry about it, as Nissan obviously felt that it was up to the task, because they put 31x10.5's on a lot of the trucks stock

 

2)LSD differential or not !?!?! Do the 94 SE's equipped as mine is have an LSD in the rearend factory ??? I know ... find some dirt, rev er up and dump the clutch !! I could do that, but if its pooched, how will I know if it IS an LSD equipped truck !???

Not all SE's came with LSD rear's, mine is one of them. And since it has already been explained about how to check, I'll not repeat that

 

3)How nasty a job is it to put a 3" body lift on one of these babies ??? Am I in for lots of rusted and broken off bolts taking things apart ???? Considering the frame is good and body rot is a bare minimum, am I good to go with little headaches, minimal cussing and busted and bloody knuckles ??

This is a tough question to answer because it depends completely on the condition of your truck, specifically the nuts and bolts that must be removed/loosened and your own ability as a mechanic. ID'ing and spraying every thing that must be broke free with penetrating oil (such as PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench) a week before starting the lift makes life a lot easier. When I did mine a couple weekends ago I took quite a few brakes (have kids ) and managed to complete it in about 12hrs by myself.

 

Thanks in advance for your thoughts !!

 

[sprinthead]

Thanks for all the input !

 

I called the dealer the other day and had them run the VIN ... turns out my deal was a really good one ! The *only* option my truck doesn't have is the leather upholstery !! I have rear disc brakes AND an LSD !! WOOT !!

 

I am seriously contemplating just using my 93 XE as a parts truck, since I know the history on that one's running gear than the 94's which has some serious oil leaks, no history to it, and it looks like it's seen alot of hard miles despite it having 40k kms less mileage than the 93's engine !! I am seriously considering swapping out engines and transmissions !!