Suspension for Daily driver

[freyspath]

Hey guys,

 

I have an 03 Pathfinder LE 4x4 which I am the second owner too. I bought it with 80k and it drove fine. Now at 100k I am starting to baby it a little more. First thing I want to do on it is suspension. I already have replaced the control arms (both front and back) as well as the PITA rear bushings.

 

Now im going to tackle the struts but don't know exactly which ones to get. This Pathy is 97% of the time driven on paved Socal roads. It tackles potholes, cracks, bumps, etc on a daily basis. This is my second car, I don't drive it daily and mainly use it on the weekends. (My daily driver is a Prius... I drive 3k a month, so the gas savings is substantial)

 

The pathy goes 1-2x a year up to the mountain where the 4x4 gets used. Maybe once a year it goes off road onto an empty lot (I am a real estate agent, so sometimes we have to drive through unpaved terrain to get to the lots.) Nothing hard core, take a look at the pics below:

 

http://www.awtec.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/trail.jpg

http://www.greatnorthwoodsatv.org/Trails_2005_GPS_Cowen%20Hill/Trail%202.jpg

 

Trails dont have anything big that a regular suv cant handle. Many of my customers have sedans where they cant go through this terrain.

 

So back to the question,

 

What struts would be ideal for everyday driving, that last long, are reasonably priced, and are direct bolt-on/fit.

 

Any suggestions??

 

Thanks guys!

[exit34rocker1017]

Get KYB GR-2 brand struts. They are great struts and mostly everyone has them here. There is never a bad thing said about them. They are direct bolt on fit. They last long and are reasonably priced! Keep in mind if you get new struts, you'll want to get new strut bearing and strut upper mounts while the strut is out. Make sure you get OEM Nissan strut bearings and mounts because the aftermarket brands only last 12-15,000 miles.

 

Just looked up your part numbers, and they are 335033 for the left and 335032 for the right.

Edited February 15, 2011 by exit34rocker1017

[Howie]

[180sx]

X3

 

You can get the KYB GR2 struts and matching rear shocks on ebay all for $200.

And please get new OEM strut bearings (spherical bearings is what they are called) and mounts or this could happen to you in 5K miles.

 

 

Jose

[Feenix]

I too have a 03 LE and am in the market for the upgraded suspension. I have already replaced the rear with Old Man Emu springs and love them. Now I am looking for stuts. Let me know how your upgrade goes and how you like it please. I would especially like to now if you get a clunking noise (topping out?) with the new struts on bumps. Thanks!

[rick88ss]

I just bought some KYB GR2 struts,KYB gas-a-just shocks, and KYB strut bump stops for my 1996 Pathfinder at partsgeek.com

 

The price was even better that advanceautoparts.com with a 20% discount and free shipping.

 

 

I have a question though since I need the strut mounts and bearing from courtesyparts.com

 

What parts exactly do I need from Nissan besides the ones I already bought?

 

 

Do you have to disconnect the tie rods from the spindle to change the front struts?

[Andrew04LE]

Ya, get the KYB's and new mounts. You should get new springs while you are at it too. Old man Emu's wi;ll give you a small lift and a firmer ride.

 

I am in the process of getting my parts for a suspension overhaul.

 

Question about the mounts: Are Moog mounts and bearings alright? I bought them from Rock Auto under the impression that they are a premium part.. they were the most expensive ones they had. Will I have problems with these? Anybody tried them?