Karmann Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 If I go over a bump or driveway at even a relatively moderate speed, I hear a loud thump, as the rear suspension bottoms out. I would love to lift at some point with Ironman Suspension, but don't have the $$$ right now. I have Bilstein 4600 shocks back there with only 20k on them, so I'm looking for solutions other than shock replacement. Upgraded bump stops seem like one route, but I'm looking for a direction.... Mainly I want to keep flex to a maximum, but have a more controlled ride on and off road. Airlift airbags seem like they could work, but I'm still a little leary of their durability. These seem interesting: http://www.etrailer.com/Vehicle-Suspension/Nissan/Pathfinder/2002/TNRPF4A.html?vehicleid=20021014039 Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trogdor636 Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 My buddy has the airlift bags on his 93. He hasn't killed them yet, been a few years and he wheels it pretty good. I just opted for new springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 (edited) Karmann: The price of those rubber spring bags are MORE than the cost of IronMan rear springs. Or even stock replacements. Which you need new springs. For whatever reason, the facelift Pathfinders springs tend to sag a lot worse than pre facelift ones. Camel4x4.com Official distributor of IronMan springs in the USA. Link Rears: http://store.camel4x4.com/product/NISS035B.html He has a set in stock right now. Edited September 21, 2013 by Rebelord 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 Karmann: The price of those rubber spring bags are MORE than the cost of IronMan rear springs. Or even stock replacements. Which you need new springs. For whatever reason, the facelift Pathfinders springs tend to sag a lot worse than pre facelift ones. Camel4x4.com Official distributor of IronMan springs in the USA. Link Rears: http://store.camel4x4.com/product/NISS035B.html He has a set in stock right now. I realize that, but if I were going to buy those springs, I would buy all 4 and have it professionally installed, which means $$$ The rubber bags I might be able to install myself... just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Rear springs are easy to do. Heck, you even have to remove the rear springs to install those rubber ones. I'm just saying, if your going to spend that much, might as well get exactly what you want instead of same cost and bandaid it. Yes, with just the IronMan rear springs your gonna rack like crazy. Another option is to buy stock springs for a pre facelift Pathfinder. As they had higher rate, or at least better rated springs than facelift ones and put those in. Moog has them. (My IronMans to my door was; 277) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick13 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 I agree that even piecing it together may be best, but if you just want to give the springs a little boost/help while your still saving, you might want to look in to the "Mr Gasket" coils spring spacers and/or the block type of insert. Spacer: Block Inserts: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Those spring coil spacers, I have in my stock springs right now. Gave me about 1" to reduce the sag I had. Working well. If you need Karmann I can take a pic of how I installed them to work out the best. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 I agree that even piecing it together may be best, but if you just want to give the springs a little boost/help while your still saving, you might want to look in to the "Mr Gasket" coils spring spacers and/or the block type of insert. Spacer: Block Inserts: Any direct link on these? Those spring coil spacers, I have in my stock springs right now. Gave me about 1" to reduce the sag I had. Working well. If you need Karmann I can take a pic of how I installed them to work out the best. I would love a picture Also, here's a question, how are these supposed to sit? Because I have equal measurements from all fenders.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick13 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 http://lmgtfy.com/?q=mr+gasket+coil+spring+spacer Kind of a joke there, but seriously, IIRC these are pretty universal parts. I think I bought the coil spacers on Amazon and the block spacers at a nearby Advance Auto. The coil spacers I put beneath my coil springs (btw the springs and the seat/perch). When I had these it took more time to get my jack out than to insert them. I ended up putting them on the top of a modified Jeep coil spring a few months later and liked that much better - I think it dampened sound more than the old stock spring isolator. The block inserts I used for about a week but found that they will fall out when wheeling (specifically when at full droop on one side). For these I just jacked up from the subframe to get the coils to release a little then took a wrench and twisted them btw the coil wraps (at equal spacing around 2 wraps directly in the middle of the coil spring). Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96Pathfinder4x4 Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Yep, rear springs are EASY. Just need a jack. If you're bottoming out, bump stops are just going to get tore up prematurely. Fix the bottoming out issue. Even my WJ springs were easy to do, after trimming them to fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 The spacers I got were split, so I actually "threaded" them into the coils on the upper most coils. Why? Because usually the upper coils are the softer ones, which sag the most after age. I didnt install them in a conventional way. Hopefully it stops raining here so I can take a pic for ya. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 (edited) Ok thanks for the help so far. Again, what is the correct factory height for a 2002 R50 SE? Because mine sits level at all four corners, and if that's factory then I could assume my springs are fine right? Also, the main reason I won't lift the rear and not the front is because I really hate the stinkbug stance, and would have to lift the front at the same time- $$$. Because I really had a bad experience with a spring compressor, I'm just leaving that kind of front install to the "pros." Edited September 24, 2013 by Karmann Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick13 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 No, I believe if you measure from the fender/flare that the rear should be about 1" taller than the front - it's been a while since I looked at those specs, but that' what I recall. A 1" spacer shouldn't make a stink bug stance unless your front springs are sagging. That's why I showed the spacer and the block inserts. The block inserts keep the spring from compressing as much as they would like to, but they really don't change your ride height (unless your springs are beyond sagging and stay in a pretty compressed state). These may harshen the ride a bit, but might help you from bottoming out which I figured was your biggest concern. Really, with how cheap and easy the block inserts are, they'd be what I'd try first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96Pathfinder4x4 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Ok thanks for the help so far. Again, what is the correct factory height for a 2002 R50 SE? Because mine sits level at all four corners, and if that's factory then I could assume my springs are fine right? Also, the main reason I won't lift the rear and not the front is because I really hate the stinkbug stance, and would have to lift the front at the same time- $$$. Because I really had a bad experience with a spring compressor, I'm just leaving that kind of front install to the "pros." I feel ya on the spring compressor...I get nervous every time I use them. I go overboard and use 2 sets. I went with the OME stiff springs on the front and new KYB struts. I couldn't compress them enough....too stiff. I took the struts and springs to the shop and they charged me $20 to put 'em on. Struts themselves, just bolt in...then take it in for an alignment. The rear, you don't have to compress the springs at all. Just unbolt the swaybar, shocks (just bottom side), and the panhard bar. Now the truck is sitting on the springs. Jack up one side...high as you can...slip the spring in. Let down. Repeat on other side. Bolt everything back in place. Easy peasy. It's a good time to replace your shocks too, while you already have one side unbolted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 25, 2013 Author Share Posted September 25, 2013 I feel ya on the spring compressor...I get nervous every time I use them. I go overboard and use 2 sets. I went with the OME stiff springs on the front and new KYB struts. I couldn't compress them enough....too stiff. I took the struts and springs to the shop and they charged me $20 to put 'em on. Struts themselves, just bolt in...then take it in for an alignment. The rear, you don't have to compress the springs at all. Just unbolt the swaybar, shocks (just bottom side), and the panhard bar. Now the truck is sitting on the springs. Jack up one side...high as you can...slip the spring in. Let down. Repeat on other side. Bolt everything back in place. Easy peasy. It's a good time to replace your shocks too, while you already have one side unbolted. Hmm... I may just do that when the $$ time comes, have a shop assemble the strut and spring and then do the rest myself. It's comforting that the rear is so easy, though I definitely won't replace the shocks, they're less than a year old, and Bilstein so they ought to be good for a while. I wish I had the cash to swap to Ironman all around right now, but school and the gf take precedent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
96Pathfinder4x4 Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 I ordered the stock stuff from Amazon...paid for Prime. With free shipping, it pays for itself. All the other stuff has come from different vendors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 Karmann, found what you need. These are simple rear spring spacers. Up to whatever lift you want. Link: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/36189-spacers-for-sale-that-you-use-with-stock-r50-springs-or-lift-springs/ Should be well within your budget! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 Karmann, found what you need. These are simple rear spring spacers. Up to whatever lift you want. Link: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/36189-spacers-for-sale-that-you-use-with-stock-r50-springs-or-lift-springs/ Should be well within your budget! I like those, but would they help with bottoming out? I'm trying to think, I mean, if it bottoms out at this amount of travel and spring height, I would think just essentially extending the top of the spring wouldn't make a difference? And to an earlier comment- are the pre-facelift springs a higher spring rate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebelord Posted September 30, 2013 Share Posted September 30, 2013 It would help. As you are essentially raising the rear end up to 2" or which ever height you chose. Which then, you would have to travel another X amount to bottom out. Yes, the Pre-face lift springs are higher rate. But, OEM replacements from Moog etc, are more costly than IronMan or Old Man Emu springs. ~$62 each for rears, ~$106 each for fronts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karmann Posted September 30, 2013 Author Share Posted September 30, 2013 It would help. As you are essentially raising the rear end up to 2" or which ever height you chose. Which then, you would have to travel another X amount to bottom out. Yes, the Pre-face lift springs are higher rate. But, OEM replacements from Moog etc, are more costly than IronMan or Old Man Emu springs. ~$62 each for rears, ~$106 each for fronts. Well in that case... I think I may just save my pennies for a while. Is there anything by way of bump stops that might help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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