My first R50

[Azbuilt]

You in Arizona?

[R3DN1CK]

Suspension any after market? Passenger side are vent

I'll have to verify but the pass vent may be the only one not broken. I'm outta town but will verify Thurs.

[R3DN1CK]

You in Arizona?

 

Nope, San Diego. Car runs and drives. I'm stealing the 32s for this R50. But we could sell the whole thing for 1500, you can take what you want and part it out on your time... and find a local source for some cheapo 15inchers to get ya home. I'd trust it to drive to TX.

[Azbuilt]

I love SD how much we talking for the shocks, send me some pictures, could easily bring my truck up there. Done it already

[XPLORx4]

To avoid letting this thread become all about parting out your WD21 instead of all about your new R50, consider taking those types of messages to PM or create a parting out thread in the WD21 section (if you haven't already done so).

 

I'd like to hear how your new R50 Rancho parts work out once they're installed.

[gwillis6]

Here's mine with 2" AC lift with GR-2 struts and Bilstein shocks. Summit 85 Black 8 series 15x8 wheels with 3.75" backspacing &

BF Goodrich 32x11.50 MT tires.

[R3DN1CK]

Swapped the 32's on Lego's from the old P.O.R.N., doesn't look too bad on P.O.R.N.2. I have a facebook album for it I'm updating as I go. If you're on face book look for "Nick Ewing-Pistelak" and friend request me. Be warned your feed may get blown up with Pathfinder stuff, Band stuff and general nonsense. I used the 1.5" wheel spacers I was rocking on the WD21 with the lego's to net a 4" backspace. Had to remove the front splash guards and did a test run, appears will need heat gun to deform front splash guard on both sides. Keep in mind this is pre-lift so life should be good after the AC Rancho kit. Next up are rear link replacement and then the lift and shocks.

 

WD21 Part out requests, please PM me and I'll give you my cell to text offers/work out details. PM's sent to the interested parties this morning. Sorry Admins.

 

Going to post up the WD21 in the "for sale" section today, if it lets me...

[01Pathmaker]

Pics here would be nice too, especially for us non-Facebook types. Yep, I said it, some people actually do not have or want anything to do with Facebook, Twitter and things of the like. Heck, I'd like to go back to the days of the pager, I could still be notified of important issues/emergencies, but it wasn't the "techno-leash" that cell phones, oops, sorry, mobile devices have become.

[R3DN1CK]

Pics here would be nice too, especially for us non-Facebook types. Yep, I said it, some people actually do not have or want anything to do with Facebook, Twitter and things of the like. Heck, I'd like to go back to the days of the pager, I could still be notified of important issues/emergencies, but it wasn't the "techno-leash" that cell phones, oops, sorry, mobile devices have become.

 

I'll have to get some up here for you guys. I'm not big on having my photos in multiple places. If they are on Facebook, I don't want to have them on photobucket or whatever also... so I'll figure out the URLS and add some pics for y'all.

[R3DN1CK]

Oh and the part out posting for the WD21 is at: http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/topic/40005-1990-pathfinder-se-1990-obo/

 

Some PM's already sent. PM me or respond on the thread and I'll get you my contact info... need you guys to buy my WD21 stuff to perpertuate the R50.

 

Thanks! -Nick

[R3DN1CK]

Got box 1 of 2 from 4x4parts yesterday. Rancho rear shocks are hella beefy. Will post pics later. The front struts say "oe spectrum" on a sitcker but the body is stamped rancho? Prior posts said the Rancho's didn't have mounting stuff for the brakes, etc... Maury Povich called and reports that that was a Lie. The front struts have the ABS sensor, Brake Line and Sway Bar mounting provisions. Doesn't appear to be hokey at all. Will find out when it's time to install, but so far so good.

 

Today I patiently (yeah right) wait for UPS to bring box 2 with my springs.

[XPLORx4]

Prior posts said the Rancho's didn't have mounting stuff for the brakes, etc... Maury Povich called and reports that that was a Lie. The front struts have the ABS sensor, Brake Line and Sway Bar mounting provisions.

 

You misunderstood my previous comments. On the Rancho's I installed, the brake line tab was not properly sized, and you couldn't secure the brake line to the strut using the spring clip, instead having to use a zip tie.

 

I did not say the mounting tabs for brake, ABS, and sway bar were missing. They're all there, but just not the right size for a clean OEM-looking install.

 

Maybe they're different now than they were years ago. If so, that's great for you. I hope it works out.

[hawairish]

The front struts say "oe spectrum" on a sitcker but the body is stamped rancho? Prior posts said the Rancho's didn't have mounting stuff for the brakes, etc... Maury Povich called and reports that that was a Lie. The front struts have the ABS sensor, Brake Line and Sway Bar mounting provisions. Doesn't appear to be hokey at all. Will find out when it's time to install, but so far so good.

 

Monroe and Rancho are owned by the same company. OE Spectrum is Monroe's OEM replacement line. Hopefully you didn't pay a premium for a re-badged $60 Monroe strut with .4" more travel, but maybe Rancho improved the dampening.

 

My last (and only) Rancho shocks were replaced by 2x4's with holes drilled in them.

 

I also didn't interpret XPLORx4's post as saying any mounting tabs were missing, just not sized properly. I had a similar experience with OMEs, but nothing a file couldn't resolve.

[R3DN1CK]

 

You misunderstood my previous comments. On the Rancho's I installed, the brake line tab was not properly sized, and you couldn't secure the brake line to the strut using the spring clip, instead having to use a zip tie.

 

I did not say the mounting tabs for brake, ABS, and sway bar were missing. They're all there, but just not the right size for a clean OEM-looking install.

 

Maybe they're different now than they were years ago. If so, that's great for you. I hope it works out.

 

A little serious on a Wednesday eh? Take it with a grain of salt.. Hence the Maury Povich joke.

 

I'm perfectly OK not being on this forum. Just wanted to say XPLORx4 Have a great day.

[hawairish]

 

A little serious on a Wednesday eh? Take it with a grain of salt.. Hence the Maury Povich joke.

 

I'm perfectly OK not being on this forum. Just wanted to say XPLORx4 Have a great day.

 

Dude...what the what?

 

His response didn't have that tone. He clarified his stance after you said, "Prior posts said the Rancho's didn't have mounting stuff for the brakes, etc." This was presumably in direct reference to his experience that he offered in your other post. You misunderstood his comments and confirmed it by noting that each tab existed and didn't appear hokey. You can only possibly know they're not hokey when you actually install them, which you haven't. He clearly has installed them before, and I'd even bet that he thought they looked fine before he installed them, too.

 

Then, he concluded that it's great if it's not the case for you. It was the case for him "years ago", and that's all he was saying (yet didn't say any mounting tabs were missing). You jokingly (with as much comedic value as a Maury Povich reference has, I guess) called him a liar ("that was a Lie") which he probably—and rightfully—took offense to.

 

Considering the amount of work he's done to his truck, the fact that he really uses it, and the degree of detail he puts in his posts (part numbers, trial/error results, product comparisons, experiences over speculation), I don't think he has to take responses like yours with a grain of salt. I've always found his posts (and there are a lot of them) very informative and succinct. I doubt he cares if you don't agree with him. You asked for insight that he, and others, have provided. Perhaps you've misinterpreted it. It happens, then corrections are issued, and we move on.

 

If that's not cool, then we're perfectly OK with you not being on this forum, and that we just want to say, "Have a great day." Take it with a grain of salt.

[Beatup96]

I've moderated a forum for years , often enough a message gets mistaken as sarcastic or antagonistic when it is only meant to be a succinct clarification .

Clarification of a mistaken interpretation keeps a subject on track for others interested in the topic at hand , lessening confusion .

 

 

 

 

[XPLORx4]

OK, settle down everybody. There's no need for this topic to denigrate into social mayhem. It is obvious that clear communication is very difficult in printed/typed words alone. The absence of vocal intonation and body language can cause misinterpretation of the words read on an computer screen, which apparently were read as sarcasm. Listen, I don't need to dish out attitude to anyone; my ego is not bruised by people I do not have a personal relationship with. I'm sure you can all agree that it's hard enough dealing with people in real life.

 

I actually didn't take offense at the Maury Povich comment. My response only meant to indicate that I believed my previous comments were misunderstood by R3DN1CK. When he originally asked about whether anyone would recommend Rancho struts, I indicated that I had doubts about their overall product quality due to bracket fitment issues. He apparently mistook that to mean that the struts didn't have any brackets attached.

Now, since it's been several years since I've worked with Rancho products, I can't say for sure whether they have corrected the fitment issue with the brake line bracket or not. But if his installation works out, then terrific! I'm happy for him, that he got to install a matching set of Rancho suspension parts on his Pathy. If it doesn't work out, at least he will have been informed about the possibility of quality issues prior to purchasing the struts.

Almost all of the advice I offer on internet forums (and previously on the 4x4parts.com forum) is due to personal experience, having purchased my '97 LE in 1998 with 11,000 miles on it, and having learned how to work on it and upgrade it the hard way- trial and error - over the past 17 years and 170,000 miles.

In the early 2000's, NOBODY made diddly squat with regard to mods for the R50; there was no "Pathfinder association" forum to ask questions on, 4x4parts didn't even exist when I lifted my R50. The internet was still in its childhood. I had to learn myself! I had to call a spring fabricator 80 miles away to get custom 2" lift coil springs made and installed on my R50. There was no such thing as strut spacers. UHMWPE hadn't been adapted for widespread use yet. I pored over shock size charts at my local 4wheelparts to find Rancho 9000 shocks with the correct length and construction, then accept their "we can't warranty shocks installed on vehicles they weren't designed for" policy.

You guys honestly don't realize how easy you have it now. You have 4x4parts, you have SFD, you have spacers, you have choices! Most importantly, you have the collective knowledgebase of dozens of experienced R50 4WD enthusiasts at your fingertips.

So, let's move on. R3DN1CK, I really hope you get those struts worked out, and you fall more in love with your R50 than you ever did with your WD21. Cared for properly, driven judiciously, it will give you many years of joy.

[hawairish]

Well put XPLORx4, and great pic, btw. I don't mean to type on your behalf, of course. It's just clear to me that your experience and input is well-validated, but this time may have been too quickly dismissed. It's your type of expertise that improves a community like this. I think there were better ways to say "thanks" or "looks like Rancho's gotten their act together" than with a Maury Povich reference. But that's just me.

 

Anyway, sorry if I jumped on my response. No intentions of attacking you, R3DN1CK, but felt you were out of line on your responses. Perhaps I've made the misinterpretation, too.

 

But as XPLORx4 mentioned, I hope they work out for you, too. I could relate when you mentioned OCD kicking in to match the front and rears shocks, but I've learned to get over that quickly because R50s require a little Frankensteining. When you do get it up, let us know how it looks and feels. I'm rocking super-cheap Monroe Reflex shocks for an F250 in the rear...they ride like a truck, but replaced a far superior OME set. Not because I wanted to, but because I needed the length and a short-term solution while I dial things in over the year. I'm eye-balling some Bilsteins based on XPLORx4's assessment and advocacy of his 5150s.

 

Funny you mentioned nothing existing in the early 2000's, XPLORx4. I had a 1998 Frontier at the time (it's still around at 200K, bought new), and the same was true there...nothing existed except a Fabtech lift, torsions, add-a-leafs, and non-application Rancho 5Ks (had them all). Calmini eventually came around after the Xterra's berth. AC was around at the time (I was a frequent on their old forum), but there was definitely nothing for an R50. We do have it good here.

 

 

[R3DN1CK]

Got box 2 of 2 from 4x4parts, which had the springs today. I'll take more photos when we work on it and upload/link them on here. Damn springs weigh a ton. Trying to find a low cost alternative for the front strut mounting stuff. I'd like to use new mounts/bearings etc.. but even at my employee cost, I'm still $200-300 bucks deep in strut mounts OE. Any good aftermaket sources for that stuff?

 

I am excited for the Rancho struts as they have been durable enough on our Titans we see here at work and it's gotta be better than an off the shelf sensa-crap or whatever brand of road shock/strut you can think of. The piston diameter on the front struts appears to be much larger than the OE one.

 

I'm very curious how the rear Rancho shocks do, but feel confident they were the right choice for the rear. These things are massively large diameter body. The 9 way adjustable shock will be very useful for me. On the WD21 I found the rear end rebound/damping to be the weakest point when beating the trail or washes. The rear would always pogo stick, even with the reservoir Bilstein 7100's... allthough the Bilsteins were heaven sent over the cheapo blue napa reflexs. To adjust the Bilsteins I'd have to take em in and have them revalved or change the fluid viscosity or try just increasing/decreasing the nitrogen charge to find a balance, but that involves crawling and nitrogen. Hoping I can just hop out, lay down change a few click and carry on until I find the ideal number setting.

 

I'm no stranger to modding Nissan vehciles. I don't feel the need to post a resume here, but I've been working for a Nissan dealership parts dept for over a decade now and working/modding my own since day 1 I could drive. Owned a lot of Nissans. I mean, a lot.

 

Once I get P.O.R.N.2 to a testing stage, I'll take it out to the old stomping grounds and let y'all know how it did or if I had to be towed home. I expect it to out perform the WD21 in just about every catergory except nostalgia and rear discs and switching up from a stick. Working on the R50, I can see the improvements made to the R50 over the WD21 and it looks 10x easier to work on. I can actually crawl under the R50 and work on it vs the WD21. Ground clearance stock appears to be better. More power and torque and a nice functional interior.

 

I can tell the difference between the WD21 forum and the R50 forum. I'm ok being the outsider, the R50 people appear to have their own thing going vs the WD21 guys. I'm just a dude with a low budget and a Nissan, don't care what others think. Never have, never will. Offspring song Smash defines how I live pretty much... I might say some things that hurt your feelings. Wah. Get over it. We're all big boys last I checked and I'll try to keep on topic for you rule following kind of guys. Pathmaker vs Pathfinder.

[XPLORx4]

What model of Rancho rear shock did you purchase?

 

Find out if you can mount them upside down (shock body on top, shaft on bottom). If so, the adjustment knob is super easy to get to- just reach into the rear wheel well and rotate the knob.

 

Also, when mounting the rear right shock (if the body must be on the bottom), take note that the panhard rod mount has the potential to dent the shock body when the left tire is stuffed and the right tire is at full droop.

[R3DN1CK]

What model of Rancho rear shock did you purchase?

 

Find out if you can mount them upside down (shock body on top, shaft on bottom). If so, the adjustment knob is super easy to get to- just reach into the rear wheel well and rotate the knob.

 

Also, when mounting the rear right shock (if the body must be on the bottom), take note that the panhard rod mount has the potential to dent the shock body when the left tire is stuffed and the right tire is at full droop.

 

They are Rancho RS9000XL.

 

The stamped body says body side down only. I could see how inverse mounting would make it easier to change, but would not want to take the chance of damaging the shaft from trail debris causing a leak.

 

Yeah, the oversize body is a little concerning on the right side... have to check it out. Hopefully the rear swaybar keeps it from over extending when wheeling.

[XPLORx4]

What's the part number for the 9000XL shocks you got?

 

I think the ones I bought from 4x4parts (before I swapped in my Bilsteins a few years ago) were 999112. (I believe 999116 are good for non-lifted Pathfinders; I believe those are the p/n for 1st-gen Xterra rear suspension.)

 

Unfortunately, the 999112's turned out to be undervalved for my Pathfinder, which was a big bummer. Not only that, but I did end up denting the right shock body on an off-road trip because the 9000XL's are so much fatter than their predecessor. Had it not been for the dented shock body, I might have tried the 999010's to see if they have different valving, because I really liked being able to dial in the shock settings based on vehicle load.

 

Prior to the 9000XL's, I had Rancho's original RS9000's installed (p/n 99010); they were installed upside-down and worked great. No clearance issues, easy to reach the adjustment knob, and nice stiff valving at dial setting "9" (good for towing, hauling heavy loads, and rock-crawling).

 

The lightly-used 9000XL's (although one was dented) eventually got tossed out during a garage clean-up effort.

 

BTW, when installing the shocks, you may find that the lower mounting brackets are too wide for the included shock bushing sleeve, and you'll get some slop/play when attempting to tighten them. You can compensate for this by placing large washers on either side of the shock bushing sleeve, so you don't completely deform the lower shock mount. Choose the longest sleeve whose inner diameter matches the lower shock bolt. Apply a coating of grease on the inside of the shock bushings (and on the sleeves) to reduce suspension squeaking.

[ryan88pathy]

Wow. Glad i came across this. I Just went out and bought my first r50 96 model for $900 due to my 88 being not family friendly as my wife said. I to am reluctant on the rancho and are really excited to know what you think of them. I'm like you R3DN1CK and have to have the same kind on all four corners.

[hawairish]

BTW, when installing the shocks, you may find that the lower mounting brackets are too wide for the included shock bushing sleeve, and you'll get some slop/play when attempting to tighten them. You can compensate for this by placing large washers on either side of the shock bushing sleeve, so you don't completely deform the lower shock mount. Choose the longest sleeve whose inner diameter matches the lower shock bolt. Apply a coating of grease on the inside of the shock bushings (and on the sleeves) to reduce suspension squeaking.

 

On mine (2004), the upper is a bracket, the lower is a stud. I thought it was the same on older models, but the stud was at a different angle relative to the axle tube?

 

Nonetheless, I used these to fill the gaps on both upper mount and lower stud: https://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=15901. The washers are 3/16" thick.

 

 

 

These are Monroe Reflex, and are pretty beefy. They probably have a similar profile to the Ranchos.

[XPLORx4]

96-99 R50's have a different shock mounting layout than 99.5-04.

 

 

https://xplorx4.shutterfly.com/pictures/1983