bolbol Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 I found a good deal for a 1999 pathfinder couple weeks ago with a mileage of almost 160k. The guy was asking 700 dollar for it and the only issues it has is that its extremely dirty inside, it has exterior scratches, a minor dent in the back, some suspension issues. The reason I picked it up is that the tranny and the engine are as smooth as it can get. I have a few things that I need to fix and wanted to check it out with others before proceeding. As far as suspension goes, there are certain thigns wrong with it but I havent really had the time to jack up the car and do a visual inspection yet. -The main issue I have is that above speeds of 40 mph(freeway mostly) certain small bumps cause the vehicle to roll left to right. I drive it as-is because the rolls cease after a full swing or two. I googled this and I saw that there is a nissan bulletin on a similar issue saying that the issue is caused by sway bar links at the rear.. I just wanted to know if there are any other things that can cause this so I can check for them when I jack the car up? -Another issue I noticed is that at lower speeds during city driving when I go over bumps I hear strange noises coming from the front.. Maybe struts or the mounts? I have never driven a car before with a coil suspension and I am not quite sure what the symptoms are when a part goes bad on those.. - Also I was inspecting the rear shocks with the vehicle parked and I noticed they could be twisted by hand to a certain degree on both sides. Is this a serious issue? The upper mount seemed to be the source. The engine of the car is pretty smooth, it turns on quite fast, no rough idles, no strange noises or anything except at start up... When I start the car in the I hear a belt squeek for like a fraction of a second and then it goes away, afterwards the rpm(mostly durring early morning starts) suddenly jumps to 1400 and stays there until I put it in reverse or drive and then it lowers to around 680. Is 1400 a normal number for these cars? My other car which is a 2001 chevy blazer would only go up to 1000 rpm during early morning start up. There is one last thing that is really bothering me and that is the timing belt on this engine... I have heard that belts need to be changed(every 100k I believe?) or they may ruin the engine.. This car has 160k miles and the previous owner only had the car for a few months and he himself bought it from a dealer who got it from an auction. Would this car have survived to present day with factory belt and is it safe to assume that it was changed at around 100k? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDN_S4 Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 (edited) Never assume anything. Replace all fluids, front and rear diffs, tranny and of course oil. Probably the coolant too. As for the suspension, if it is the original and it sounds like it is, I would replace all of it. New shocks, struts and coils. Belt squeal, cleaning and lunricatong the pullies helped my squeal. They got gunked up after a while. I have a 99 also. The rpm issue is not normal. Not sure what causes that. And BTW, welcome to NPORA Edited January 17, 2016 by CDN_S4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickmutante Posted January 17, 2016 Share Posted January 17, 2016 Don' t forget to change front a rear brake pads and bands... You never know how they were treated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaPath Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 When was the last time the timing belt was changed? I have the 3.5, but as I recall the 3.3 is an interference engine. As far as brake pads, a simple visual inspection should be fine on those. If there is meat left, let it roll, if not, replace. I'm not sure what the reference to bands means though so perhaps I'm missing the point... I agree with CDN on the suspension, and while you are at it might as well lift it! Get some new shocks, struts, strut tops, sway bar links, shocks, and trailing arms and be done with it. The way these trucks drive when the suspension is tight is pretty awesome, you will be surprised. Good Luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 +1 on doing the belt. I would be surprised if the factory belt lasted 160k and 17 years but who knows if it's been done or if it was done properly. I did the belt on my '93 when I got it and it looked fine, probably had another 10k left on it, but I've got a lot more peace of mind knowing that it's all new under the timing cover. These motors are interference, so if the belt goes out, it'll usually take valves with it. Sway does sounds like rear link bushings. Coil springs shouldn't squeak. Could be bushings, could be ball joints, probably something you should take a look at in case it's something important. I don't know if the steering stop design changed for the R50 but the WD21 stops tend to creak and groan if you cycle the suspension at full steering lock. If you haven't yet, download the service manual for your year and have a look around. It's probably got a testing procedure for your high idle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mickmutante Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 (edited) ... I'm not sure what the reference to bands means though so perhaps I'm missing the point... Sorry for my english... But how do you say to the rear brakes pads? (The R50 does not have disc brakes on the rear).... Edited January 18, 2016 by mickmutante Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaPath Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 Ah! Yes the rear is drum brakes and uses shoes. It would not be a bad idea to open them up to inspect the wheel cylinders and clean out all the dust, but a quick visual is all that is needed on the shoes themselves. No need to replace unless worn or grease soaked(and then you have another problem!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 18, 2016 Share Posted January 18, 2016 By the way, the swaying side-to-side is frequently referred to as the "death wobble" on this and other R50 forums. It is caused by worn bushings on the rear lower control arms, which allow the rear axle to steer the vehicle. Replacing the rear lower control arms (or if you have a press, just the bushings) is the remedy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolbol Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 By the way, the swaying side-to-side is frequently referred to as the "death wobble" on this and other R50 forums. It is caused by worn bushings on the rear lower control arms, which allow the rear axle to steer the vehicle. Replacing the rear lower control arms (or if you have a press, just the bushings) is the remedy. By rear lower control arms, you mean these? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 Yep. That would be the ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bolbol Posted January 23, 2016 Author Share Posted January 23, 2016 I see, Thanks! I located the part and tried moving it and it has the same play as my rear shocks when twisted side to side. Does that mean I have to change the shcoks too? Or the trailing arm by itself will fix the wobble? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Replace the links only if your truck exhibits the death wobble, which feels like side-to-side swaying during light deceleration/acceleration. Twisting motion won't tell you if the link bushings are bad. You want to be looking for lateral (forward/backward) movement. To check this, park on a flat surface and place the tranny in neutral. Firmly chock the front wheels, and release the parking brake. Go grab a rear tire at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock and rotate it forward/backward as you watch to see how much play there is in the bushings. You shouldn't see the link move forward/backward very much (if at all) relative to the chassis. You shouldn't be able to move the tire forward/back without the chassis also moving. It might be useful to do this with a helper who can move the tire for you while you watch the bushings. If your truck exhibits the death wobble, you only need to replace the links (or just the bushings if you have a press). Technically, you don't need to replace the upper links to cure the death wobble, but if the lowers are shot, you might as well do the uppers too. The upper links mostly keep the axle from rotating when accelerating/decelerating and ensure that the correct driveshaft angle is maintained, but have less effect on keeping the axle properly located under the chassis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now