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Hi guys, I've had this Pathfinder for a few weeks now and I'm really impressed. I got a pretty good deal on this 97 with 191k miles. It's a base model with 4x4 and a 5 speed manual transmission. I'm the 3rd owner. The 2nd owner got the truck at around 50k miles and has kept a bunch of records since. I found a Nissan FSM in the trunk and the original owners manual in the glove. Inside the owners manual I found receipts for a complete drivetrain rebuild minus the engine. The rebuild was done at a reputable shop in 2010 at 150k miles. Inside the FSM, I found lots of different notes regarding the various things he's done to the truck.

 

Since I've had the truck I changed the timing belt, water pump, cam seals, front main seal, radiator, hoses and all the associated gaskets. I replaced all the gear oils with Redline Synthetic. As for the lift, I threw on AC coils w/ KYB's in the front and Land Rover Defender 9447 springs w/ Bilstein 5100's in the rear. For wheels I went with Pro Comp Rock Crawlers in 15x8 w/ 3.75 BS and Falken Wildpeaks in 32x11.5r15. I even followed the previous owners example and recorded all the maintenance performed in the logbook. Just like at work.

 

I live in SoCal. Because of the recent fires all our surrounding National forests and its roads are closed to the public. I haven't been able to off road locally for weeks! I'm getting tired of driving so far just to do beginner things. If anyone reading this is in the area and has experience with the local trails please let me know. Thanks!

 

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Nice going man! If you are in the LA area and simply want to test out your rig, you can try Elephant Hill in Monterey Park area. It’s undeveloped land that has access from the nearby neighborhood. Not “really” supposed to go wheeling in there, but a quick run through the web of mini trails has some easy to advanced level obstacles.

Or head out to Gorman off-road park.

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I love mine. its a similar spec setup to yours same colour, 4x4 and the 5 speed i just love it so much. i love all the pathfinders but this style with the red just speaks out to me. Love your rig hope to see more of it

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5 hours ago, Fonze311 said:

Nice going man! If you are in the LA area and simply want to test out your rig, you can try Elephant Hill in Monterey Park area. It’s undeveloped land that has access from the nearby neighborhood. Not “really” supposed to go wheeling in there, but a quick run through the web of mini trails has some easy to advanced level obstacles.

Or head out to Gorman off-road park.

When I lived out there Gorman was the go to spot for dirt biking and wheeling. Great place but it can get pretty crowded sometimes

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6 hours ago, mjotrainbrain said:

Wow, that's really a really clean Pathy! The mods look good too.

Hey, thanks! I finalized my wheel choice because of your youtube video. I recognize the custom tube bumper up front! 

Edited by Trailsearcher
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So I went to Hungry Valley SRVA in Gorman today! I drove through a few green circle trails and found the 4x4 practice area. I spent a good hour or 2 there learning my truck. After that, we ate lunch and drove over to Rattler Trail, a blue diamond trail. It was awesome! The more I drive the truck through difficult terrain, the more I yearn for more advanced trails. I am assuming the LSD and brand new tires help considerably. The park is pretty big, I think the ranger said about 20,000 acres. Which doesn't include the fact that the park sits right on the Ventura County Line. The main road connects you directly to the Los Padres NF, right into a bunch of different trail systems and campgrounds. I didn't go in because I didn't have a map for that area and phone reception was bad too. Definitely going in next time. Exploration options here are more than enough, a pretty impressive place. All in all Gorman was really fun and beginner friendly. Sometime next week I'll come back here, do Pronghorn Trail, and take a few more pics along the way.

 

 

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Edited by Trailsearcher
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21 hours ago, PathyGig12 said:

When I lived out there Gorman was the go to spot for dirt biking and wheeling. Great place but it can get pretty crowded sometimes

True. I usually go around Oct-Nov and it doesn’t seem so crowded. 
 

@Trailsearcher

nice pics man! Looks like you had fun. 

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Pronghorn trail was a good one. There was a nasty steep downhill somewhere along the way, can’t remember where exactly. All I remember was being 9 years old on a TTR90 scared @!*%less when my wheels locked up on dirt covered rock and I slid all the way down. Good times

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2 hours ago, Fonze311 said:

True. I usually go around Oct-Nov and it doesn’t seem so crowded. 
 

@Trailsearcher

nice pics man! Looks like you had fun. 

Thanks man, definitely wasn't too crowded today. I can't wait for the 1st rains though. should make wheeling a bit easier. It is really dusty and dry out there right now.

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3 minutes ago, PathyGig12 said:

Pronghorn trail was a good one. There was a nasty steep downhill somewhere along the way, can’t remember where exactly. All I remember was being 9 years old on a TTR90 scared @!*%less when my wheels locked up on dirt covered rock and I slid all the way down. Good times

Actually, I just watched this on YouTube:

 

 

The obstacle at the end of the video, is that your hill? I wonder if the Pathy can handle it...

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It would actually be nice to have another vehicle along. All my gearhead friends are still into their track cars, I'm the first one to get into a 4x4. Is there a section in these forums for local meetups?

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2 minutes ago, Trailsearcher said:

It would actually be nice to have another vehicle along. All my gearhead friends are still into their track cars, I'm the first one to get into a 4x4. Is there a section in these forums for local meetups?

 

Actually nvm not a good idea given the current situation lol

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Went to 2N33, Pilot Rock Truck Trail today. It's about a 12 mile stretch along one of the highest ridges in the San Bernardino Forest. It's filled with multiple off shoots from the main trail that offers anywhere from beginner to expert level wheeling. It runs along Silverwood Lake in the beginning and you end up near Lake Arrowhead at the end. Extremely beautiful. I managed to make some friends in a pretty nice F150! Together we went up some of the more challenging off shoots, it was epic! I got some free pinstriping and even got spotted for the first time because I was afraid of rolling. We ended the trip with pizza at Lake Arrowhead Village and a beautiful view of the lake. On the way home we got a surprise, the Rim of the World Highway. Yes, its that high... Google it. 2N33, Pilot Rock Road, a sweet trail... minus the trash. I ended up taking home a bag full.

 

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Edited by Trailsearcher
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Nice brotha! I’m from SoCal area too. Just finished my lift this weekend. Need to do axles, and my timing belt soon too. Plus fluids. I’ll be down to link up and hit some trails

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15 hours ago, Ranram88 said:

Nice brotha! I’m from SoCal area too. Just finished my lift this weekend. Need to do axles, and my timing belt soon too. Plus fluids. I’ll be down to link up and hit some trails

Sweet! Yeah I'm down. Just lmk when the rig is up and rdy.

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Welcome to the pathy family! I live in so cal! We've talked on IG but wanted to make it official on here as well! Let's hit up Cleghorn, anza, and big bear! All great trails with different difficulties. I live super close to maple springs truck trail too, if you're ever in the OC area let's link up so I can take you there!

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On 10/20/2020 at 12:24 AM, jg1123 said:

Welcome to the pathy family! I live in so cal! We've talked on IG but wanted to make it official on here as well! Let's hit up Cleghorn, anza, and big bear! All great trails with different difficulties. I live super close to maple springs truck trail too, if you're ever in the OC area let's link up so I can take you there!

Thanks! Yeah, I wanna run all those trails especially Big Bear. I wanna go but no one I know has an off-road setup. I haven't gotten my truck stuck yet and I don't want to be solo for the first time it happens. Definitely down to link up though! Need more 4x4 friends.

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Thanks! Yeah, I wanna run all those trails especially Big Bear. I wanna go but no one I know has an off-road setup. I haven't gotten my truck stuck yet and I don't want to be solo for the first time it happens. Definitely down to link up though! Need more 4x4 friends.

Get yourself some inexpensive recovery boards like the X-Bulks (~$50), a decent recovery strap & a shackle receiver for your hitch. Those basics are a good place to start.

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Yup, recovery straps and shackles are a good start but I’d also look into getting a HiLift jack so that you can recover when solo. Some people say they’re useless for our trucks because we have no frame or sturdy stock bumpers to lift from, but the real reason I got one is for the manual winching capability. I do most of my wheeling solo on the way to campsites or hiking spots so it’s something I know I’ll appreciate having at some point. Between that and a nice set of traction boards, you would have to try REAL hard to get stuck. A little bit of brainpower can usually keep you out of these extra special situations. 

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