BigBikeMike Posted May 8, 2005 Share Posted May 8, 2005 I have come to realize the only real lift out there is the AC lift kit. I know I'm going to get one soon, just don't know which one. This truck is my daily driver, and I plan to put BFG A/Ts on it. I go to the mountains a lot, as I race Downhill mountain Bikes. Any suggestions for which lift to get? Like I said, Its my daily Driver, and I see myself becoming a weekend warrior, but I work A LOT. I work weeks and weekends, so I'm going to try and get up to the mountains or some trails as much as possible. My work drive is about 50 miles a day, all highway. That being said, whats the biggest size of BFG A/Ts I can fit on one of those lifts with no rubbing? I want to keep my current stock 16" rims. Could I fit the LT235/85R16/E? Thanks all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted May 9, 2005 Share Posted May 9, 2005 I suppose which lift you get is entirely up to you, and we all have our own opinions... after researching here, and on other boards to see what other people have and suggest, I went with the 2" AC lift with bilstein shocks & KYB struts... I am very happy with the results - I've had it in just over a month. I do quite a bit of highway driving to & from work... I find I've slowed down a bit on the highways, and you can kiss any "fuel economy' you thought you had goodbye... (although, I also installed a roof basket at the same time, and I know that causes A LOT of drag) I've had it off road a couple times, been happy in the mud, on the snow, and on rocks... I'm not too sure about tires sizes - I'm sure others will chime in here... I was going to get the same tires you are looking at, but I got an awesome deal on the Bridgestone Duellers, that I wasnt about to pass up. I was able to fit 275/70R16 on the truck with the lift, but I also got the AR757 Wheels, so they wouldnt rub the strut... my install pics are here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmorgan4 Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Pezzy, Im also interested in doing basically the same package that you put on yours, but im worried about the CV's and ball joints wearing out prematurely like everyone says is a problem in the pathfinders. When you installed the lift do the CV's appear to be at too much of an angle and straining? I know a lot of the guys in Australia were getting about 1" lifts saying thats the maximum you should go without causing damage, only an inch wouldnt be worth it. I'd love to hear your opinion on the whole kit, even though you've only had it for a month. How much did your gas mileage go down with the roof rack and lift + bigger tires. Those tires even out to be about a 33" right? Thanks a bunch. Tyler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 Before getting my lift, I also asked around and heard about the strain on the CV's... To be honest, I havent really had a look at the angles, and compared them to before... I suppose I will deal with that when the time comes... I wanted a lift so thats the price I may have to pay some day if they wear... besides getting less lift - I do believe getting manual hubs will help lessen wear... In general, I can't say anything bad about the kit... The truck rides a lot more like a truck now, not so cushy as it was stock, but it only took a week or two to get used to that. Mostly I noticed the bumps in the road more... and I have to take speed bumps a bit easier, and watch out for pot holes (what am I, in a lowrider or what?) as the struts tend to top out sometimes when I forget and hit them a bit too fast. I dont really have an accurate idea of how my fuel consumption has changed, before i got it - i was getting about 400km/tank. But now I get about the same - but the weather has warmed up a lot - I know I got a lot closer to 500km's last summer when the truck was stock. My tires are actually 31's (31.2 to be exact!) There are a few guys here with a lot more knowlege here... GET POSTING GUYS HELP US OUT!! haha.. I'm pretty new to all of this too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 With a 2-3" lift, the CV's are at a slightly higher angle, but this does not exceed the operational limits of the CV. With the factory hubs, the front CVs and diff always rotate when the truck is moving, so the CV boots may wear out more quickly. You may also feel slight vibration at highway speeds because of the increased CV angles. Manual hubs (or even Nissan automatic hubs) will solve these issues, but if your truck has the "all-mode" AWD transfer case (not the lever-operated case) then you must be certain to lock the hubs prior to using "all-mode". I don't think the ball joints will wear "prematurely." My truck has over 130000 miles (208000 km) on it (over 160000 km with the lift), and I have had to replace both ball joints only once- the rubber boots had cracked and were leaking grease. With a 2-3" lift, you can fit 265/75R16 or 32x11.50R15 tires, but you might have to use different wheels with less backspacing, so that the tire clears the spring pan on the strut. Trimming the mudflaps and plastic fender liners may also be needed to reduce/prevent rubbing problems. 31x10.50R15 tires will fit on the factory wheels with no lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RowOSU Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 you mentioned Nissan automatic hubs -- has anyone updated the flanges on the 96+ to auto hubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XPLORx4 Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 (edited) I've not heard of any R50 owners swapping drive flanges to auto hubs, but it can be done. The easiest (but maybe not the cheapest) way is to go to your local Nissan dealer and buy a pair of auto hubs for the Xterra (which also happen to fit the Pathy). Or you could visit the Xterra message boards and see if anyone there who has swapped to manuals is willing to sell their stock auto hubs. Edited May 10, 2005 by XPLORx4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runnerman Posted May 10, 2005 Share Posted May 10, 2005 I dont really have an accurate idea of how my fuel consumption has changed, before i got it - i was getting about 400km/tank. But now I get about the same - but the weather has warmed up a lot - I know I got a lot closer to 500km's last summer when the truck was stock. I think wifes Pathy brand new has seen 440km's per tank a few times now almost 2 years old she see's a lucky 400km's once in awhile but averages 380km per tank as she does allot of city driving. She's also heavy on the FOOT Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBikeMike Posted May 11, 2005 Author Share Posted May 11, 2005 OK, so i'm totally new to this. I really have no idea about all this stuff. What do I have to worry about with an AC lift? Whats the deal with the hubs? Thanks for all the info guys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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