Help! My truck bottoms out in the rear

[merlinx]

I have a 97 Pathfinder. When I got the truck I noticed that the drivers side was lower then the passanger side at the rear. Also I have a broken bump stop on the drivers side. I replaced all the shocks with Gabriel and Monroe shocks and had smeone sell me the coils from a 2004 pathfinder. Also fixed the bump stop. Now, when I go over a dip the truck botoms out if Im going too fast also when I looked at the compressed coil (Under normal weight) there is only about an inch clearence between the stop and the fram, is this normal? Should I get heavier springs or just remove the bump stops? I think that is whats bottoming out. I also thought of shortening the stops. Any help is appriciated. thanks

 

Jason

[lbinh]

Removing the bump stops will make it worse. The inch of clearence is normal for the larger bump stops. The are soft by design. Can't really hold cargo or trailer weight but great for normal driving. There was a TSB for the bottoming out issue. i had larger bump stops added under the TSB. No more botomming out but rear still sags under weight. New aftermarket springs will make your normal driving ride harsher.

 

I recommend installing air springs inside your stock coil springs. You can vary the pressure to suit your load conditions, manually or automatically.

 

Check out Air Lift company products. I was about to install them on my 01LE before we gave it away. Moderately difficult to install. Someone had a nice writeup on the install.

 

This is the more expensive automatic one:

 

http://www.centuryperformance.com/detail.a...ct_id=ARL-65742

 

There is a manual one that costs half that.

Edited July 28, 2005 by lbinh

[XPLORx4]

:confused: The bump stop should be bolted to the frame. Do you mean there is only 1" of clearance between the bottom of the bumpstop and the spring pan on the axle? If so, that doesn't sound right.

 

When you installed the 2004 springs, did you notice if the ride height changed? Did you get bumpstops for the 97 or for a different year? lbinh is right- there was a TSB on bottoming out for 01 Pathfinders. I believe the solution was to install shorter bumpstops to increase the distance between "level" ride height and "bottomed out".

 

Basically, you have a few options for this:

1) install shorter bumpstops

2) cut an inch or so off the bumpstop.

3) remove the bumpstops and install the airlift air bags

 

[edit: Don't remove the bumpstops, or if you really DO bottom out, it the spring coils will fully compress and bottom out. That's bad.]

Edited July 28, 2005 by XPLORx4

[merlinx]

Thanks for the advise guys. Im getting two things here onle longer bump stops the other shorter. Mine are long and the 1" clearance is between the axle and the bump stop.

 

The coils I installed are from a 2004 and the bump stops are the factory ones that came with the vehicle I think. The truck is very harch specially when I right over quick bumps the whole inside shakes. I heard these trucks are supposed to be smother than the avarage truck but the pathy rides like a truck I have new shocks Gabriels in the back and Monroes in the front.

 

Any ideas on where to get those airbags cheaper anyone? Manual is fine for me.

 

 

Thanks

 

Jason