giancarlo93 Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 Hi I got a 93 Pathfinder..in good status and I wanna lift it so I can use it for offroad.. I dont know what parts to buy.. Thanks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 13, 2005 Share Posted November 13, 2005 Ok, how high do you want to lift it ? Are you considering a body lift, suspension lift, or both ? How much can you spend ? B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giancarlo93 Posted November 13, 2005 Author Share Posted November 13, 2005 whats the cheapest way to get it lifted? whats better? suspension lifting or body lifting? whats the highest lift? do you know a performance webpage for nissan pathfinders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Cheapest way to lift would be to get Jeep Grand Cherokee coils for the rear, and crank the front Torsion bars to match. That'll give you about 3". Search around the forums. There's lots of information about the JGC coils, and torsion bar cranking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Suspension lift is the best, and if you use modified Jeep Grand Cherokee springs and a simple torsion bar crank the cheapest. Adding aftermarket Upper Control Arms (available from Calmini Superlift and Rough Country) is better for the front suspension. Total for that set up should be around $300-500 depending on what UCA's you use whether you get new shocks (definatly recommended), etc. Absolute highest you could go with IFS is around 10" (3 inch lift described above plus 4 inch trailmaster lift plus a 3 inch body lift). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giancarlo93 Posted November 14, 2005 Author Share Posted November 14, 2005 Thank you! for the information. And another dumb question. Simon what coils are you talking about? rear or front coils? and what year of cherokees are you talking about? Do anyone knows a good company that make headers for the pathfinder? Thanks.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
94extreme Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) there is lots of info regarding all your questions.. use search function.. most are in the garage or year specific forums.. Edited November 14, 2005 by mzxtreme Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 They are not dumb questions. The coils are replacement units for the rear suspension. Here is the link that explains it. http://www.nissanpathfinders.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=18 Thorley makes good headers for the WD21. There are cheaper, but they are exactly that in quality also... Pacemaker is one that comes to mind... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey.T Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 (edited) Pacemaker is one that comes to mind... LMAO...... I beleive it is a unanimous opinion that thorleys are the best.... Calmini also for SL... I dont know one for TrailMaster. Also stock with good tires makes a great light wheeler, Depends on where you want to go and what you want to do...... Edited November 14, 2005 by Casey.T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 LMAO...... I beleive it is a unanimous opinion that thorleys are the best.... Calmini also for SL... I dont know one for TrailMaster. Also stock with good tires makes a great light wheeler, Depends on where you want to go and what you want to do...... I am going to go against the mainstream and say that a body lift is not only cheaper, but the prefered lift to do if you just want to do fun stuff and nothing to serious off road. My reasoning is as follows.... With a 3" body lift you can up size tyres, you can fit 32's as with a suspension lift, but you will not effect the angle of your steering components. Thus when you wheel you are less likely to break something. I am not saying you will not, but compared to a suspension lift...... Well there is no comparing. If you want to do a suspension lift then be prepared to spend lots of $$$$$ to get your steering strong enough to handle the angles your steering components will be on. There is no such thing as a stupid question either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Allow me to bring my $0.03 into this (I gotta make up for these high gas prices somehow!).... Automotive Customizers (http://www.4x4parts.com) makes and sells a 3" control arm lift (~$400) for the Pathfinders. They also sell the Trailmaster 4" lift (~$900). These lifts are stackable, and compatible with eachother for a total of 7" of suspension lift. They also sell the Performance Accessories 3" body lift kit (~$100). Any time you change the height of the vehicle you will change the characteristics of it. If you perform a body lift, you will have to extend the steering shaft. The steering angles will be less affected by a 3" Body lift than a 3" suspension lift, but they WILL change. Any time you alter the suspension of the vehicle, an alignment is needed, sometimes you will have to buy aftermarket parts to get the alignment in spec. If you perform a suspension lift, and you wheel your truck at all, you WILL destroy the factory Nissan centerlink, idler arm, and/or pitman arm. As the saying goes NISSANS = Nothing Is So Sh*tty As Nissan Steering. As far as steering upgrades go, the Calmini stuff is decent, but their centerlink bushings only seem to last a few months at best, at least in the Xterras, which have the same steering setup as a WD21 (your chassis code) Pathfinder. I recommend checking out L&P Performance (http://www.lpperformance.com) for their steering upgrade. They can be a little slow on turnaround, because the guys running it are doing it on the side in addition to their normal full-time jobs as a way to help out the Nissan aftermarket. Their complete Steering Upgrade kit costs a little bit more than $300, with core, as opposed to Calminis which will set you back $800+ and create more headaches than it's worth. Good luck with your truck, and I'm sure you'll have tons of fun. Don't hesitate to ask questions because you think they are "dumb," these kinds of posts help everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Thorley makes good headers for the WD21. There are cheaper, but they are exactly that in quality also... Pacemaker is one that comes to mind... B Agreed. The Doug Thorley brand headers are Ceramic coated and provide the best fitment available. They also provide the best performance of any available header for a VG30 (your motor) Pathfinder. The Pacesetters (*cough* B *cough*) are considerably cheaper, but if you search the board, you will find several horror stories in dealing with them. There are extreme fitment issues with them. Pipes that are supposed to overlap are 6"+ apart, poor construction quality, etc. I would steer very far away from these (especially with that new L&P Steering you're going to get ) and drive straight towards a set of Thorleys (Also available from AC http://www.4x4parts.com under Performance). For those of you wondering why I am touting L&Ps product so much over Calminis, just search on any Xterra board (XOC, XterraFirma, NEXterra, etc) for Calmini Problems. Even though L&P can be slow to turnaround product, their quality and durability is FAR superior to that of Calmini. Another alternative to Calmini would be SLR, but they have had problems with customer service and incorrect product shipments in the past as well. Also, they are more expensive than L&P on the steering upgrade. Oh, and L&P is a sponsor of NIORA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pezzy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 giancarlo93: Sorry, off topic, but my imaginary friend and I love your avatar! Good luck with your lift! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Good information for the new guy so far, BUT don't go with Automotive Customizers for anything. The general consesus is that there customer service sucks and their products aren't that great either. Also the AC upper control arms are horrible, according to 88pathoffroad the ones he got didn't work at all with his truck. I would suggest buying from Summit Racing, or buying directly from the companies. Especially if you get Rough Country Control Arms, I think a couple of people got quoted between 150 and 200 from them just for the UCA's! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dowser Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I Also Agree With Vsickpathy as I have Just finished the Main Part of the Suspension Lift. I have a Body Lift as well. What everyone has got to remember also is that when you buy a Body lift, Thats it... Your Done. 3" Body Lift, Throw Bigger tires and Wheel away. Now With a Suspension Lift there are a whole SLEW of complications to go along with it. And Complications Cost MONEY. Adding 1993-97 Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 Front Coil Springs is of course an easy and cheap solution for the back, but that is JUST the Back. The Real money comes in the Front. Now, if you buy no aftermarket preformance UCA's, T-bars, and Shocks, then sure you can get away with wheeling a bit, But.. as VSICK said, you put all this strain on other Components, like Ball Joints, Centerlink, Idler Arm, Pittman Arm, Tie Rods, Steering Box. ETC. I started with a Body Lift, Replaced my Torsion bars, UCA's, Shocks, and Ball Joints. Now that those are Done you'd think I'd be able to Wheel it BUT NO... Wait... Theres more. I now have noticed that my Centerlink is super Sloppy and my Steering Box is leaking Fluid. All in all, When you Do a Suspension Lift, your getting yourself into a BIG can of worms. Although Fun, it is also Costly, Time consuming and Continual Mantainance. Heres a Run Down of suspension and suspension Related parts you will have to buy at one point or another with a Suspension Lift with some relative costs. There are other Companies out there for these parts but these are just what I used so know from experience. 1- Torsion Bars Sway away $170.00 + shipping 2- Upper Control Arms (UCA's) Calmini $370.00 (they add Upper Ball Joints but they are CRAP and better Upper Ball Joints are recommended.) 3- Ball Joints Uppers and Lowers. MOOG $100-200.00 4- Shocks Rancho 9000x 9way adjustable $380.00 5- CenterLink L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 6- Idler Arm L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 7- Pittman Arm L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 8- Tire Rod Ends Haven't looked yet but I know Calmini Carries some. 9- Steering Stabilizer Rancho 5000 and mounting Kit. $80.00 from Summit Racing now consider all that for the Cost of the Body Lift. The Larger Tires you'd be Putting on with Either of the Lifts so thats additional as well. And don't be fooled that you can just throw a couple of Suspension Parts on here and there. Once you get started, Things start to snowball pretty quick so make sure you have the Financial resourses before starting. Dowser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 BUT don't go with Automotive Customizers for anything. The general consesus is that there customer service sucks and their products aren't that great either. Also the AC upper control arms are horrible, according to 88pathoffroad the ones he got didn't work at all with his truck. I'm going to partly play Devil's Advocate here, because I have had nothing but outstandin service and experiences in my dealings with AC. I am not going to comment either way on 88's ordeal with the control arms. I've heard the stories, from several different angles, and I'm just not going to get involved. That said, AC has had it's share of problems, but name one company that hasn't. I would go with AC 100% of the time over Calmini. I have never actually bought anything that AC made in house, so I cannot say for sure on the quality of their brand merchandise. I have always purchased other manufacturers merchandise, or outsourced merchandise from them. When I purchased my lift from them, they were still having Valley Springs make the springs for it. I have gotten to know Jane fairly well over the years of dealing with the company and my membership on their message boards, and I can say that she is incredibly nice, if not one of the busiest people I have ever talked with. That said, AC is run by people. People are human. People make mistakes. Stuff happens, that's life. However, I have heard recently, more stories about how ACs customer service end has gone downhill. Snide comments on the phone, etc. However, based on my recent experiences with them, and how Jane treated our sponsorship and a few of our requests, I am a bit leery of them as a company. I have immense amounts of respect for what they've done insofar as the Nissan Aftermarket is concerned, but I fear that if they continue their downward service spiral, they are in for a very rude awakening. I think one of their biggest issues is that they do not have enough people working there. Even one person full time just answering the phones for $9/hr would make a world of difference in the image they project to the consumer. However, they really do not make that much money and have trouble making all the ends meet come payday. Jane and Mike are overworked, overtired, and super stressed out all the time, and this projects through their service as well. It is unfortunate, but it happens all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Filthy Luker Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 I have AC uppers and they're perfect. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 5- CenterLink L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 6- Idler Arm L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 7- Pittman Arm L&P Preformance (not sure on Cost) 8- Tire Rod Ends Haven't looked yet but I know Calmini Carries some. 5, 6, 7: http://www.lpperformance.com Centerlink - $250 - Core required Double Sheer Pitman Arm - $60 - Core required Double Sheer Idler Arm - $60 - Core required 8: http://www.purenissan.com (Calmini) The TRE on the Centerlink goes for $18.50 The TRE on the Adjuster goes for $26.95 Calmini also sells Heavy Duty Tie Rod Adjusters: They run $56.00 a set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SC88Pathy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 OK I hate to quibble with Dowser but there is more to a body lift than just putting it on, you have to modify your 4x4 shifter, and you have to modify your steering column. However that is cheaper than suspension lift. Also if you upsize your tires you're going to have to beef up your steering, you're at least going to have to add an idler arm maybe more. Of course problems such as this go along with any vehicle, if you want to play you have to pay right! -bounce- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 OK I hate to quibble with Dowser but there is more to a body lift than just putting it on, you have to modify your 4x4 shifter, and you have to modify your steering column. However that is cheaper than suspension lift. Also if you upsize your tires you're going to have to beef up your steering, you're at least going to have to add an idler arm maybe more. Of course problems such as this go along with any vehicle, if you want to play you have to pay right! -bounce- If yo ureally want to play then you put in a SAS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiSh Posted November 14, 2005 Share Posted November 14, 2005 Man i knew that the nissans frount end suck and all but now i really hate them for it. After reading this topic i am serisosly considering selling my truck and getting a car with a Solid axle there is just far to much money involved lifting these damn things. I would mind so much if i lived in the states then i would have access to all the after market parts but living in Australia the price with shipping and all blows way out of my budget. After how much body lift do you have to adjust your steering shaft. I was about to buy some 2ich blocks this weekend but if i have to adjust the steering i might just pay for someone to do it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
giancarlo93 Posted November 15, 2005 Author Share Posted November 15, 2005 Thanks for the information!.. Hey I posted some pics of my pathfinders in the pictures and videos section. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsicks Pathy Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Man i knew that the nissans frount end suck and all but now i really hate them for it.After reading this topic i am serisosly considering selling my truck and getting a car with a Solid axle there is just far to much money involved lifting these damn things. I would mind so much if i lived in the states then i would have access to all the after market parts but living in Australia the price with shipping and all blows way out of my budget. After how much body lift do you have to adjust your steering shaft. I was about to buy some 2ich blocks this weekend but if i have to adjust the steering i might just pay for someone to do it Not only that, most of the LH drive stuff will not fit your Pahty anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mws Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 Man i knew that the nissans frount end suck and all but now i really hate them for it.After reading this topic i am serisosly considering selling my truck and getting a car with a Solid axle there is just far to much money involved lifting these damn things. I would mind so much if i lived in the states then i would have access to all the after market parts but living in Australia the price with shipping and all blows way out of my budget. After how much body lift do you have to adjust your steering shaft. I was about to buy some 2ich blocks this weekend but if i have to adjust the steering i might just pay for someone to do it I think saying the IFS sucks because it is hard to lift is a bit strong... 99% of the time, an IFS is WAY superior to solid... I know this is blasphemous to say on a 4x4 forum, but solid axles are actually a pretty poor solution for a number of reasons. The only advantage I can see is that they are easier and cheaper to install than a good IS. Give it another 20 years and we'll all wonder what we were thinking... and why inertia had us believing it was the best way to go for so long... The Hummer (the real one) and serious baja style race trucks are a preview into what could be done. So far, production IFS's have been compromised because the manufacturers have been using "traditional" concepts and geometries that severely limit travel. So here's a glimpse into the future.... Take a close look at the rear suspension of a BMW GS1150 or 1200 motorcycle. Envision 4 of those on a truck - two pointing to the rear, two to the front. The ones up front get a little more complicated due to steering, but a variation on the hummer concept of a high mounted input shaft and gear drive to center hub will solve that... Notice, no differentials hanging down to snag and break on rocks. True 4 wheel IFS. According to my models, 30" of travel is feasible with minimal geometry problems... And with active suspension technology, it could be as safe on the streets as any average car, yet more capable off road than the most extreme rock buggies... The only preventers from it happening today are the costs to develop and the perception that most serious offroaders still believe SA's are superior to IS. And no company is going to invest millions to develop a product the target customer will reject out of hand with no consideration that they could be wrong... I understand the military really wanted to reject the humvee because the suspension was so different, but they were trapped into accepting it because the contract was based on performance, not perception. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiSh Posted November 15, 2005 Share Posted November 15, 2005 yeah maybe in the future IS will be beter but right now way to many problems occur because of it. ANd no-body has said after how much boddy lift u have to replace the steering shaft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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