Parts,Accerories,Companies

[Big Mo]

Howdy yall

I'm looking at a 91 Pathfinder that is a pretty nice truck,91 V6 auto,nice inside and out,new 31" BFGs on it. I'm looking for things for it. Companies that carry things for the trucks,armor,interior,cages,lift kits,SAS kits(has anybody done a SAS on these things??) Performance mods?

Company names,web addresses,phone numbers etc would be greatly appreciated!

In general how are these things? What kind of V6 is in it? Auto? T-case(part time or full time)? Axles(front chunk)? Easy to SAS? Good performance mods for them? How do they perform off road in stock form,things to watch out for etc. Thanks a lot yall!

Jimbo

[Kinetic]

Sounds like you are in for a real treat. Welcome to an aftermarket black hole for the most part. There are a few companies that do make parts for your pathy, but no SAS kits or Cages or real hardcore stuff is on the market.

The forum sponsor Calmini has some good stuff (tcase gears) that you might want to check out. AC, or 4x4parts.com has some other bolt on stuff. Otherwise its going to be all DIY.

I SAS'ed my Xterd using a Dana 60 front and Sterling 10.25 rear. Still running the factory drivetrain including Auto tranny. I would put a tranny temp guage in it just to keep an eye on things.

T-case - the TX10A - is a part time chain driven case. Its a heavy sonofabitch though. The 3.0 V6 that you have is an older design, but fairly bullet proof. Lots of nissans run well into the 200K miles.
Rear axle is a Semifloat axle known as an H233B. 9.2" ring gear, 31 spline shafts that neck down to 1.26" Newer H233B's (2000 and up) have 33" 1.31" axle shafts.
Gears and lockers are availible for the factory axles, but are pricy. 5.13's run about $400 for the front, and $500 for the rear. ARB is your only real choice for a locker unless you have an open diff, then you can use a lockright

For a pathy like yours, a popular swap is a EB 44 with a wristed arm, and either keep the H223B rear, or swap a 9" in.

[Big Mo]

Any other forums that deals more along the lines of these things then just here? I've always had Dodges but gas prices,insurance etc etc etc is making me get rid of my big trucks. I'm in the "process" of building a huge 4wd Dodge Ramcharger but have about decided to give up and just spend my money on tools and things for the shop after I move out and slowly build me a daily driver/weekend wheeler so I can afford it better.

Any things to do to them stock that'll help it out any more,what kind of gears are in the axles? Thought about maybe a body lift and getting 33s under it somehow,then maybe full width 1/2 ton axles(or maybe 1 tons) with some 35s-38s as I can. Was the SAS on your Pathy hard to do? I know spring hanger brackets and steering is always the biggest problem. Otherwise what all did you have to do? Thanks a lot for the help. Seems a lot like the Dodge world(1993-back),mostly all DIY things on these.

Jimbo

[SirMrManGuy]

If your planning to SAS your pathy, I'd definatly recoment a 2in body lift. It makes the front crossmember easier to place, since in most cases it has to go on the front of the frame, and also you can fit your shock towers in easier. My SAS pics are on this forum on the second page, you may want to check that out.

The swaps on nissans are pretty similar to other swaps, like toyotas. You will have to modify or fabricate a new transmission crossmember since it is in the way of the front driveshaft after the swap.

There are a couple of tricks that can make the SAS easier, first find a Pickup with a 4cyl or an xterra or a frontier in the junkyard and get the driveshafts. They use 1310 ujoints, which makes mating it to a d44 much easier. If you swap to a pitman arm from a 94-95 pathfinder or a 94-97 pickup, you can use FJ80 rod ends, that or you can ream your stock pitman out to accept whatever steering you need.

If you have an auto, you probably have 4.65 gears. Check your door jamb or the identification plate under the hood. If it says HG46 you have 4.65s, if it says HG43 you have 4.37 gears. The front IFS chunk is an r200 (the number on nissan axles is the measurement of the ring gear in millimeters) so that works out to about 7.8in.

Yeah there is a good bit of DIY required, but nothing you cant overcome.

As for performance, the V6 is the same block as the one used in 300zx's so a bit of the stuff transfers over. You can build these into 300hp motors with a bit of work. The supercharger from the X/frontiers can be made to work with some modification.

If you plan on keeping it stock for a bit, do the body lift, build some sliders and bumpers and have fun with that until you can SAS it. If you have a LSD rear, you can put extra friction disks in it to make it lock up better, and that can be done for about $50 and some time. In my oppinion the IFS lifts arent worth the money since you dont gain much clearance and it increases the chance of breakage. If its going to be awhile before you SAS it, you may want to look into an upgraded steering system, like the one from Calmini, since the stock centerlink is a piece of junk.

www.nissan4wheelers. and www.nissanoffroad.net have good forums

[Big Mo]

Thanks for all the info

Lemme hit on the topics I got quick questions of.

A body lift would be fine,does like a company sell a whole kit with bumper brackets etc?

In performance mods,air intakes,chips or any of that junk,the 300ZXs,any sites that sells parts for them,that I could possibly get for the Pathy?

It'll be kept stock probably till graduation in May of next year(only 7 months away) then I can start building what I want. In the steering department,did you mean this steering http://www.purenissan.com/wd21_steering.htm If so then I'll just deal with the steering,thats way to much money.

I want one in the long run that can still be drove on the road some,I'll probably build it and drive it to go wheeling a good bit. I figured I could keep the stock motor,supposed to be a good one,fuel injection so thats good,good auto trans(probably mount a temp gauge to keep check) Could I keep the stock t-case and just run pretty low gears in the axles? I think it would be awesome to have it leaf sprung on all corners,probably a Dana 60/70 combo,low gears,5.13s,5.38s maybe and 38s or 40s,it would be tall but it would still be pretty wide so it would be pretty stable. Then the tire would be about the only thing hanging out,so not a ton of body damage. This truck has the sunroof,leather guts,system etc in it,so if I could keep all that stuff inside and have it big and bad ass so it could be comfy when wheeling,heater that worked,system,and could just cruise around on the road and in the woods and enjoy the hell out of it. Also it would be really different,I've never seen a Pathy other then the 87 Pathy on here,that was BUILT. Always have liked to be "different" Thanks a lot,all the info has been great yall

Jimbo

[FSR BIKER]

Just an FYI there is a Detroit Locker available for the 31 spline H233B's but by time you get gears you could have swapped in a Ford 8.8" or 9" with discs. Sell your 31 spline stuff to an Xterra owner when you do the swap.

[Packman5280]

Originally Posted by Big Mo

Thanks for all the info

Lemme hit on the topics I got quick questions of.

A body lift would be fine,does like a company sell a whole kit with bumper brackets etc?

In performance mods,air intakes,chips or any of that junk,the 300ZXs,any sites that sells parts for them,that I could possibly get for the Pathy?

It'll be kept stock probably till graduation in May of next year(only 7 months away) then I can start building what I want. In the steering department,did you mean this steering http://www.purenissan.com/wd21_steering.htm If so then I'll just deal with the steering,thats way to much money.

I want one in the long run that can still be drove on the road some,I'll probably build it and drive it to go wheeling a good bit. I figured I could keep the stock motor,supposed to be a good one,fuel injection so thats good,good auto trans(probably mount a temp gauge to keep check) Could I keep the stock t-case and just run pretty low gears in the axles? I think it would be awesome to have it leaf sprung on all corners,probably a Dana 60/70 combo,low gears,5.13s,5.38s maybe and 38s or 40s,it would be tall but it would still be pretty wide so it would be pretty stable. Then the tire would be about the only thing hanging out,so not a ton of body damage. This truck has the sunroof,leather guts,system etc in it,so if I could keep all that stuff inside and have it big and bad ass so it could be comfy when wheeling,heater that worked,system,and could just cruise around on the road and in the woods and enjoy the hell out of it. Also it would be really different,I've never seen a Pathy other then the 87 Pathy on here,that was BUILT. Always have liked to be "different" Thanks a lot,all the info has been great yall

Jimbo

2 and 3 inch BL kits are available from 4x4parts.com, they are made by performance accessories. They have bumper brackets in them, but they are junk and don't really hold the bumpers very well. Most people end up making custom bumpers or getting a TJM or ARB, so it isn't that much of an issue. AC (4x4parts.com) has just about everything you want to bolt on to your pathy.

I'm not sure how much stuff transfers from the 300zx over to the pathy, but the engine you have is called VG30E, avoid the VG30DET (DOHC and turbo, totally diff engine). AC carries headers, intakes, etc. to add a little power. They can get pretty much anything, but it costs. Nissan parts are not cheap.

The calmini kit you linked is the one that Dan was talking about, and yes it is expensive. The bigger the tires, the less the Backspace on aftermarket rims, and the more you crank the t-bars, the quicker the steering will die. By way of comparison, I have been running 33's, as much lift as can be had from the IFS, and I wheeled it sorta hard (a couple 6 rated trails and I think a 7). My CL has been on since March, and it is toast. There are some other steering options available, but I will refrain from making a recommendation until the company actually ships my steering to me.

Add an aux cooler and filter to the trans. The autos have a small screen in the fluid line that is supposed to filter it, but it clogs and kills the tranny. A cheap filter kit inline before the screen will avoid this.

The stock case is pretty strong so you shouldn't have any problems with it. The axle gears are $$$. AC sells two different 5.13 gear sets for the H233B, one for over $500 and one for over $650. I don't really know the difference, but that is just too much money. I like the idea of leafs on all four corners, probably what I will end up doing. Some people use Grand Waggys for their D44's, if you can find a cheap truck, strip the axles and part the rest, you are good to go.

Afterthought: If you haven't already done so, inspect the vehicle for rust. The rear of the frame in the wheel wells is a common problem area, as well as the floor board under the rear seats. Here is a pic of my frame rust.


Edit to add: The detroit locker will only work on H233B axles with an open diff. For LSD axles, the only choice is an ARB, extra clutch disks, or a welder.

[SirMrManGuy]

Yeah thats the calmini steering I was talking about. There is a company called L&P preformance that sells just a centerlink for like $250. I've havent personally delt with them though. That and an idler arm brace should do alright, you can make the idler arm brace out of two pieces of angle iron.

As for the BL, www.4x4parts.com carries one that includes bumper brackets and such, but I'd just as soon weld up new bumpers.

The $500 5.13 gearset that they sell would work for him since he has an older pathfinder. I think they also sell 5.77s or something.

5.13s and 38+s are pushing it, especially if you plan on wheeling the truck. Definatly look into low gears or a doubler. Check out the "Tx10 to dana 300 adapter" thread. That and/or mog portals.


As for the air intake, you can put a cone filter on the truck, but those are likley to suck in water. Dont bother paying for the $130 jim wolf intake that 4x4parts sells, since all it is is a cheap sheet metal adapter and a cone filter. Go on ebay and search for maxima/altima intakes, they are like $20 shipped and are basicly the same thing. Stay away from Pacesetter headrs, the doug thorley's are much better from what I hear.

FSR, why would an Xterra owner want 31spl stuff? Their axles are 33spline and also wider. Oh yeah, if your in NJ, we should go to paragon sometime when the SASes are done. I want to get all the east coast SAS nissans together for a run.