Pathfinder Info

[smac]

Gday,

im basically looking to sell my 86 rangie and get something more reliable - so looking at the japanese stuff. Will be mainly used around town, then as long distance trips both tracks and road, occasionaly trying harder tracks. (eg, trip from adelaide to fraser)

just after some info on 80s early 90s Pathfinders. i have seen some decent Diesels with low kms and good prices (turb diesel 114k kms @ 7,900) - so am interested!!

id be lookin at gettin a 4door as now have a baby.

any thing to look out for?
i would prefer diesel, but how thirsty are the petrols?
what is available (aftermarket - diff lockers etc, springs etc)
how good off road are they?
what size wheels/tires can be fitted?
is it hard to do a body lift?

anything else you think may be relevant. even an alternative vehicle. Is it worth paying the extra fpr a Patrol? The misses is going to be the main driver.

thanks in advance,
Shem

[adam.s]

Pathfinders have a coil front and torsion bar rear (or is it the other way round) ?

Either way, you can get suspension lift kits for them quite easily and they don't cost that much to lift either.

[smac]

i think that it might be the other way around, ha ha ha, but thanks. thats good to hear !

[Ingenious-Eng]

I have a 91 navara ute 2.4L carby petrol and a 03 GU 4.2L turbo diesel wagon.

1. Petrol econ. O/K as long as your not planning on towing anything.
2. Navara/Pathfinder PTA & $$$ when it comes to modding them for serious offroad use.
3. They are great for beach work, touring an normal 4x4ing but if your talking hillclimbing or articulation then there a POS due to the IFS.

A stock patrol will out climb even a heavily modded Pathy, on the other hand the Pathy will shit all over the Patrol when it comes to soft sand due to the weight advantage.

So be true to yourself as to what you really want the vehicle to do an buy the type of vehicle that will do it with out having spend twice what you paid for it in mods.

Cheers.

[smac]

also what defines a Terrano??

[smac]

As i said at the top, i doubt i will ever use it for serious articulation work, more for touring style.

last year we went from adelaide to fraser island in the rangie and it was great fun. we didnt do any real serious off road work. but the pathy will have to be able to do that sort of stuff what is on fraser - sand, rutted tracks etc.

shem

[Ingenious-Eng]

Then go the Pathy as it will do Fraser no probs, the Terano is the jap import version & best left alone, you'll just have to decide on diesel or petrol, test drive both if you get the chance, diesel great fuel econ but unless it turbo'ed might not have enough stick in the soft sand depending if you get the 2.5 or 2.7 or 3.2. also watch the 5'th gear bearings in the manual gearboxes most will be stuffed.
Cheers.

[smac]

thanks. what year was the 3.2?

also, what are 2nd hand motor prices like? if say i got a 2.5 is it an easy upgrade to 2.7 or even the 3.2?

[Ingenious-Eng]

I'd have to check my service books to confirm exate year of 3.2L - (I'm not even sure if it was avail in Pathy's or not), but I can tell you second hand diesels are very expensive, allow between $3000.00 to $5000.00 in QLD not sure your state though.
Cheers

[Vsicks Pathy]

Do not get a Pathy unless you intend on never doing any serious off roading or some front end mods. They go anywhere other 4wds can (further in my opinion) until the steering components let go. You will be forever replacing tie rods, idler arms and drag links unless you upgrade them. The USA has heaps of Pathy stuff but Australia doesn't. I weighed up the options and put a live axle in mine.
The petrol engines, 4 and 6cyl are under powered and use a lot of juice because of that reason. The TD is not too bad. I do not think a non turbo diesel was made for a Pathy/Terrano.
The Terrano is the jap import and comes fully loaded. There is nothing wrong with them, except manual ones are rare. The are exactly the same as the Pathy in every other aspect.
Mechanicaly the pathies are very sound. The diffs and gear box are strong. I have been thrashing mine for the last two years with the VR V6 and nothing has let go, yet.

Tyre size (standard) are small. You can fit 31's on them without a lift. You may get scrubbing off road though.

Body lifts are very easy to do on them.

Here is a couple of Pathfinder links that my help you decide what to do.
Good luck.

http://npora.ipbhost.com/

http://nissan4wheelers.com/eve/ubb.x

[smac]

u have a solid front end? what from?

[Vsicks Pathy]

u have a solid front end? what from?

MQ patrol

[smac]

how hard was the install? y the MQ?
thanks for the links as well

[Vsicks Pathy]

how hard was the install?
y the MQ as well?

The MQ is the same width as a pathy rear. hence did not need to be cut down.

As for the install, you'd be better off asking Cheezy about that. Lets just say it wasn't easy.

The Jeep (dana) fronts are easier to put in. You do not have to swap the ends over to get the pumkin on the correct side. I went the Patrol front because they are stronger.

[smac]

so u would agree that a Pathy is fine for stuff like Fraser island which is just warn tracks and beach work, as i doubt that i will be doing much rock crawling if any.

i would like a diesel, and to get a half decent diesel Patrol is a fair amount of money (well, more that what i have) but for under 10grand i can get a good Diesel Turbo Pathy.

Basically, the mods i would be lookin at is larger tires, to get the front axle higher up for clearance for middle of track. This might lead to a body lift for the larger tires. Other than that, mods would be, snorkel, and just dual batteries and other things like those.

[Vsicks Pathy]

so u would agree that a Pathy is fine for stuff like Fraser island which is just warn tracks and beach work, as i doubt that i will be doing much rock crawling if any.

i would like a diesel, and to get a half decent diesel Patrol is a fair amount of money (well, more that what i have) but for under 10grand i can get a good Diesel Turbo Pathy.

Basically, the mods i would be lookin at is larger tires, to get the front axle higher up for clearance for middle of track. This might lead to a body lift for the larger tires. Other than that, mods would be, snorkel, and just dual batteries and other things like those.

Yes, the Pathy will do that just fine. As for lifting the front? That leads to stress on the ball joints. You'd be better off just doing a bodylift. The biggest anchor on a Pathy is the rear diff. A body lift will let you get some larger tyres on and get some clearence.

http://npora.ipbhost.com//index.php?showtopic=4644

There are a few more pics of my Pathy on this site too.

[smac]

yeah thats what i meant about putting bigger tires on it - to lift the diffs higher from the ground, i didnt mean actually modifying them.

[Ingenious-Eng]

You can fit 32"s on with out a body lift no probs!!! LOL.
That is 32x8.5x16 or the real size of 7.50/16
Bridgestone does a tubeless radial in a sedate mud terrain in this size an thats what I use on the Navara on standard 6" steel rims instead of the poxy 205/16 they come standard with. Gives me about 2.5" extra clearance under the diff centre & looks prety standard, also gives me full articulation without hitting anywhere and allmost full turning circle. Now that's thinking outside the square!!!

P.S. never ever broken anything doing offroad work in any 4x4 in 20years, the trick is having a light right foot an NO wheel spin, know the limitations & weaknesses of the vehicle your driving & pick your way through tracks thoughtfully & carefully. Above all remember 4x4ing is a art form learnt - not an adaption of road racing. So the most important modifcation you can have in your 4x4 is the DRIVER!!!
Cheers.

[Vsicks Pathy]

You can fit 32"s on with out a body lift no probs!!! LOL.
That is 32x8.5x16 or the real size of 7.50/16
Bridgestone does a tubeless radial in a sedate mud terrain in this size an thats what I use on the Navara on standard 6" steel rims instead of the poxy 205/16 they come standard with. Gives me about 2.5" extra clearance under the diff centre & looks prety standard, also gives me full articulation without hitting anywhere and allmost full turning circle. Now that's thinking outside the square!!!

P.S. never ever broken anything doing offroad work in any 4x4 in 20years, the trick is having a light right foot an NO wheel spin, know the limitations & weaknesses of the vehicle your driving & pick your way through tracks thoughtfully & carefully. Above all remember 4x4ing is a art form learnt - not an adaption of road racing. So the most important modifcation you can have in your 4x4 is the DRIVER!!!
Cheers.

1. Don't confuse the guy with misinformation.
2. He wants a Pathfinder. Not a Navara.
3. The model he wants never came out with 16 inch rims.
4. You forget or don't know that a Navara comes out standard with a 2 inch body lift.
5. The Pathfinder doesn't.
6. So all he can fit is a 31 inch tyre and it "WILL" scrub unless he does a body lift.

If you haven't broken anything 4wding in your Navara then lets face it, you haven't really been 4wding. Touring is not real 4wding is it? The IFS Nissans are famous all over the world for their piss weak steering components. There are thousands of 4wd reviews that point this out too.

[Vsicks Pathy]

This says it all.


http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/dec ... athfinder/

[Vsicks Pathy]

And it goes on.


http://www.nissanperformancemag.com/march05/pathfinder/

[Ingenious-Eng]

I know pathfinders never came out with 16" rims but that doesn't mean you can't pick up a cheap set of second hand ones and put them on with very skinny 750/16's. Skinny wheels & tyres give heaps more clearance than the fatter 15" tyres. Try it you'll be surprised!!!

The reason I haven't broken anything is because I drive each vehicle up to it's safe limit, punishing it past that point results in breakages as you have found out the hard way (many times i'm guessing), also you've probally found out once you've broken it you're not going to make it over the obsruction (under own steam) you were negotating anyway, so what was the point of breaking it???

If you bothered to check my first post you'd notice that I use different 4x4's for different terrains. eg: Patrol = mountain goat, Navara = beach bum.

So for your theory as to say I haven't done any real 4x4ing because I haven't broken anything, (give me a break) I'm second of three generations of 4x4 enthusists, I've been places, driven & repaired more types of offroad vehicles than most people ever knew existed.

Like you Vsicks Pathy I also call a spade a spade!
Cheers.

[Vsicks Pathy]

I know pathfinders never came out with 16" rims but that doesn't mean you can't pick up a cheap set of second hand ones and put them on with very skinny 750/16's. Skinny wheels & tyres give heaps more clearance than the fatter 15" tyres. Try it you'll be surprised!!!

The reason I haven't broken anything is because I drive each vehicle up to it's safe limit, punishing it past that point results in breakages as you have found out the hard way (many times i'm guessing), also you've probally found out once you've broken it you're not going to make it over the obsruction (under own steam) you were negotating anyway, so what was the point of breaking it???

If you bothered to check my first post you'd notice that I use different 4x4's for different terrains. eg: Patrol = mountain goat, Navara = beach bum.

So for your theory as to say I haven't done any real 4x4ing because I haven't broken anything, (give me a break) I'm second of three generations of 4x4 enthusists, I've been places, driven & repaired more types of offroad vehicles than most people ever knew existed.

Like you Vsicks Pathy I also call a spade a spade!
Cheers.

So you are still saying that you can fit 32's under a stock Pathy are you?

You should have made it a little more clear that you haven't gone 4wding in your navara.

All I am saying is that the Pathfinder/Navara steering setup is as weak as piss. They are, it's a fact! Don't get me wrong, I love my Pathy, but even mild 4wding in one will break frontend components unless there modded.
If smac wants to know the pros and cons before he decides its best to be honest with him. Just calling a spade a spade.

[r0ck_m0nkey]

but even mild 4wding in one will break frontend components unless there modded.

Thats crap, my dads old Diesel Navara and current Single Cab V6 Pathfinder (yes you read correctly) have never had an issue with the front end. Any vehicle will break any part with a heavy right foot.

[Vsicks Pathy]

but even mild 4wding in one will break frontend components unless there modded.

Thats crap, my dads old Diesel Navara and current Single Cab V6 Pathfinder (yes you read correctly) have never had an issue with the front end. Any vehicle will break any part with a heavy right foot.

I was not speaking about on road use. The problems occure when you take them off road. Sorry that you think its crap. It may pay you to look around at what the owners of these cars put up with all over the world with regard to the steering problems after/while 4wding. If you can't see that they (IFS Nissan) have problems then look at yourself. It has nothing at all to do with the right foot. If I wanted to hear bullshit I will listen to Collingwood supporters, so give me a break. If you do not believe what I am saying, then take the time to educate yourself and at least look at the links I have supplied for smac. After that do a Google search.

Please post a pic of your Dads singlecab Pathfinder. I was thinking about doing something similar to mine if I ever rolled it. Was it a two door?
Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Cheers.

[r0ck_m0nkey]

but even mild 4wding in one will break frontend components unless there modded.

Thats crap, my dads old Diesel Navara and current Single Cab V6 Pathfinder (yes you read correctly) have never had an issue with the front end. Any vehicle will break any part with a heavy right foot.

I was not speaking about on road use. The problems occure when you take them off road.

I was not talking about onroad either Between my dad and myself we have owned 3 Navaras and a Pathfinder, and these front end problems your talking about have never occured. I can only assume these problems you mention are happening to people who are either heavy on the right foot or done a significant increase in tyre size.

I was thinking about doing something similar to mine if I ever rolled it. Was it a two door?
Looking forward to seeing the pics.

Cheers.

It was a 93' 4 door. Basically the cab was split across the top of the windscreen and through the floor. Then a Navara cab was cut in the same spot and welded to the remainder of the Pathfinder cab. No pics i can show you, but it only looks like a Navara with Pthfinder door's, grill etc and a little bit shorter

[smac]

When you guys are comparing a pathfinder with a patrol, what patrol are you thinking of?

i have seen a few MQ turbo diesels at not too bad price either, but wondering how good/reliable they are - heard some stories about reliability.

Basically, i will be selling the rangie, hopefully after sale will have about 10grand all up to buy a 4B and cover some BASIC mods.

If you guys think a LWB MQ Turbo Diesel is a good buy, that might be a better option as they are bigger as well, i think they look tough as well, especially with fat tires.

[Vsicks Pathy]

When you guys are comparing a pathfinder with a patrol, what patrol are you thinking of?

i have seen a few MQ turbo diesels at not too bad price either, but wondering how good/reliable they are - heard some stories about reliability.

Basically, i will be selling the rangie, hopefully after sale will have about 10grand all up to buy a 4B and cover some BASIC mods.

If you guys think a LWB MQ Turbo Diesel is a good buy, that might be a better option as they are bigger as well, i think they look tough as well, especially with fat tires.

Go the Patrol smac, That way you have covered yourself. I chose the Pathfinder because I wanted something different from the norm. I know it sounds like I am bagging the Pathy, I am not, but I am just calling it as it is. The Pathy will supprise you on where it can go, I think a standard Pathy will go further than a standard MQ/MK. (If only the front end was stong???)

Did you read the last two links I put up? What happens to that Pathy is what happens to them all. That's the reason they have such a large aftermarket industry in the USA.

Now you know why I suggested that you only do a body lift. Lift the torsion bars and the front end will shit its self very quickly indeed.

For 10k you should be able to buy your Pathy and put a live axle in. You would then be close to unstoppable. You'd also have that little bit of luxury too.

[Daniel Stojanovic]

I have a 98 Pathie and It goes the same places as my mates Hilux and 100 series cruiser. I have fitted a 40mm lift to the suspension the best thing I ever did to it. Its all down to the drivers ability to pick the line and negotiate the track. A big rock ledge will stop my Pathie but it will also stop lots of other 4WDs.

[rOd]

I have a 98 Pathie and It goes the same places as my mates Hilux and 100 series cruiser. I have fitted a 40mm lift to the suspension the best thing I ever did to it. Its all down to the drivers ability to pick the line and negotiate the track. A big rock ledge will stop my Pathie but it will also stop lots of other 4WDs.

Hi Daniel,

The suspension upgrade you have on the Pathfinder, is it the OME kit?

If it is, how much and what do you think of it?

My bro in law has a 01 Pathfinder and is wanting to follow my foot steps in regards to wheeling. Mine is a GQ so this info is for him.