I have the 2" lift kit with Ranchos and I know the noise that you're referring to. Your suspension is not bottoming out, it's topping out. Adding spacers for more lift will only make it worse. The 2" lift kit is basically stiffer springs.
In the rear the stock shock is replaced with a longer shock so, there's no problem. In the front the strut is stock length with stock travel but with a stiffer spring. The result is that regularly when you drive over a bump the shock will slam to the fully extended position. Whether the KYB or Bilstein struts perform better remains to be seen. Some of your noise may be coming from worn ball joints and control arm bushings.

not entirely true.... Adding spacers on top of the strut does absolutely nothing for the toping out.. (It does not reduce or worsen the problem).. The strut is over extended because of the stiffer spring....

I have decided to manufacture the spacers lift exactly for that reason. You keep your oem springs and simlpy add spacers on top of it. No more toping out and you keep your plush ride (compared to stiffer spring rate).

Have a look here : http://www.4x4design.com/Pathfinder_R50_96-04.php
and here for the comparison of some possible combination : http://www.4x4design.com/r50-lift-kit.php

S.

If he goes from a 2" lift to a 3" lift he will be 1" closer to topping out. You're correct only if he adds a 3" spacer to the stock spring. If he adds a 1" spacer to the 2" lift springs then the topping out will get worse.
I'd like to try a weaker spring, maybe 1" lift with a 1" spacer above the upper spring retainer bearing.

Hooligan wrote:If he goes from a 2" lift to a 3" lift he will be 1" closer to topping out. You're correct only if he adds a 3" spacer to the stock spring. If he adds a 1" spacer to the 2" lift springs then the topping out will get worse.
I'd like to try a weaker spring, maybe 1" lift with a 1" spacer above the upper spring retainer bearing.

Sorry, but that's where you're wrong.... unless you're talking about a spacer that goes between the coil and the top plate... This kind of spacer if very rare (i know only one guy that makes them and it's 1 inch only)...

If you install a spacer on top of the top plate (like the one I sell), you are not in any shape or form making the top out worse... That's because the front suspension of a pathfinder is a mcphersen strut type... If you look at it carefully, you will see that the height of the truck is solely determined by the compression rate of the springs...

So, the AC lift is achieved simply by installing new stiffer springs that actually prevent the body to as low as the oem spring rate.. This makes the truck 2" or so higher...Therefore <Stealing> 2" of uptravel of the strut.

Now all this system is <boxed> with the strut (the bottom coil plate and the top coil plate of the strut)

If you add a 1 or 2" spacer on TOP of the top plate of the strut, you are achieving a higher lift by actually <separating> the strut from the strut tower. The spring rate and amount of uptravel has not been changed or touched...

see here what I mean :



See .. the spring height and strut travel are below the spacer and not affected by this....

I am indeed talking about a spacer that goes between the spring and the top plate making the topping out worse and it is one of your spacers that I was referring to that I wanted to try with a weaker 1" lift spring. I couldn't remember where I had seen it and it was obviously your website.

understood...

For the record I run the AC spring with a 1" spacer on top.

Cheers.

S.