When driving I constantly have to make small corrections. The steering box has no play in it, so what is the next best guess? Could it be the sway bar? It appears that the bushings are bad, however I really haven't had a chance to really look at them. Lower control arms?

ETA: The tires are new'ish. And I've tried the search function.

R51's don't have a steering box; they have rack & pinion steering. Front sway bar mount bushings due tend to go bad on these vehicle and there are updated bushings available from Nissan, but they usually cause a "knocking" noise issue, not a steering issue. There are a number of things that can cause your concern, the most likely would be improperly adjusted tire pressures and/or improper wheel alignment. Other potential causes could be due to poorly worn tires (tire pull), improper rack & pinion rack guide adjustment, excessive wheel bearing play, bad tie rods and/or worn suspension bushings or ball joints. I would recommend a front end inspection first, and if all checks out okay, a wheel alignment.

smj999smj wrote:R51's don't have a steering box; they have rack & pinion steering. Front sway bar mount bushings due tend to go bad on these vehicle and there are updated bushings available from Nissan, but they usually cause a "knocking" noise issue, not a steering issue. There are a number of things that can cause your concern, the most likely would be improperly adjusted tire pressures and/or improper wheel alignment. Other potential causes could be due to poorly worn tires (tire pull), improper rack & pinion rack guide adjustment, excessive wheel bearing play, bad tie rods and/or worn suspension bushings or ball joints. I would recommend a front end inspection first, and if all checks out okay, a wheel alignment.

Hmm, well the guy that I asked evidentially has no clue what he's talking about as he said I needed to check the steering box.

Anyway, HOLY CRAP that is a lot to check. Thanks for the response, I'm praying for something small. A lot of things are going wrong with this Pathfinder and it's killing me.

You're welcome. Easy mistake, but Pathfinders haven't used a steering box since 1995.

I would say check the alignment first. Mine has felt sloppy when that was out, otherwise the steering on these is quite tight and tracks very nicely.

Too much air in the tires will also make the steering feel jittery. 35psi is about where I keep mine.

skinny2 wrote:I would say check the alignment first. Mine has felt sloppy when that was out, otherwise the steering on these is quite tight and tracks very nicely.

Too much air in the tires will also make the steering feel jittery. 35psi is about where I keep mine.

I check the tire pressure all the time, I have a TPMS issue going on. I guess I'm off to a GOOD mechanic that knows what he is talking about.

If it is the lower bearings, how would one check?

I'm not sure what you mean by "lower bearings?" If you mean wheel bearings, you need to raise the wheels off of the ground and grab each the outside of each wheel and move it back and forth. If there's play, you'll feel it. Usually they'll start making noise before they start showing play in them, though.
As far as the TPMS issue, it's not uncommon for older sensors to start failing once the weather gets cold. The batteries get weak and the colder weather makes them worse. If it's the case, you'll get some stored codes for battery-low voltage, which will need to be checked using a scantool. If it's the case, and the TPMS sensors are older than 5-years, I would recommend replacing them all at once, because if one's bad, the others are likely not far behind. I use Dorman direct-fit TPMS sensors from Rockauto.com. They run about $40 each and have a lifetime warranty. Nissan sensors cost twice that much and only have a 12-month/12000 mile warranty.

I'm super anal about steering issues and second everything that's been said.

1. Pay for a front-end check. They'll lift the car up and go through everything. If they recommend anything expensive, get a second opinion.

2. Get a real alignment that includes camber, toe AND caster. In other words, go to a Nissan dealer (instead of Firestone), request they align all three and give you a before/after print out.

3. Request a good alignment. Odd but necessary, sadly. A good alignment is hard to find. Often they'll stick the shop chimp in the corner with the alignment machine and a wrench for a result of "close enough." He'll "eyeball" steering center, align toe and tweak the camber a little. I'll pick it up and the guy will murmur something like, "he got it as close as he could without having to shim it." I usually hand the keys right back and say, "then I'll be back when it's done." It's a pain but a good alignment is SO worth the trouble. This is also why I make it a point to request the before/after print out. I once went back four times before they got it right.