vivekkulal wrote:Recently got this 2010 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 and want to beef it up a little. I love this SUV and it's been a great daily driver, but I am interested in hearing some suggestions to make it a little more aggressive? First thing that comes to mind is a leveling kit and some more aggressive AT tires, any other ideas?
Depends on your goals! If by aggressive you mean more off road or off road looking, then a lift kit could be in your future. If you just care about looks, then a two inch lift kit isn’t too pricey and doesn’t put you in the territory of necessary swaps like camber kits, new control arms, etc. If you want real improved off road capabilities, that’s a little different. In that case you’re not just getting a two inch higher seating point above the same springs, but a couple extra inches of travel, etc. Here’s a site for that:
Http://www.4x4parts.com
If you’re just looking to make it drive better (which is what I wanted), that’s a slightly different list. I highly recommend the Delrin steering rack bushing from PRG, it tightens up steering significantly and isn’t a tough install. The Moog springs (sometimes called medium, but just their branded OEM replacements) are just a touch stiffer than stock and are what these trucks should have come with. I no longer run with any pressure in my airlift bags day to day because it solved the Pathfinder tail-sag issue really well. Negligible change in ride height, less than an inch, so it doesn’t mess with your suspension geometry to the point where you need camber kits and whatnot.
And while you’re in there doing the Moog springs, it’s hard to beat the Bilstein HD/4600 shocks for this truck. I’ve tried the Rancho adjustable and they were horrendously underdamped in my opinion. Bilsteins and Moog springs make this thing ride about as close to a well-damped Camry as you’re going to get.
Since you mentioned “leveling kit,†the airlift 1000 bags are among the easiest and first things I would do if you are sitting on stock springs. The saggy OEM coils in the back are horrible; my truck would bottom out when it looked at a speed bump at any appreciable speed. The airbags with 7-12 psi cure that until you get better springs in. Later when you tow or just put a lot of people in the back, the air bags keep you, well...level. With stock springs I used to put 25 psi for big trips (two heavy bikes on a 50lb OneUp bike rack, plus gear in the back, maybe people), now I put 5-10 psi with the Moogs.
Lastly on the engine front, I have the XTP manifold spacer and it helps smooth mid-range throttle response when you are accelerating. No more rapid downshift/up shifts and whatnot when you are heading up the on-ramp.
