The Nissan Path

2000 Pathfinder LE, Auto with 4x4


I would like to raise the vehicle a few inches. Any easy way to do this? I have spring helpers that I can use on the front, but what about the rear?

Rack and pinion might be bad, side to side clunk, clunk on bumps, and the rack itself has some side to side play (the part that the pinion moves). Should there be any play in that part?

Any common problems with the 2000 pathfinder?

What is the max tire size for stock rig without any modding? Metric and standard sizes please.

Are manual hubs worth installing?

Replaced the filer tube under recall, but it still smells like fuel back there and im getting an engine code suggesting a small leak back there somewhere. ??? Ideas?

There is no "rack and pinion" per se. The hydraulic actuator is mounted in two rubber cushions/bushings. The one on the driver's side is directly under the oil filter and thus, gets oily and deteriorates allowing side to side movement which translates into sloppy steering. I went with some nice aftermarket poly bushings and installed them with Permatex #2 for a good seatng. Biggest 15" tires would be 31x10.5x15 but, I installed 1" wheel spacers for those tight turns. Manual hub locks are smart if you do alot of highway driving and don't want to wear out the front differential and front axles and cv joints. They will also give you better millage and acceleration. For the rear suspension I went with the 2" lift kit which is stiffer, longer springs with longer shocks. For the front DO NOT use stiffer springs. I'm not sure what you mean by spring helpers but, if they make the springs stiffer don't use them. Go with the 2" plastic upper mount spacer.

The inner tie rod attaches to a metal bar. The metal bar has groves in it. Those groves are part of the steering system. Right where the inner tie rod attaches to that bar, there is "up and down" play when the steering wheel is turned back and forth. Side to side movement is what turns the wheels, but I have "up and down" movement. There is also a clunk when I run over bumps that would influence the direction of the tires. Thoughts?

The front spring spacers are rubber things that you put between the coils of the springs that cause the spring to be "taller".

There is a rack and pinion. If the play is in the inner tie rods, then you can replace them separately, but if the play is in the actual rack and pinion, then replace the rack and pinion assembly if the play is substantial. As mentioned previously, make sure the play is not in the mount bushings.

If you have the factory auto hubs, WARN hubs are a nice upgrade and a lot more trouble-free.

If the fuel odor has been there since the recall, I would take it back and advise them of this so it can be properly repaired.

Make sure the recall has been performed for the strut towers, which can rust through. Bad rear suspension link bushings are fairly common. Make sure the timing belt has been replaced; it should be replaced every 6-years or 105,000 miles, whichever comes first.

starman8tdc wrote:2000 Pathfinder LE, Auto with 4x4


I would like to raise the vehicle a few inches. Any easy way to do this? I have spring helpers that I can use on the front, but what about the rear?
?

At 4x4design.com, we have everything you need to lift your truck at ta reasonable price.. Check our lift comparison page.

Cheers.
Steve.
4x4design.com

The timing belt was replaced about 25K miles ago by the previous owner (a shop did the work). I hope they did the pump while they were in there.

I will double check the rack and pinion rubber bushings, but there is no "play" in the steering. Its nice and tight. The only problem is the "clunk". If you drive over a rough road, the clunk happens so much its almost a rumble. Turn the wheel left and right real fast and its clunk cluck cluck. Turn it back and forth super slow, and there is no clunk at all. I think the steering pinion gear and rack have a little play between those parts, caused by wear in what ever keeps the rack itself in place. The rack must ride on bushings or something and those must be worn out. (i'm NOT referring to the external rack and pinion rubber bushings at the mounts).

Tie rods are fine.

I took it in for the fuel tube recall because of the fuel odor, but that repair did not remedy the problem. It was free, so I figured that was a good place to start.

How do I check the rear suspension bushings?

The same way you check any rubber bushing: look for cracks, splits and/or separation. The ones on the right side, upper link are usually the first to go. If you raise the back end of the vehicle and let the suspension hang, they are usually pretty obvious. If they are bad, the back end will wobble all over the place at highway speeds.