Reducing banging from NYC roads -> making wife happy ?

[cabinpath]

Hey

I have a 2008 SE. I bought it used but I am sure with original everything.

I live in NYC and the roads here are AWFUL! My wife set in the back seat the other day and said that "she can feel every bump and maybe I can do something about it...."

We are expecting so she will spend much more time in the back seat...

So...

Will replacing anything make any significant difference?

I love my Pathy and don't want to get a different car.

[merrion13]

A lot of members have had luck with airbags and different suspension, do a search and you'll see a good amount of threads addressing this same issue.

Over about a dozen cars, I've never owned anything with this unsettled of a back end. I also have an '08 and am not happy with the way this thing rides.

[smj999smj]

Best combination for ride and comfort on my 06 LE has been this: Bilstein HD rear shock absorbers, Air Lift 1000 air bags set to 15 psi, and Michelin LTX M/S2 tires. I would start with the air bags, as the back end of these R51's tend to bottom out on bumps. The type of tire can make a big difference. Having had several sets of tires on two R51's, the Michelins, albeit pricey, have been the most comfortable and are an excellent, all-season tire.

[cabinpath]

Excellent.

Thank you for the tip.

Any of these can be DIY?

[cabinpath]

Also, I see that the air lift 1000 is for up to 1000lbs. Not sure what that means in terms of usability... In general, I use my pathy to transfer building supplies and sometimes they exceed 1000lbs in weight...

does that matter?

[smj999smj]

They provide 1000 lbs. of additional capacity to the capacity of your stock suspension, so hauling over 1000 lbs. is not an issue. They are easy to install. The shocks are easy to install, but the nuts are pretty tight. Making these mods aren't going to make your Pathfinder suddenly ride like a Cadillac, but it is a big improvement over the stock suspension. Most body-on-frame SUVs are a bit rough as far as ride on bumpy roads and going over potholes.

[cabinpath]

They provide 1000 lbs. of additional capacity to the capacity of your stock suspension, so hauling over 1000 lbs. is not an issue. They are easy to install. The shocks are easy to install, but the nuts are pretty tight. Making these mods aren't going to make your Pathfinder suddenly ride like a Cadillac, but it is a big improvement over the stock suspension. Most body-on-frame SUVs are a bit rough as far as ride on bumpy roads and going over potholes.

Interesting. Learning a lot here.

Is the 4runner also 'body on frame'?

How about pick up trucks? f150 & tacoma & frontier...?

[smj999smj]

Most pick-up trucks are body-on-frame, with the exception of the Honda Ridgeline and some obscure models many years ago. The Toyota 4runner, FJ, Sequoia and Land Cruiser are all body-on-frame. The 96-2004 Pathfinder and last couple generations of the Jeep Grand Cherokee are unibody chassis, as is the Toyota Highlander and Nissan Murano.

[Mallthus]

a last couple generations of the Jeep Grand Cherokee are unibody chassis

All Grand Cherokees are unibody, since the model's inception.