R51 Nissan Pathfinder Off-road Build on 35 inch Tires & Titan Swap

Being the last legitimate 4×4 with a body-on-frame layout to wear the Pathfinder nameplate, the 3rd Gen D51 still remains quite popular among off-roading fans despite its production ending in 2012. For some reason back then, Nissan decided that 4WD was no longer a thing and built the next-gen Pathfinder on a Nissan Altima platform, outfitting it with a “fantastic” Jatco CVT transmission. It became lighter and more fuel-efficient to fit the needs of soccer moms and dads, but it was obviously a turnoff for the off-road community.

Nonetheless, the D51 Pathfinders, D40 Frontiers, and 2nd Gen Xterras continue holding their positions in the used 4×4 market quite stronlgy, mainly because of the thing called Titan-swap…which doesn’t have anything to do with the engine (at least in most cases).

Key Takeaways:

• Titan-swap transforms the 3rd Gen Pathfinder into a beast of an off-roader.
• 35″ tires fit without rubbing, showcasing the effectiveness of the upgrades.
• Clean exterior of this build without over-the top mods highlights the Pathfinder’s original aesthetics.

The Titan Swap

Thanks to the similarities in front-end construction with the Titan, it became evident that the front suspension components from this full-size V8 truck could be utilized in all these vehicles without major modifications.

A Titan swap allows you to widen the tracks, improve wheel travel and articulation, and run much larger tires, giving similar results to installing a custom pre-runner style long-travel suspension kit.

Titan swap refers to using Titan suspension components and custom coil overs (or stock length spring/strut with a spacer) to gain more suspension travel, and height. Usually 3-4” increase in height is common. You would using lower ball joints, custom upper ball joints, axles for a QX80, your suspension of choice…etc. Some even swap out the transfer case to a Titan one (but it’s not required). It increases your travel substantially over any other option. However, it increases your track width by 3” a side or 6” over all in the front. Which can be annoying if you’re daily driving it

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The Build

Being as tempting as it is, it’s no wonder that Alex Agraz, the owner of this white 2006 Nissan Pathfinder, decided to go this route in modifying his R51 for more serious off-road use.

Front Suspension

Thanks to wide aftermarket support, there are many solutions to do a Titan swap, which mainly differ in terms of the shocks/springs/coilover combination. For the front suspension, Alex decided to utilize SPC Titan-length Upper Control Arms with Bilstein 6100 shocks and Stock Titan Lower Control Arms. Since the tracks were widened substantially, he also installed extended axle shafts from RuggedRocks.

Rear Suspension

The rear suspension is set up quite differently and features longer Armada springs, Dobinsons shocks, and a 2″ subframe lift to level up with the front end of the truck.

Wheels & Tires

With the added space in the wheel wells, it was time to install oversized wheels. For Stage 1, Alex chose a set of 16×8.5 Level 8 Bully Pro custom wheels wrapped in 33″ tires, but seeing how much space was still left in the arches, he went up in tire size and mounted beefy 35″ Toyo Open Country M/T tires.

Surprisingly, such big tires went in without any rubbing, requiring zero trimming despite being 5″ larger in overall diameter compared to the factory 265/65r17 30″ tires.

Exterior

The exterior was left almost untouched, making this Pathfinder look exceptionally nice and clean in white color. Among the subtle add-ons, you can see a fully custom full-roof rack DIY-built by the owner and a set of LED lights to improve illumination during nighttime trail driving.

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Conclusion

This 2006 Nissan Pathfinder off-road build showcases the impressive potential of the Titan swap for improving the capabilities of this platform. The combination of increased ground clearance, improved suspension articulation, and larger tires significantly boosts the Pathfinder’s off-road characteristics and giving that awesome beefed-up stance on wide 35″ tires.
Based on our Off-road capability rating system, this Pathfinder scores an impressive 55 points out of 70 possible. Only the absence of a front locker and body armor prevents it from reaching the peak off-road capability score.