DIY: Infiniti QX4 (01-03) Caliper Slide Pins & Bolts

How to change the caliper sliding pins, bolts, and dust boots on an Infiniti QX4 (01-03). This DIY may apply to the R50 Nissan Pathfinder.

Tools Needed:

• 14mm Socket TEKTON 3/8-Inch Drive Torque Wrench, 10-80 Feet Pound
  
• Torque Wrench (up to 32ft-lbs)
• Screwdriver
• Penetrating oil (if caliper bolts are seized)  Blaster 16-PB Penetrating Catalyst - 11 oz. 
• Jack. I prefer 3 Ton Ultra Low Profile Steel Floor Jack with Rapid Pump Quick Lift 
• Jack Stands.  Torin 3 Ton Jack Stands (Sold in Pairs) 

Parts Needed: 

• Dust boots. Carlson Pin Boot Kit 
• 2x Caliper slide pins and bolts. ACDelco Durastop Front Disc Brake Caliper Bolt 
• Brake Grease. CRC Silaramic Brake System Grease - 5 oz. 

Removal Steps:

• Loosen six 21mm lug nuts and place wheel chocks behind rear tires with Camco Wheel Chock - Pack of 2 or something to prevent vehicle from moving backwards
• Jack QX4 and place jack stands underneath car. Look at the owner's manual for jack points. Relieve jack pressure so the car is resting on the stands.
• Remove wheel and locate top and bottom caliper bolts circled below.

• Use 14mm socket and ratchet to remove old caliper bolts. Use penetrating oil on the bolts if seized.
• Remove brake piston and support with bungee cord or place something underneath. Supporting the piston is important because the brake lines will be damaged if left hanging. I rested the brake pistons on a plastic container.   

• Pull caliper slide pins out. Moderate force may be necessary to remove pins. Gently tap with hammer and chisel if you cannot pull them out by hand. Old and rusted pins pictured below. 

• Remove old dust boots from caliper carrier.

Installation Steps: 

•  Grease new slide pins with CRC Silaramic Brake System Grease - 5 oz. 

• Place new dust boots over slide pins and install them in the caliper carrier.
• Reinstall brake piston and align holes over slide pins. You may need a C-Clamp to close the piston if brake pads were changed or if there is difficulty getting the piston over the brake pads.
• Install caliper bolts The ACDelco Professional Front Brake Caliper Bolts and OEM are 14mm. I believe the torque values are 32 ft-lbs.The picture below is from a Nissan service manual. 

 

• Reinstall wheel and safely remove jack stands, jack, and other equipment. 

Notes: 
Removal and installation is straightforward and simple, however this job can be very difficult if caliper bolt and pin are seized. There are Youtube tutorials available if the bolt and pin are seized.

Remember to use silicone grease on the slide pins.

Take all the necessary safety precautions and if you feel unsafe bring your car to the dealership or independent mechanic.

DIY: Front Sway Bar, Bushings, and Links for QX4 and Pathfinder R50

Steps:

• Remove eight 10mm bolts holding plastic splash guard. There may be less because the bolts tend to fall out, I only have six.

• Remove four 14mm bolts on each front sway bar mounts.

 

• Remove old bushings and only use soapy water as lube to install new bushings. Reinstall   sway mounts and splash guard if you are only replacing bushings.  Beck Arnley 101-6460 Stabilizer Bushing Set 

• To remove front sway bar:
• Jack vehicle and place jack stands under the front of the vehicle
• Remove both front wheels
• Disconnect bottom nuts on both front sway links. Pulling on the sway bar and extending the sway links forward will provide better access to the nuts. 
• The sway link nuts are 19mm. Use a wrench on the back nuts to hold it in place while loosening the nut facing you. 
  
  
  
   
• To install front sway bar: 
• Install sway links on each side of sway bar. 
• Install sway bushings.
• Install sway mounts.
• Install front splash guard.
• Install front wheels

I used ADDCO Front Performance Anti-Sway Bar over OEM.

• To remove & replace front sway links. 
• Remove splash guard and mounts
• Remove top and bottom 19mm nuts on both sides of the front sway link.
• The top nuts are connected to the strut and the bottom nuts are connected to the sway bar. 
• The picture below illustrates the old OEM front sway link.

•  To install:
• Install top sway link nuts to the strut
• Install bottom sway links nuts to the sway bar
• Install sway bushings
• Install mounts
• Install front splash shield
• Install front wheels 

It may be difficult to install the sway links so try installing the bottom nuts first, or installing the sway bar before the sway links. I would tighten and torque the links down after the sway bar and mounts are installed.

I purchased Moog Sway Bar Link because there are Zerk fittings so I can grease the bushings. Nissan OEM Sway Links do not have grease-able Zerk fittings.

It is time to change sway links where there is clunking and rattling going over bumps. Sway links will need to be replaced if there is slack when pulling on them. Another symptom is excessive lean or body roll in corners.

The nuts and bolts are most likely seized if not recently removed. Soak them with PB Blaster Penetrating Catalyst or another penetrating oil to aid in removal.

Below is a diagram from the service manual that has torque figures. 

DIY: Lubricate Propeller Shaft on Infiniti QX4 & Nissan Pathfinder

How to Lubricate Propeller Shaft on Infiniti QX4 and Nissan Pathfinder R50

The owner's manual recommends greasing and lubricating the propeller shaft every oil change.

• Crawl underneath the QX4 or Pathfinder and find the propeller shaft between the exhaust pipe and automatic transmission pan.

• Locate the Zerk fitting which is circled in the picture below. The fitting sticks out of shaft and may be difficult to access if pointing upwards. Drive a few inches front or back until propeller shaft rotates and the Zerk fitting points downward. 

 

• Use a grease gun with a coupler that will attach to a Zerk fitting. I use Lumax LX-1152 Black Heavy Duty Deluxe Pistol Grease Gun with 18" Flex Hose and Valvoline SynPower Synthetic Grease. The service manual says to use NLGI #2 lithium complex grease, as long as that requirement is met any brand is compatible. 
• A cross member is located right below the fitting and shaft so maneuvering the hose will be necessary.

• Give the grease gun a few pumps. Do not excessively pump so grease leaks out of the shaft, you do not want to blow the seals.

Note:  The propeller shaft is known as the drive shaft everywhere else in the world. Japan calls it the propeller shaft.

I am willing to bet greasing the propeller shaft is often missed at quick lube shops and the dealership. This is a quick less than 5 minute job, take the time to do some preventative maintenance.

If there is drive train vibration and noise, greasing the propeller shaft may help.

This video is extremely helpful. 2001 Infiniti QX4 Propeller Zerk Fitting

DIY: Infiniti QX4 & Nissan Pathfinder Oil Change

How to change engine oil and filter on the Infiniti QX4 and Nissan Pathfinder R50

• Loosen oil filler cap in engine bay.
• Remove plastic splash guard underneath the front of the QX4. The splash guard is held by eight 10mm bolts. There may be more than eight as they tend to fall out over time.

• Locate oil filter. View picture below for reference. 

• Place a drain pan underneath the oil filter. I recommend Lisle 17942 Black Pan - 4.5 Gallon Capacity for its large capacity and spout.

• Loosen the oil filter by turning it counter-clockwise with TEKTON 5866 12-Inch Oil Filter Pliers or Lisle 53500 Satndard Swivel Grip Oil Filter Wrench. Remove oil filter and drain oil into pan.

• Install new oil filter with a new washer/gasket. I recommend Mobil 1 M1-108 Extended Performance Oil Filter or K&N PS-1008 Pro Series Oil Filter. Take the time to clean the surface where the oil filter mates with the engine so there is a good seal. 

• Move oil drain pan underneath engine oil pan. Loosen and remove oil drain plug and let the oil drain. Be careful to not damage the pan when loosening drain plug and the oil may be very hot if the car has not cooled down. The drain plug is highlighted in orange.

• Install drain plug and washer around plug. I changed my drain plug because it has never been changed in over 100,000 miles. I bought Dorman 65263 AutoGrade Oil Drain Plug and  Dorman 097-134 Copper Oil Drain Plug Gasket - Fits M12, Pack of 10. I wouldn't use the plastic gasket that comes with the Dorman drain plug, buy a copper crush washer instead. 

• Pop open the hood and remove the oil fill cap.

• Add 5.25 quarts of engine oil. 
• The owner's manual says to fill with conventional motor oil. I use Castrol 03096 GTX 5W-30 Conventional Motor Oil - 5 Quart for every change. Check the oil dipstick to see if the amount of oil is within limits.

• Replace the engine oil cap when done.

• Drive the car around and check for oil leaks around the filter or drain plug. Reinstall the splash shield when done.  

• Check dipstick to see oil is within limits.

Notes:

Changing the engine oil and filter is very easy. You can save money by changing the oil yourself and make sure everything is done properly. You never know if the quick lube places are doing things correctly.

Dispose old oil at parts store or local landfill.

The owner's manual says to fill with conventional motor oil only, synthetic motor oil may cause leaks. I filled the QX4 with conventional oil and have had zero issues over the many years and miles. I certainly have not babied or kept the Q as a garage queen, just kept up with regular maintenance and oil changes and nothing engine or mechanical has needed fixing. Do not put non recommended synthetic oil into your QX4 or Pathfinder, you will be throwing money away and potentially cause damage.

DIY: Infiniti QX4 Reverse Light Bulbs

How to replace reverse light bulbs on an Infiniti QX4

Access to the reverse light bulbs is not direct on the QX4. You must remove the back lift gate panel for access.

• Locate the rear lift gate handle and pop open the two small panels on each side with a small flat tip screwdriver.

 

•  Remove the two 10mm bolts that secure the handle to the lift gate.

 

• Carefully pry the plastic panel away from the lift gate. I highly recommend using KINGLAKE® Portable 4Pcs Auto Car Radio Door Clip Panel Trim Dash Audio Removal Installer Pry Tool 

• Removing the panel can be done without any tools, just work very slowly and make sure you do not break any of the plastic pieces. This may be unavoidable as the plastic prongs may be brittle after many years.  
Pry the panel so you have enough clearance to access the bulbs. I did not completely remove panel. 

 

•  Locate the right and left bulb sockets. Twist counter-clockwise and pull the socket and bulb out. Space and wiring is very tight so it may take a lot of wiggling to get the socket out. 

• Removing the wires from the plug may be helpful. Trace the wire from the socket to the plug and un-clip.

 

• Install new reverse bulbs. I used Cutequeen LED Car Lights Bulb White T15 1206 68-SMD 906 579 901 904 908 909 912 914 915 916 917 918 920 921 922 923 926 927 928 939 (pack of 2). I went with LED bulbs because OEM is too dim at night. The difference in light and range with the Cutequeen LED bulbs is amazing.

• Installation is the reverse of removal. 
• Reinstall the bulb sockets 
• Clip the wire plug back in if removed. 
• Press the plastic panel back into the lift gate
• Install lift gate handle

 Notes:

• Use Permatex 22058 Dielectric Tune-Up Grease, 3 oz. Tube to prevent corrosion on the bulb socket. 
• Wear gloves when handling the bulbs.