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Every 2001 Nissan Pathfinder comes with a rear suspension setup that's pretty standard for the platform. It's a multi-link design with a track bar, coil springs, and twin shock absorbers. The diagram shows how the lower control arms, upper links, spring perches, and shock brackets all tie into the axle housing. When you're trying to figure out what broke, that diagram is useful, but it's not going to tell you why something failed or which part to grab off the shelf. You can find actual diagrams online through Nissan's own service literature, and sites like NissanForums, ClubNavi, and just about every parts catalog will have one. OEM numbers are usually stamped on the brackets. If you need the official Nissan shop manual diagram, it's in the suspension section under the model code R50. Third-party diagrams from RockAuto or PartsGeek will show you the exploded view with part numbers attached. The way this suspension actually works is worth knowing before you start taking things apart. The lower control arms pivot on bushings that take most of the load. The track bar keeps the axle centered laterally. The coil springs sit in pockets machined into the spring perches, which are welded to the axle housing. The shocks bolt through brackets on the frame and clip into the lower bracket near the axle. That's it. Nothing fancy. When you drop the rear, the whole axle comes down with it unless you support the springs properly.
I tore into a 2001 Pathfinder once where the right rear lower control arm bushing was completely destroyed. The diagram showed the part, but it didn't show that the actual failure had caused the axle to walk forward about an inch and a half over time. That meant every bolt that held the control arm was already under weird stress, and two of them were nearly sheared through on the forward side. I ended up cutting the bolts instead of trying to back them out. Took about twenty minutes and a fresh set of six-millimeter sockets to finish it up. Replacing the bushing alone wouldn't have fixed the alignment issue without also replacing the control arm itself. Another thing people miss is the relationship between the track bar bushings and the spring perches. When the track bar goes bad, the axle shifts sideways, and the springs don't sit square in their pockets anymore. You'll notice the tires rubbing against the wheel well liner in extreme cases, or just premature tire wear that you can't explain by normal alignment. A diagram won't warn you about that. I've replaced track bar bushings on three Pathfinders this year alone, and two of them had sprung perches that were already cracked because the axle had been riding at an angle for months. When you're working with this diagram, keep in mind that Nissan used a few different suppliers for components. The lower control arms, for instance, came from either Nissin or Clevite depending on build date. The part numbers are different, and the bushing bore sizes vary by about two millimeters. If you order the wrong one, it'll bolt up, feel fine initially, and then fail within six months. The VIN number will tell you exactly which supplier your car came with. Check it before you buy anything.
The rear coil springs themselves have a ride height specification of about 23.5 inches from the center of the wheel hub to the bottom of the fender flare when the vehicle is at curb weight. If yours is sagging, you can't just replace the spring and call it done. The mount points on the frame are prone to cracking, especially on the driver side. I found cracks in the upper spring perch weld on a 2001 with under 80,000 miles. It happened because the original spring was worn, the axle was dropping, and the frame was taking impact loads it wasn't designed for. The diagram shows the spring location but doesn't show the structural failure point underneath it. If you're doing this repair yourself, here's the practical order that saves time. Remove the rear seats and the access panel underneath. Unbolt the shock lower mount. Compress the spring enough to remove the lower retention clip. Support the axle with a jack. Remove the lower control arm bolts. Remove the upper link bolts. Let the axle down slowly. At that point you can pull the old spring out and install the new one in reverse order. Most people skip the step where you should spray penetrating oil on every bolt before removing the interior trim. That takes ten extra minutes and saves you from trying to cut rusted bolts out of a confined space behind a rear seat track. The bolts on the upper track bar are especially bad. They're small, they're in a tight spot, and they rust to the bracket fast. I use a five-to-one mixture of acetone and automatic transmission fluid on those. Let it soak for an hour before you touch them. Makes a huge difference.
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There's also a common mistake people make when reinstalling the track bar. They torque it down with the suspension hanging freely. That's wrong. The track bar bushings need to be torqued at ride height, which means you should jack the axle up until the suspension is at its normal resting position, then apply the final torque spec. If you do it any other way, the bushings will twist and fail within a year. The spec is 44 foot-pounds for the track bar center bolt and 36 foot-pounds for the upper link bolts. These numbers come from the Nissan service manual, not from any parts diagram. One more thing that's easy to overlook. The rear suspension on these Pathfinders uses a different shock valving depending on whether the vehicle is loaded or empty. If you're carrying heavy cargo regularly, the stock shocks will bottom out and feel mushy. Upgrading to a Bilstein B6 or a KYB Gas-a-Just is straightforward, but you have to make sure you get the correct length. The 2001 Pathfinder rear shocks are 17.5 inches extended length. Anything shorter and the spring won't compress properly. Anything longer and you'll overstress the upper control arm bushings. I've seen forums recommend replacing the entire rear suspension assembly with aftermarket arms for better articulation. That works for rock crawling, but for a daily driver on pavement, it makes the ride harsher and increases wear on the wheel bearings. The OEM setup is adequate for normal use. If you're going off-road regularly, you can upgrade selectively, but don't expect the diagram to tell you which parts are worth changing based on your actual driving conditions.
