Scary moment today. Have to share it.

[Buzzman]

Ok,So I'm driving home today, in AWD (snowy day today), and I'm less than half a mile from home when I hear a small clunk, and then the loudest most awful rattle/clunking noise I have ever heard.I pulled over, and a thousand things come to mind.The engine blew (power valves?), or maybe my transmission let go. After I stopped, the engine is still idling smoothly, and no noise.I get out to look under the truck cause I thought maybe a drive shaft had let go and was dragging on the road. Nothing hanging down.Then I thought maybe one of the front brake pads had delaminated and broke loose. (had it happen with another vehicle).Checked the brakes as best I could. No visible damage.Not sure what to do, I slowly did a u-turn and decided to limp it in to a local repair shop, less than a mile away.Barely moving with the four ways on, it's making a huge amount of noise. Everyone on the sidewalk is giving me funny looks and pointing at me.Yea yea I know. I can hear it too dumbass.Decided halfway there that I was risking major damage, so I pulled over again and was going to call a tow truck.Had one more good look underneath (kneeling in the slush), and lo and behold, there's a piece of the heat shield, jammed between the frame and the driveshaft coming out of the transfer case.Pulled out the piece of shielding, and voila, problem solved.I never knew a piece of metal could make that much noise. It was rubbing against the u-joint of the drive shaft. You can see the mark on top of the Nissan stamp on the shield where it was rubbing.All I can say is whew. I was shi**ing bricks for a while.Thanks for reading.

[tgunz]

I wonder how that happens. Both bolts must have be gone @ the same time for it go loose like that, right?

[fueler]

i like those rear rims - what kind are they? (if you know)

[bmlawless]

i like those rear rims - what kind are they? (if you know)

They look like the generic 8-spoke white rims you can buy at just about any tire shop. They usually have a thin red and blue strips around the outside. I bought a set for an old boat trailer for about $30 a piece around 6 years ago.

EDIT: I have to laugh. Just after leaving this site, I hit Craigslist looking for Jeep stuff and found these:

http://boise.craigslist.org/pts/1067314631.html

[fueler]

my uncle has rims like that on his nissan patrol, thats probably why i like them. i had my hands on a set once and they were very heavy. are your heavy?

[Buzzman]

bmlawless is basically correct re: rims.They are steelies that I bought used for $50.00. I needed some cheap rims for my winter snows.When I bought them I was told they were from an older model Pathfinder.Not sure if it was B.S or not, but I didn't really care. They do the job. I like them.To answer your other question: yes, they are heavy.They also have a larger offset than standard rims, so my back tires stick out a bit more than normal.My front rims are different, and don't have the same offset, but the actual tires (all 4) are the same, so I don't have any problems with ride quality or stability.The truck actually rides better on these winter tires than it does on my all season Wranglers.I'm buying new tires this spring.

[Chuck Tribolet]

Do put that heat shield back on. It's there for a reason. Kettering's law hasalways served me well: "Parts you don't put on don't cost anything and neverbreak." Charles Kettering was the head engineer at GM for the first half ofthe 20th century. The old points/condenser/coil ignition system is properlycalled a Kettering Ignition. Alfred Sloan was the money man. Perhaps you'veheard of Sloan-Kettering Cancer Institute.

The fronts do look like the steel rims on the early Pathfinder XE. The rearsdon't look like anything I've seen on a Pathfinder.

[Buzzman]

The fronts do look like the steel rims on the early Pathfinder XE. The rearsdon't look like anything I've seen on a Pathfinder.

Funny you mention that because like most of us, I look at, and compare my Pathy with others that I see on the road.I also tend to look at other trucks and SUV's.I have yet to see another truck with these rims. They seem to be unique.When I bought them, the bolt pattern and centre hole was correct, so I went with them. So far so good.

[JonathanPrem]

Funny you mention that because like most of us, I look at, and compare my Pathy with others that I see on the road.I also tend to look at other trucks and SUV's.I have yet to see another truck with these rims. They seem to be unique.When I bought them, the bolt pattern and centre hole was correct, so I went with them. So far so good.

The Rims in the rear are the spare rims that come with the 01-04 i think. I have the exact one on my rear right now to.

[Buzzman]

I've never had to use my spare, so I've never looked at it that closely.I'll take a look in the morning.(Gets me thinking too. I'll bet the spare tire mechanism is seized solid. Oh well, another spring project).

Hey, my Sens just beat the Leafs. Woo woo.

[screwinitupagain]

Do put that heat shield back on. It's there for a reason. Kettering's law hasalways served me well: "Parts you don't put on don't cost anything and neverbreak."

I haven't had a heat shiled since I had a new exhaust sytem put on like 3 years ago... with no problems from the exhaust.

[pathfinder_se_black]

i like those rear rims - what kind are they? (if you know)

my spare looks like the exact rim. i would imagine any pathfinder at the salvage yard would have them for cheap.

[exvin]

Man, I hear that all the damn time!!! Stupid rattle..I dont hear it when its in park but as soon as I move it to drive, rattle rattle rattle..ughhh..I left mines on though

[Buzzman]

my spare looks like the exact rim.

Good call. I just had a look under the truck at my spare, and it looks exactly like my rear rims. Whoda thunkit.Mystery solved.

[sixty4]

Buzzman, I had the exact same thing happen to my girlfriends I30, exactly!

[Buzzman]

I bet it scared the crap out of her at the time too.Like I said earlier, I thought my transfer case blew out.