The front struts on the 1998 Nissan Pathfinder are gas charged coil-over struts. This means the coil spring attaches to the strut, and the strut uses a gas charge to soften the ride of the vehicle as you travel. Eventually, the struts will rust and leak the gas charge. When this happens, the easiest and most cost-effective way of correcting the issue is to replace the broken struts.
Prepare the Pathfinder for the strut installation by jacking the corner of the SUV off the ground, placing it on a jack stand and removing the wheel with a tire iron.
Open the engine hood and remove the bolt that secures the strut to the strut tower using a socket and ratchet. The strut tower is part of the inner fender well.
Remove the bolt that secures the bottom of the strut to the front brake spindle using a socket and ratchet.
Pull the strut away from the Pathfinder's suspension.
Place the spring compressors onto the coil spring, and compress the spring.
Remove the bolt that holds the coil spring cover plate onto the strut using a socket and ratchet.
Pull the cover plate and the spring off the old strut.
Place the spring and the cover plate onto the new strut. Tighten the cover plate, and then remove the spring compressors from the spring.
Place the strut into the suspension and secure the bottom of the strut to the brake spindle using the bolt, socket and ratchet.
Secure the top of the strut to the strut tower with the nut, socket and ratchet.
Place the wheel onto the rotor, secure it with the lug nuts and lower the Pathfinder to the ground.
Duplicate the process with the strut on the other side of the front end.
