The Little X That Could

[ScottyB]

this truck was never intended to be a "project"...but after driving it for 10 years, it needs attention and its not going anywhere for a while. time for some TLC and upgrades. bought it in 2007 with 42,000 on the clock, and showing 127,000 today. its my wife's daily and our primary kid hauler. sits in traffic every day, trundles through 500mi interstate trips, goes up mountains, asked to work well below freezing to 110+ Georgia heatwaves, loaded to the bumpstops with stuff from Home Depot.

its a 2003 Xterra SE 4x4. N/A 3.3 V6/auto. Rockford Fosgate Package, Tow Package.


it drives like pickup-based SUV's used to in the 90's, which was fine when it came out and had to compete with the XJ and the Tacoma but man does it ever feel ancient now. body on frame, tiny brakes, torsions in front and a big live axle in the back with manual 4WD locking hubs and a V6 that is all torque because you'll get there when you get there. you get some power stuff, lots of hard plastic, and the back seats fold down. this is not an exciting vehicle. its never going to be some hardcore rockcrawler or prerunner either, but its gonna keep soldiering on as a true sport utility vehicle for us, with the emphasis on utility. its been paid off for years, is simple and reliable, and isn't worth a damn thing so there hasn't been a push to replace it although that time will likely come in a few years.

loves the snow


not afraid to go Full Gypsy with the garbage on the roof

[ScottyB]

"Modifications"
• intake silencer delete
• Amsoil t-case and axle fluids
• Bilstein 4600 stock-height shocks
• Akebono Pro-ACT Ceramic front pads
• ATE Superblue brake fluid
• G1W-CB hardwired windshield dash cam

Recent Maintenance
• brand new front fascia plastic (look at the first pic compared to the lower ones) and driver's fender due to a front-end sideswipe
• rear main seal, oil pan reseal, fresh coolant
• new A/C compressor lines
• 4 new 265/75-16 Firestone Destination ATs and alignment (3rd set of tires now)
• new Duralast front sway bar links
• new front rotors/pads
• repacked front bearings
• drained and refilled tranny with OEM Nissan Matic-D fluid
• new Duralast Gold battery (wife left the lights on all day and killed the last one completely dead, couldn't even jump it)

[ScottyB]

GOALS

want to keep it reliable and its in need of some additional capability for our new camping hobby. there are a couple existing problem areas, and some places where it'll need additional reliability mods to handle some new towing duties for my Teardrop trailer project to assure we can get where we need to go.

• mild all-around lift and/or improved rear capacity. when loaded, we have about an inch of travel in the back before its on the bumpstops, and when we explore forestry roads when camping we are constantly crashing the stops in the rear. unloaded, its fine and rides nicely. that will be the problem....maintaining the current decent ride and not getting too far up in the air for a DD but allowing us to load the back down for trips and exploring, as well as having about 100-150lbs on the tongue with the trailer. currently exploring aftermarket shackle lifts, upgraded bumpstops, or auxiliary air bags. i don't want to lift it if i don't have to, because it'll require new shocks on all corners. however, aside from expense a 1-2 inch lift is super easy - just crank the torsions in the front, put a lift shackle in the rear, apply new shocks and get an alignment.

• tranny cooler and possibly an oil cooler. the Teardrop will only weight about 1000-1200 pounds loaded, but we live deep in the southeast where summer temps are super hot and we intend to go places where the grades are very steep. i'm more concerned about the tranny than the oil. that said, the oil capacity in these is very small considering the engine size (only 3.5 qts) and that heavy iron block really keeps the heat in the oil. extra capacity and cooling would be nice but i'm equally wary of introducing more leak or failure points. still figuring that one out.

• recovery points and armor. where we're going....we don't need roads. or so i think anyway. the front end could use some dedicated strap points and the steering pitman arm is very exposed. there are products to brace and protect the arm so I'll be looking at that at some point as a precaution.

[.RJ]

How did they let you into gawja with that thing without a 4" lift and brodozer 35" tires and quad pipe exhaust

[ScottyB]

How did they let you into gawja with that thing without a 4" lift and brodozer 35" tires and quad pipe exhaust

:lol: Jen drives it, they give a pass for the ladies

[JPolen01]

gawja

I had to say this out loud twice to figure out what you meant.

[CaptainHenreh]

I always kinda liked these.

[ScottyB]

I always kinda liked these.

they're not bad for what they are, which is basically nissan's version of the XJ...which is what we cross-shopped this with at the time. same power, a bit more size, IFS front instead of a solid axle. they're super basic and reliable, and don't pretend to be otherwise.

[Fortyseven]

gawja

I had to say this out loud twice to figure out what you meant.

+1

2" lift is very practical and a good place to start. You can always upgrade if you're unhappy or feel you'll achieve even better performance with a higher lift. Lifts destroy the suspension geometry the manufactures have designed so you can end up with a harsh ride, bump steer, poor handling (not just from higher COG), axle wrap/drive shaft binding issues plus more. It depends on what suspension you have and how much you modify it. The lift kits of just 8 or so years ago pretty much gave you some if not all these problems but more modern ones I've noticed have started to attempt to address and reduce these issues. Safety is paramount especially if you're bringing your family along so you need to balance the extent you're willing to modify it with the reduced handling characteristics you'll receive from modifying the suspension. The shocks are a good brand but if you're getting stock height shocks and then later lift it, you will have to replace the shocks again. Tires too, larger tires means weaker brakes. XJ brakes area already abysmal and when I put larger tires on my Jeep it not only lengthened the gear ratios but also reduced the braking performance.

When towing make sure your RPM's are higher than the torque converters stall when cruising. Overdrive gear locks the torque converter up too. If it's constantly slipping you'll overheat your transmission real fast (plus heat = energy = wasted fuel). Forcing it into a lower gear (higher rpm) even when it wants to downshift is the way to prevent it. Yours is probably in the 1500-2000 rpm range. It shouldn't happen when you're towing but some auto manuf. have done a poor job with that in an attempt to tune the transmission very conservatively for increased fuel economy causing it to perform very poorly when being used out of those parameters. Also again remember that if you're towing your braking will suffer even more. Depending on the weight maybe consider setting up or purchasing a trailer with electric brakes. Since you have the tow package I assume that you won't have to worry about transmission issues I mentioned above.

If you're hesitant to upgrade to a full on oil cooler but want cooler trans temps, they sell fin style transmission oil pans that have increased surface area to promote greater heat exchange for trucks. They might offer something similar for your transmission. Mud and oil sludge that builds up over time acts as an insulator also. Keeping your under-carriage clean keeps things cooler. Since you had to replace the rear main seal and oil pan seal, I know it's likely your under-carriage has gotten filthy.

[Senor_Taylor]

Even though this isn't a "build thread" it'll probably be more interesting than mine ever are. I'm glad this has served you so well and hasn't been a plague upon you like one particular friend of ours on here.

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[RawrImAMonster]

Mine had the newer VQ motor. I don't think those are even supposed to be unreliable, I just had bad luck with it.

[ScottyB]

I'm glad this has served you so well and hasn't been a plague upon you like one particular friend of ours on here.

Mine had the newer VQ motor. I don't think those are even supposed to be unreliable, I just had bad luck with it.

i felt so bad about that. everything i ever heard about the 2nd gen Xterra was that they're very reliable and trouble free. seemed yours just hated life and wanted to be a PITA for you.

yeah the 1st gens like mine use the VG33E which is a punched out version of the VG30 turbo V6 that traces routes all the way back to the 1981 300zx. the 2nd gens use the VQ40 which is the big version of the newer generation of V6's nissan put in everything from the maxima to the 350Z in the mid 2000's.

[ScottyB]

minor update.

both front lower balljoints were shot, big time...the rubber is ripped 360 degrees around and bleeding filthy grease everywhere.  got upgraded MOOG units with a build-in zerk fitting, like this:


super nice joints and essentially can be servicable forever thanks to the grease fitting. VERY stout compared to the OEM part.

passenger side joint has been replaced.  not exagerating, it was the hardest thing i've ever done on a car.  the stock unit was so difficult to get extracted that by the end i had pulled out almost every tool i own and the winning combo was a 10 lb. sledge and a pocket-rocket camp stove as a torch, along with about a gallon of PB Blaster.  i have so much PTSD at this point i still haven't replaced the driver's side.  if i could have got the thing out, it would have been about an hour job.  i think in the end it was close to 6 for me, as usual.

anyway, we're probably going to hit some trails over the weekend in north Georgia in pursuit of trout and trouble.  looking to get it good and muddy, and ford some creeks again.  poor thing hasn't been put in 4WD in about a year.


after we get back, its getting fresh rear diff fluid and a good wash.

[Senor_Taylor]

Was this not something you could have use a tie rod separator for? The kind with the two jaws and the bolt? I'll never separate a ball joint again without one.

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[ViPER1313]

Go rent a ball joint tool from Autozone for the drivers side. Get the extra set of cups for it (it’s a second tool rental). Makes it a 10 minute job.

[ScottyB]

Was this not something you could have use a tie rod separator for?

Go rent a ball joint tool from Autozone for the drivers side.

i'm renting the tool next time. originally, i didn't think it would fit. you can see how the control arm shrouds the joint, and makes it hard to fit anything over it. after 15 years of being connected and corroded together, there's not a chance in hell i could have used a fork on it.


that said i'm willing to try. the way i had to do it was awful, although it worked in the end...but anything can work with a big enough hammer i guess.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Poor thing hasn't been put in 4WD in about a year.

Make sure it gets in and OUT of 4wd smoothly before you go. 4WD is one of those things that if you "don't use it, you lose it". Especially if it's electronically actuated.

[ScottyB]

Make sure it gets in and OUT of 4wd smoothly before you go. 4WD is one of those things that if you "don't use it, you lose it". Especially if it's electronically actuated.

good call. so, its a manually shifted t-case and the front hubs are auto-locking. i repacked the front bearings when i did the ball joint...do you think there's a chance the hubs would be frozen? i didn't get into the hub mechanism, just looked and the ramps seemed ok on the surface.

i'll cruise the neighborhood in 4WD for a bit tomorrow to be sure.

[V1GiLaNtE]

Make sure it gets in and OUT of 4wd smoothly before you go. 4WD is one of those things that if you "don't use it, you lose it". Especially if it's electronically actuated.

good call.  so, its a manually shifted t-case and the front hubs are auto-locking.  i repacked the front bearings when i did the ball joint...do you think there's a chance the hubs would be frozen?  i didn't get into the hub mechanism, just looked and the ramps seemed ok on the surface.

i'll cruise the neighborhood in 4WD for a bit tomorrow to be sure.

I think you'll be ok. I'd be more concerned with the Tcase fluid and linkage binding a bit if it hasn't been used in awhile. Just get somewhere were you can get it down into 4Lo and and do some turns and stuff to get the hubs engage and disengaged. Obviously on loose traction surfaces. I know it sounds weird, but engaging and disengaging your 4wd should be a monthly "maintenance" item. This ensures that everything is operating properly and well lubricated when you actually need it. This includes all components of your 4wd. Center diff locks (Yota bros), lockers, hubs, etc.

[ScottyB]

I know it sounds weird, but engaging and disengaging your 4wd should be a monthly "maintenance" item. This ensures that everything is operating properly and well lubricated when you actually need it. This includes all components of your 4wd. Center diff locks (Yota bros), lockers, hubs, etc.

no, that makes sense. being my wife's car and that we never properly use it enough on dirt, i just straight up forget about it. i can at least say that i always remember to go slowly in 4WD for the first 1/4 mile or so to make sure the gears are somewhat lubricated after sitting for so long vs. just flying right up to 45mph or whatever.

current t-case fluid is some good Amsoil stuff, so i at least feel fairly confident that the internals should have some decent protection after being neglected.