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New to the xterra world...sounds like fun!

2K views 19 replies 7 participants last post by  seekerbeta 
#1 ·
Hey all,
Name is Phil, live in Vancouver BC, make video games for a living, ride Mtn Bikes, and generally loves being outdoors...My two daughters keep me super busy, but I do fit time in to make it all mostly happen. (and oh ya, I'm a car nut)

I've loved the xterra since it first came out, and now I have the opportunity to buy and older one as I'm done with "new" cars.
I will be buying something in the 2002-2004 range as I like the look, in a manual. The price is perfect for me at the moment...dirt cheap!

I'm reading as much as I can sp I can make the most informed decision, but any advice thrown at me for what too look out for is appreciated.

Thanks again - This looks like a good group of people type forum!
 
#2 ·
Hey Phil!

(even though I am brand new) Welcome to the forums.

I just went through the process of buying one, so I do have a few words of wisdom.

#1 . Make sure the timing belt has been done. Never trust what the guy says, you must have an invoice or be able to call the mechanic or see receipts for a timing belt Kit. Timing belt on these is recommended every 105k.

#2 These things have several common issues, the good thing is that none of them are that pricey to repair yourself. The ones that I can think of (and my car has) are Passenger Side exhaust manifold cracking and leaking and leaky valve covers. A shop will charge an exorbitant amount for this vehicle (seven billable hours :rollseyes:) because you have to remove the plenum to get to the drivers side.

#3 I am not sure how many miles you will be looking at. Or how familiar you are with 4x4's. But in general if it has around 150k there are several things that will need to be done suspension/drive-line wise. Most owners don't ever replace the CV axels/boots I have purchased 3 4x4's all three of them had torn boots and bad CV joints. All three of them had shocks that were completely dead (leaking and flat).

#4 Check for rust (sounds like you are a gearhead so you probably know this). Both of my nissans have had exhaust systems in pretty rough shape. I have been lucky not to have any frame rust, but we don't salt our roads here so that helps.
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the feedback - That aligns nicely with what I had read from the interwebz...
I drove my first one today, a 2002 with 155K, (kms, cause I'm Cdn Eh!)...
Body and what not seemed all in good shape, but it sure did drive poorly. Felt VERY sloppy and rolly. The best way I could describe the drive was "unsettled".
The tires were pretty much done, I knew that looking at it, so *maybe* that's what the cause, but I wasn't 100% sure...I need to drive more of them to get a sense of how a "good" one drives...but first impressions on this one left me concerned...
And I'm going to stick to a manual...100%.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the feedback - That aligns nicely with what I had read from the interwebz...
I drove my first one today, a 2002 with 155K, (kms, cause I'm Cdn Eh!)...
Body and what not seemed all in good shape, but it sure did drive poorly. Felt VERY sloppy and rolly. The best way I could describe the drive was "unsettled".
The tires were pretty much done, I knew that looking at it, so *maybe* that's what the cause, but I wasn't 100% sure...I need to drive more of them to get a sense of how a "good" one drives...but first impressions on this one left me concerned...
And I'm going to stick to a manual...100%.
The X (2000 - 2004 in this case) has two anti-sway bars (We call them sway bars)....one front and one rear. The FRONT one works fine, but, the bushings wear out and whittle the ends of the upper links to look like sharpened pencils over time....so the ride gets wishy-washy like a 60's era caddy, etc.

The REAR's are worthless and you throw them in the garbage.

That said, depending on what you're used to driving, a body on frame truck is not going to handle like a unibody car/cute ute, etc. Its got another thousand pounds of steel, and more ground clearance, that helps you survive off road that the unibodies don't need.

That makes them a bit slower and more ponderous due to the added weight and higher center of gravity.

If the tire's are not decent, the sidewalls (Which are also taller on an off road rig to allow better conformance to the terrain, etc..) will be squirrelly compared to a low profile car tire, etc.

All this means that if you're not used to a body on frame truck's handling, it can seem a bit disconcerting. I have had jeep wranglers, 2x's, mini cooper, miata, and other things to be getting in/out of, and its striking how differently they all handle.

Even the X alone is strikingly different when equipped with different tires. Just throwing the General Crappers that came with the '01 X into the dump and replacing them with real tires woke the X up and made it feel (In contrast) like a sports car.

So, food for thought.
 
#7 ·
The X (2000 - 2004 in this case) has two anti-sway bars (We call them sway bars)....one front and one rear. The FRONT one works fine, but, the bushings wear out and whittle the ends of the upper links to look like sharpened pencils over time....so the ride gets wishy-washy like a 60's era caddy, etc.

The REAR's are worthless and you throw them in the garbage.

That said, depending on what you're used to driving, a body on frame truck is not going to handle like a unibody car/cute ute, etc. Its got another thousand pounds of steel, and more ground clearance, that helps you survive off road that the unibodies don't need.

That makes them a bit slower and more ponderous due to the added weight and higher center of gravity.

If the tire's are not decent, the sidewalls (Which are also taller on an off road rig to allow better conformance to the terrain, etc..) will be squirrelly compared to a low profile car tire, etc.

All this means that if you're not used to a body on frame truck's handling, it can seem a bit disconcerting. I have had jeep wranglers, 2x's, mini cooper, miata, and other things to be getting in/out of, and its striking how differently they all handle.

Even the X alone is strikingly different when equipped with different tires. Just throwing the General Crappers that came with the '01 X into the dump and replacing them with real tires woke the X up and made it feel (In contrast) like a sports car.

So, food for thought.
Thanks for the feedback and advice...it's been noted. Clearly I'm not buying a sports car. ;)
I drove another one on the weekend, much higher mileage but it drove 100% better, so clearly something was not happy on the first one. I quite like how they drive, and the commanding road position is fantastic compared to what I have been driving. Unfortunately, this last one was still a bit too beat up for my liking...I need to find one that's been "Soccer Mom" driven and taken care of, this may mean that I have to look into an auto vs manual. :eek:
Should I be avoiding auto's based on what I've read on here? The contamination issue seems to be easy enough to avoid/solve?
I'm looking at another one tonight that is an auto with an aftermarket transmission cooler and other goodies...Without inspecting "internal", is there anything I can look for/feel for with the auto's?

thanks again
 
#8 ·
The main issue with the auto is for 2005+ models that need a bypass mod on the tranny cooler to avoid mixing antifreeze and transmission fluid (The Strawberry Milkshake of Death or SMOD).

>:D

The by-pass is a super easy fix, so, if the SMOD has not happened, the mod prevents it and you're good to go.

For the 2000 - 2004 models, its not an issue.
 
#9 ·
The main issue with the auto is for 2005+ models that need a bypass mod on the tranny cooler to avoid mixing antifreeze and transmission fluid (The Strawberry Milkshake of Death or SMOD).

>:D

The by-pass is a super easy fix, so, if the SMOD has not happened, the mod prevents it and you're good to go.

For the 2000 - 2004 models, its not an issue.
ahh...good to know - the 2002 I'm looking at tonight has an aftermarket cooler installed already...so just bonus in this case.
 
#10 ·
Just bought this: (Price was obo)... :)
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/4743387078.html

Not a fan of having an Auto - But this was by far the best xTerra of this version that I've driven. The interior looks like it's only ever had one person in it...and that they never carried anything, and that they never drove it anywhere other than on dry paved land.
All the records since day 1...including new timing belt recently. Engine bay is SPOTLESS...no visible rust anywhere. Drives really nicely...
The only thing not working properly are the rear windows...but I understand that is a common problem, easily rectified...
Looks like I'm officially part of the club...
Oh - It needs new tires...Recommendations? (I want be going offroad, but will travel in snow and Mtn conditions from time to time)
 
#11 · (Edited)
Congrats on the purchase! I too recently picked up a yellow five speed this summer!

As far as tires go, at least the way I look at it, you kind of have two choices.

1. Replace your current tires with OEM sizing.

2. Research your lift and tire sizing options, and only buy an up-sized set of tires.

If it were me I would heavily consider doing a PML (Poor Man's Lift) and running a set of 31x10.5's. The PML can be done very cheaply will net you the clearance for the bigger set of meats. I would hate to buy a new set of tires at OEM sizing, a few months down the decide I wanted to do a lift, and then realize I could have just bought an up-size to begin with.

The PML really only consists of cranking up your Torsion Bars, and adding lifted shackles to the rear. I'm almost 100% certain your OEM shocks will be just fine for the time being if you go this route, leaving the only expense to a new set of lift shackles! This lift will net you about 1.5in and more than enough room to clear your 31's.

As far as what kind of tire to go with, I have had fantastic luck with Kelley Safari TSR's in the past. I ran two sets through my old Jeep, and will most likely buy them again for my X when my currents are worn down.

Also this is one of the friendliest online forums I have been a part of so please don't be afraid to ask for any help if you run into issues. Almost every topic I have been curious about has been covered somewhere in the archives, but if I ever had a specific question the community has always been more than helpful and friendly.

Cheers and Welcome!
 
#12 ·
Just bought this: (Price was obo)... :)
http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/van/cto/4743387078.html



Oh - It needs new tires...Recommendations? (I want be going offroad, but will travel in snow and Mtn conditions from time to time)
That Xterra can fit up to 32x11.5/15 equivalent tires.

You don't say what your rim size is....most were 16", and some were 17"...and, very few were 15".

265/75/16 would be an example of a 32" diameter tire that would fit a 16" rim.


To fit a 32" tire, you don't need a lift of any sort. ALL you'd be doing is snipping off a little soft plastic ledge at the rear of the front wheel wells.

Essentially, when you turn the wheel, the rears of the front tires swing through an arc that intersects this plastic ledge (The one the lower mud flap used to screw into).

The rears fit w/o any trimming at all.

If you use tire chains, then you'd trim more, or, use a smaller tire, for the added well clearance.

The larger the tire diameter, the easier it is to get through deep snow, and the longer the tire's contact patch, the easier it is to get forward and reverse traction (Think tank tread shape). The taller the tire, the longer its contact patch will be.

For 16" rims, most go with the 265/75/16. For a 15" rim, they go for the 32x11.5/15. If they have 17" rims, the 265/70/17 is popular.

Did you want a more winter oriented tire (Snow tire) or an All Terrain type design?
 
#13 ·
That Xterra can fit up to 32x11.5/15 equivalent tires.

You don't say what your rim size is....most were 16", and some were 17"...and, very few were 15".

265/75/16 would be an example of a 32" diameter tire that would fit a 16" rim.


To fit a 32" tire, you don't need a lift of any sort. ALL you'd be doing is snipping off a little soft plastic ledge at the rear of the front wheel wells.

Essentially, when you turn the wheel, the rears of the front tires swing through an arc that intersects this plastic ledge (The one the lower mud flap used to screw into).

The rears fit w/o any trimming at all.

If you use tire chains, then you'd trim more, or, use a smaller tire, for the added well clearance.

The larger the tire diameter, the easier it is to get through deep snow, and the longer the tire's contact patch, the easier it is to get forward and reverse traction (Think tank tread shape). The taller the tire, the longer its contact patch will be.

For 16" rims, most go with the 265/75/16. For a 15" rim, they go for the 32x11.5/15. If they have 17" rims, the 265/70/17 is popular.

Did you want a more winter oriented tire (Snow tire) or an All Terrain type design?
Thanks for the details - The truck has the 17" OEM SE rims on it...they are awesome...I just love driving this thing!

I'm looking for an All Terrain type...The amount of snow I will encounter is minimal, but as I said, I will want to do some Hwy Mountain passes this winter...So if it's on the "aggressive" side of All Terrain, that would be fine.

I've been driving it all morning, and I have so many questions...but I'll save them up and do my own reading for a while before I bombard with they...WTH is this etc...
 
#14 ·
Thanks for the details - The truck has the 17" OEM SE rims on it...they are awesome...I just love driving this thing!

I'm looking for an All Terrain type...The amount of snow I will encounter is minimal, but as I said, I will want to do some Hwy Mountain passes this winter...So if it's on the "aggressive" side of All Terrain, that would be fine.

I've been driving it all morning, and I have so many questions...but I'll save them up and do my own reading for a while before I bombard with they...WTH is this etc...
Goodyear Duratrac, BFG AT ko2, etc, would be good ones to look at.
 
#15 ·
So I've ended up with the General Grabber AT2 in a 265/65/17 sizing. I'm not taking this truck out of OEM for some time. Reviews on these seemed overwhelmingly positive and matched the requirements I have a for a year round tire.

Truck is in today for a full inspection, so hopefully no major surprises.

Loving this thing...driving it is great!

-phil
 
#16 ·
So no major surprises from the inspection, which is great news!
- Needs shocks all around - Bilstein HD's already purchased
- Needs a tune up - plugs/wires/distributor etc...
- Was throwing code P0328 - We've cleared it and I'll run some clean gas etc...follow the guidelines on the board here and see if it comes back
- Needs tires - (See above)...
- Needs Oil Change

That's it...it's mint as I suspected - Never seen a day off road, paint is in great shape, no rust anywhere...not even a wiff...(Love the West Coast)...

$5K purchase price + $1K worth of tires + $400 in suspension and a basic tune up...Will be near perfect as a 2002 vehicle could be...

Hopefully I just get to lurk on the board vs post any major problems...

IMG_0948 by Volvoluvin, on Flickr
 
#17 ·
Did you remember to get the Bils spec'd for the 3" Lift Kit?

They fit the stock X too (They compress far enough, but extend longer), and, give more wheel travel...and if you ever do lift it, you already have the shocks....and if you don't ever lift it, you have articulation you normally have a 3" lift to get. (Your tires will follow the terrain better as they have more travel).

If you got stock length, change the order!
 
#18 ·
Did you remember to get the Bils spec'd for the 3" Lift Kit?

They fit the stock X too (They compress far enough, but extend longer), and, give more wheel travel...and if you ever do lift it, you already have the shocks....and if you don't ever lift it, you have articulation you normally have a 3" lift to get. (Your tires will follow the terrain better as they have more travel).

If you got stock length, change the order!
I didn't...but I can only find the extended travel for the rears...is that all that is required? (Seems strange to only have them for the rears)...But then I'm new to this, so thanks for the info.
 
#19 ·
I didn't...but I can only find the extended travel for the rears...is that all that is required? (Seems strange to only have them for the rears)...But then I'm new to this, so thanks for the info.
True. The extended rears are for your live axle. You only have upper bump stops on the rear, they they limit UP travel (The axle tube hits the stop on the way up). NO stop is present to prevent travel on the way down though (Down Travel has no stop), so longer shocks allow more travel.

Your front is IFS, and has both upper AND lower bump stops, so no matter which shock you get for the front, your travel is still up/down between the upper/lower bump stops.

That's all about LENGTH.


The OTHER issue is valving.
 
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