96 Nissan XE Hardbody woes...

Fergie wrote:

I have a 97 4x4 kingcab, bought new and currently at >45,000 miles. The only thing I have done to it that is mentioned in your post, is that I replaced the ignition wires after it started missing when wet. Other maintenance, other than normal maintenance and upkeep (oil change/filters/tires/sparkplugs/etc.), was a dead battery, a headlight, and a parking light. It has never been in a shop for anything other than Inspections, and in one of those times, also repairing a hanging up rear brake after the hand brake was used. The brake released itself after a few hundred feet of driving, so I never bothered to take it in for repair. While it was in for Inspection, I mentioned it to the mechanic. It was only a matter of putting some brake grease on the cable parts. I don't drive off-road, unless you consider lawns and fields off-road. I don't use it to tow, although I have pulled some cars out of ditches, mud, snow, etc. I've also used it to yank out some small trees. I used it to carry furniture, home construction supplies, and an occasional yard and a half of wood mulch, but never to the point of flattening the springs. I do get rust on the frame, but I keep after it by wire brushing and painting the spots with Rustolium gloss black paint. The exhaust is fine other than a exhaust pipe heat shield under the cab that has rusted loose on the front side which causes it to make a rattling sound for about 2 seconds when the truck is first started up cold. Everything else you mentioned is fine on my truck. I was thinking about getting a new full sized pickup, either a Ford F150 or perhaps the new Titan, but I considered how few times I really needed a bigger one, and having car payments again (my Nissan is paid up), so I am still in the fantasizing phase.

I would suggest taking a bit better care of your truck. First off, belts should be replaced before they get 40,000 on them, and the rust on the frame.... ever heard of a car wash?? Broken leaf spring ... well stop hitting holes and such. I think that most of your problems on your truck have come from neglect rather than Nissan problems. I have had my 1994 Hardbody for 9 years now, and I have over 130+ thousand miles on it... I have only had to replace the bearings in the transmission, and that was at

I have an 89 Hardbody with 165,000 miles on it. Never had a minutes worth of trouble out of the truck. The service history of this truck consists of:

-- the regular maintenance

-- replaced belts every two years

-- replaced brake fluid every two years.

-- wash it, including washing underneath after it gets a dose of mud or road salt.

-- replaced clutch at 150,000

-- replaced windshield washer pump last month

And I don't "baby" this truck. I have hauled a full pallet of bricks on several occasions; between 8 and 15 squares of shingles; 15-20 sacks of Sakrete (the 80-pound sacks); cubic yard of mulch once or twice a year;

I also squirt a little WD-40 in the keyholes 2-3 times a year.

Not that it sounds as though you have abused this truck, but, 40,000 miles on the belts? Rusted out exhaust? Broken leaf spring? Never saw a leaf spring break itself.