Offroad-Express

Hello everyone.

A we while ago I brought a D21 Nissan Terrano with the V6 engine and auto trans with low km's, its a great we truck and good fun to drive but I just keep breaking things in the short amount of time I have had it out, I live next to the Ashburton river so thats where it spends most of its time. I've only been down there about 4 times but this is what I've broken thus far, rear main seal blew - pissing all the oil out of the engine, the battery wont charge anymore - alternator or dead battery, the lower ball joints are all slogged out now,(this is all in the space of about 1000km) the center track rod floats about like you wouldn't believe, the front hubs are now buggered and wont drive at all. It had a wof not long before I brought it and AA check was good so I'm at a wits end as to what I'm doing wrong, the thought of getting towed out of the river again is almost enough to make me sell the dam thing and forget all about it! - but I don't want to just yet. The truck would have to be one of the most meticulously serviced terrano's around and the only mod's are 31x10.5 mud tyres on surf rims and Monroe shocks with a fully nolathane bushed front end and a slightly free'er flowing exhaust. Can someone please tell me what I need to do to make this thing dam thing hold together! Any help would be much appreciated.

er torrano is a light safari , hell if i know what wrong with yours , mostly they hold up well offroad , apart from the idler arm support needing beefing up, do the kiwi thing if it breaks make it stronger

Hey mate welcome to the forum

as for the truck all I can say is welcome to the world of 4wd's

sounds like you have bought a mint nana'd vehicle then maybe thrashed it a bit, which it aint used to, and now things are starting to give. Dont be to put off just cause you are fixing things that at some stage will need replaceing,typical maintenance, but if you are finding you are having to replace the same things over and over again, buy a toyota
replace the broken bits with newer stronger bits, see how it goes..
just my thought. My last 2 vehicles i have brought have needed a few things replaced soon after i purchased them, bit friken annoying, but had no probs since

Welcome to the forum.
Not sure about the rear seal, but most other things you describe are fairly common. How do you drive? (like you stole it?) Does it see plenty of mud? (common cause of altenator failure) Autp hubs? (if so, also common to fail)

I've also purchased vehicles that have been well maitained and had all sort of problems, just so happens that the things were ready to need replacing when I bought it.
If you are hard on gear, sell the Terrano IMO, and buy something with a sold axle (Hilux, Safari, Prado etc)

DaveM wrote:Welcome to the forum.
How do you drive? (like you stole it?)

is there another way ?

Thanks for the input guy's, does anyone know of a good hub replacement for these trucks eg brand ect? I guess I'll just have to get used to the odd fix up job lol, all part of the fun I guess.

theres a couple being wrecked on here if you need parts ... RYAN was one and the other was the one that had the frontal in chch

find some of these AVM hubs

Thanks again, around what price do those AVM hubs retail for and where's the best place to get them from?

http://www.4wdbits.co.nz/ProductsList.a ... lection=18 or trademe or rick at 4wd accessories

Sounds like those parts were on their last legs, but it also depends on how hard you drive the truck and in what conditions you are driving too.
I know the Ash river, very soft and unforgiving.
You might be better looking on Trade me for some manual hubs to fit your truck, its an easy job to convert them. My auto hubs lasted me 3+ years before I replaced them with manuals, and they were still operating perfectly when replaced.
However, if you hammer it hard between forward and reverse with autos, they will shit themselves as they take up to 1/2 a revolution to engage.
You will need to check how many splines you have on the hubs before replacing them too, there are 27 and 28 spline hubs.
The steering parts on the Terranos are the weak parts, and need care and attention. I keep mine regularly greased and , touch wood, have had no major issues to date. Perhaps i drive like a Nana.

kiwipete wrote:Sounds like those parts were on their last legs, but it also depends on how hard you drive the truck and in what conditions you are driving too.
I know the Ash river, very soft and unforgiving.
You might be better looking on Trade me for some manual hubs to fit your truck, its an easy job to convert them. My auto hubs lasted me 3+ years before I replaced them with manuals, and they were still operating perfectly when replaced.
However, if you hammer it hard between forward and reverse with autos, they will shit themselves as they take up to 1/2 a revolution to engage.
You will need to check how many splines you have on the hubs before replacing them too, there are 27 and 28 spline hubs.
The steering parts on the Terranos are the weak parts, and need care and attention. I keep mine regularly greased and , touch wood, have had no major issues to date. Perhaps i drive like a Nana.

Hey, Nanapete, you got AVMs on yr truck?
I thru the Autos out too, but mine were vacuum so my reasons were different

Hey, Nanapete, you got AVMs on yr truck?
I thru the Autos out too, but mine were vacuum so my reasons were different

Na(na) mate, I've got Warn, not worn, hubs on mine. They came off a 97 Terrano. 28 splines.

throw it out and buy a surf like the gold one in the little pic my last surf had a few probs shortly after purchasing to within 100kms or road had to replace all of my power steering cause it shat its self also the waist gate died. things do brake specially when you treat them like we all do!!

Welcome, as said above Breaking then up grading is all part of 4wding, I spend more time fixing things than actural 4wding. Stick with the terrano(Nissan) unless you find you need more. Good luck fixing her!!!

welcome!! nice choice of truck!! i just happen to have a spare parts truck if ya need any bits?? also be weary of the auto trany of terranos can be a problem with as few people.....i do have a manual gearbox,pedal box etc for convertion aswell if ya one day want to change to a manual lol
have fun out there and there is a few guys on here with terranos and have lots of answers to the questions you will be asking and yep you will break and bend things(my latest breakage is the motor!! new one going in soon) all part of the trade mate lol

Ryan

Go the mighty Terrano!!!

I have one myself and even though i have only been offroading once in it so far it seems to be a very capable 4wd.
Since then now have lifted the suspension, fitted 31x10.5 mud tyres and fitted a tow hook. Going out this weekend to give it another bash .
Fingers crossed i have no mishaps haha.
Stick with it, your luck is bound to change soon, even if its after you have replaced everything with new bits .

P.S Ryan your avatar pick of your terrano looks a lot like my terrano except a bit higher and bigger tyres (jealous).