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Nissan XTerra SUV

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Comments

  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    I'd go for the 4x4 if you live somewhere that snow will become a factor. If you get a 4x2, make sure it has a limited slip differential (commonly referred to as LSD). This will assist you *a little* in snow/slippery conditions. I think some 4x2 X's come without it, so make sure it has a LSD. Two ways to tell:
    1) It should say it right on the window sticker if you're buying a new X

    2)look underneath the back of the X at the rear axle. There will be an orangeish colored sticker on the differential that says (use LSD gear oil) right there in the middle. Can't miss it.

    The X does pretty well in the snow in 4wd given the crappy stock tires Nissan puts on it. Upgrade them to an all-terrain tire or a M/S tire and you'll have pretty much never have a problem in the snow. Ice is a different story. Never assume you're invincible to ice even if you have 4wd (although you'll still do better than without it).
  • srushingsrushing Member Posts: 38
    Hi all,

    One thing I've noticed about my '01 X SE is that after about a 2 hours drive, my back hurts. Seatcovers are cheaper that chiropractors so does anyone have any suggestions of good ones for the X?
  • woohahwoohah Member Posts: 14
    Are there any reoccuring problems with the I? I am thinking about buying it and was wondering.

    than
  • xcanukxcanuk Member Posts: 372
    I just finished a series of 6 hour drives, Got to love all these X owners stateside :-) nothing more than sore rear,, but what you expect from sitting for so long. I do have the Nissan seat covers, don't know if it helped, but they are comfy.
    My wife normally gets the sore back after an hour ( in all cars/trucks ) so I picked up BackMaster ( Homedics ) nothing more than a back cushion with lumbar support ( it can also be plugged in for heat and massage ) She hasn't complained yet, and still game on the next road trip starting tomorrow... more X people to meet.
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    get the nissan ones at xterraparts.com

    they fit and they work.
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    ....and there's always LEATHER....


    http://www.xterraparts.com/html/seatcovers.html


    Follow the link...


    I love mine. Big $$ though.

  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    For a higher price there are also these

    http://www.wetokole.com/


    Several people on other Xterra boards have them and are happy with them. A bit too pricey and fancy schmancy for me. Seat covers are supposed to get wet and yucky, that's what they're meant for. The wet okoles are too nice to get messed up. With these, you'll need seat covers to protect your seat covers, :)

  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    They look very nice. I have the Nissan Neoprene Seat Covers which are nice, too. Anyone know how to clean them as they get very dirty given that they are black and white?
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    I just toss my seat covers into the washer on the delicate cycle and use only a little bit of liquid detergent (the powder sometimes gets ingrained into the fabric). Then I just ket them drip dry. They look good as new. For really muddy stains I pre-treat them first, or hand clean them with a small scrub brush first before they go into the washer.
  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    Now I have seen it all, Duper! Looks like this person went all-out with accessories and modifications! Not a bad price, either.
  • mhoff36100mhoff36100 Member Posts: 2
    I'm replacing my '92 Explorer and a prime consideration is a SUV that does well on the beach (mid-atlantic area). Without going through the thousands (!!) of posts on this vehicle, can anyone offer me some real-world experience on using the Xterra on beach sand. I've driven a lot on beachs, so I don't need lessons (tire-pressure, momentum, etc.). Thanks. I have cross-posted to the "driving on sand" chat line as well.
    Regards, Mark
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Are there any warranty implications of going up a size on the tires (only about 1 inch) From 255-65-16's to 255-70-16's?

    Dumping the Grabbers...

    Also- anyone else gotten their X rustproofed, or had rust problems?
  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    hotcoffee - there are no warranty implications that I'm aware of for changing your tire size. Just remember that your speedometer isn't going to read correctly anymore without being recalibrated. :) The tire size you're looking at is actually the same as I'm thinking of putting on mine. I was looking for 265/70/16s, but the tire I'm tending toward right now isn't made in that size.

    I don't have any input on the rustproofing. My X is not rustproofed, and I don't have any rust problems.

    Mindie
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Thanks- I've researched and chosen the GoodYear Wrangler AT/S... aggressive and well suited for all terrain.

    Reviews have noted slightly, but not unacceptable increase in road noise.

    About $140 a piece. I am getting $30 each for the grabbers in trade, so $110 plus mount balance etc...
  • rpunzalanrpunzalan Member Posts: 2
    When will the '02 be available? Do I have to wait for next year?
  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    The places I've visited around town consistently recommended the Goodyears, so I'm sure you'll enjoy them. I'm considering Big-O Tires brand Big Foot X/T - $760 for 5 tires, including mounting, alignment, and lifetime replacement warranty, even including damage from offroading. That price does include the trade-in value of my Generals. Keep us updated on your new tires - how they do offroad, how they handle onroad, etc.

    Mindie :o)
  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    rpunzalan - The 2002s are due to begin arriving at the dealerships in early to mid-August, so no, you don't have to wait until next year.

    Mindie
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    I think the AT/S's will be great. There is a lot of snow and crud here, so I didn't want the RT/S's which don't rate nearly as well.

    I think I'll do a 60 mph side-by-side with my wife and see what the 70-16's clockout at- I imagine it will be a minor difference- I'd guess my speedometer will read about 5mph slow, which will be fine. I'll let you know how close my guess was- If it is further off than that- I'll get it calibrated.
  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    Use this URL to test the implications of changing tire sizes:


    http://www.dakota-truck.net/TIRECALC/tirecalc.html


    I heard the BFG AT kos were the best? Goodyear is fine, but they tend to "Cup" a lot. After owning nothing but Goodyear R/T and A/T tires (before the Grabbers), I know this all too well. Just keep them rotated with every oil change as this is customary of Goodyear Truck Tires.


    The touring Grabbers are very quiet, but when you move up to an on/off-road tire, the noise levels increase.


    Make sure you buy the tires from a Goodyear Gemini Dealer and not a place like Sears where the Goodyear tires are a "Special Make." That is, Goodyear makes a cheaper tire for stores that do not bear the "Goodyear Gemini" name. Only Goodyear dealers have the real thing and your price of $140.00 is under cost! No, I do not work for Goodyear and hope this helps some people make an educated decision.


    About driving on the beach, I am in the mid-atlantic area and take my Grabbers onto the beach. Got stuck in some deep sand once and was pulled out by a Jeep with M/T tires. That was to be expected, however as the sand half-way buried the wheels. The key is to keep momentum. Can also go in reverse if you are really stuck. The X seems to have a lot of low-end torque for such a sluggish highway vehicle.


    If you drive in 4WD low and keep the tire pressure at 18 psi, you should be fine on most sand surfaces. Would be better with more aggressive tires!


    Hotcoffee, you must be a good salesperson to unload the Grabbers as the average price for new tires is $41.00 on the Internet! Who took the sorry tires off your hands without you paying them? You looking for a sales position? LOL.

  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    Hey msiseng - thanks for bringing that tire calculation link to the surface again. I can remember coming across it in the past, but I had no idea where to find it again.

    Mindie :o)
  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    To anyone in or around central Kentucky:
    The Kentucky Frontier/Xterra Club will be taking an offroading trip to the Daniel Boone National Forest in Slade, KY this Saturday, August 4. If anyone is interested in joining us, please feel free to email me at [email protected] for more info. This will be a stock-friendly run and appropriate for all levels of offroading experience.

    Mindie
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    Well I think I'll be ending up with the "special make" version as you mentioned, as the garage I am ordering from is a Mom and Pop tire shop. I think I am okay with that, especially since I can unload the Grabbers at the same time! I'll take your rotation advice though. I am primarily on-road, but like to be able to go out in the snow blizzards and pull people out of trouble.
  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    I am surprised you did not have to pay them to take the Grabbers. Even a "special make" is better than the Grabbers! Tire rotations are one key to long tread life, so it is worth the money spent - IMHO.

    Mindie, no problem with the link. Do not know if I found it here or on another Nissan Board? Anyway, I had it bookmarked.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    "The places I've visited around town consistently recommended the Goodyears, so I'm sure you'll enjoy them. I'm considering Big-O Tires brand Big Foot X/T - $760 for 5 tires, including mounting, alignment, and lifetime replacement warranty, even including damage from offroading. That price does include the trade-in value of my Generals. Keep us updated on your new tires - how they do offroad, how they handle onroad, etc."

    Some comments:

    I got a '97 Wrangler and it came with some Goodyear Wrangler GS-A's in 225/75R15.

    They were worn AND cupped. I went in to get some new tires and ended up with 31X10.5R15 BFG TA KO's. I have heard and read from MANY sources that these are one of the best AT tires for wear, grip, etc.

    I paid something like $500 for 4 tires, and they traded even for the unused Goodyear Wrangler spare. (I got same sized, preferred brand spare instead of 225 "donut" spare, and they got a tire for less than cost, so we both made out.)

    I think that $760 sounds HIGH, but I am not familiar with 16" tires. You could always get 15" AR 767 rims, and still do better, and keep the 16" rims for snow tires.
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    The BFG AT/ko's are expensive in the 16 inch wheel size. Around my neck of the woods it's around $850 for 5 tires including mounting and balancing. The next size up is what Mindie said, 265/70/16. They might rib a teeny bit on the front mud flaps, so you might want to remove them or take a Dremel/Wizard rotary tool and cut them down just a hair at the contact point.

    I'm waiting for the crappy Generals to wear out before I buy mine. Had them on my last 4x4 and they are great. Plus they wear really well. I got around 55K miles on last set.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    That was why I said you might want to go to 15" rims and get the cheaper tires. Then you could mount snow tires on the 16" ones.

    That way, you'd have 2 sets of tires, for less money.
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    Yeah, but switching to 15 inch wheels ain't cheap. Maybe some could be had off a junker at a salvage yard or on e-bay or something, but by the time you switch to 15 inch wheels and then wrap them in new AT tires you're talking a couple of grand. I plan to just stay with the 16 inch wheels, add bilsteins and sliderz and be done with it.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    You can get 15 inch wheels for maybe $35-39.


    Go look at http://www.quadratec.com/cgi-bin/sgin0101.exe?T1=92800+300D&UREQA=1&UREQB=2&FNM=00&UID=2001073016121887


    $39.95 here. estimate (40X5) = $200 + (100X5) = 500 and you've got a whole new set of off road ready wheels and tires for $700!

  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    I looked at the BFG's as well. But at $1100+ for 5 of them ($177 a piece + mounting, balancing, tax, etc.) and not as good of a warranty, that's a little out of my league right now.

    I'm not too interested in replacing the rims either. Doing that would just mean that I have to find a place to keep the rims I'm not using, which is a PITA for me - we have little storage space. Besides, I rather like the rims I've got. It's just too bad that they're 16 inch.

    Mindie
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    I agree... space is an issue, and swapping out tires seasonally ends up being a PITA big time.

    That's why I found the mid-priced GoodYear AT/S and get the $120 for the Grabbers and call it done.

    I'd like to have the best, but there is a point where the $$ and space interfere with the principle.
  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    I have not seen this link to aftermarket X gear here on the board, but it is worth a look just to see the cool X on the page!


    Sorry if its been posted before...


    http://www.overlander.com/pages_misc/contents_fr.tpl?cart=3079363536389636

  • hotcoffeehotcoffee Member Posts: 218
    White Lettering Out....or not???

    Let the battle begin.
  • mindiemindie Member Posts: 109
    White lettering IN!!!

    Mindie :o)
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    I paid $102 or $112.

    That is for 31X10.5R15 BFG TA KO.

    $177!!! WOW!!!!

    I would DEFINITELY go for the 15's then.

    Just toss the old ones at that cost. Maybe you can get some $$ for them on ebay or want ads.
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    Keep shopping! Most plces I've checked (in my state and also out of state) have the 265/70/16 BFG AT/ko's for the price Mindie mentioned, but that should include mounting, balancing,etc. Look for places like Merchant's, or a Wal-Mart that has a tire center (yes, Wal-Mart stocks BFG's). Anyplace that charges you extra for mounting and balancing is way ripping you off. $850 for a set of five is about the ballpark price for the AT/ko's.

    And I dunno if I'd want $40 aftermarket rims on my truck. You get what you pay for. A cheap steel rim does you no good if you bend it on the trail.
    But yeah, I guess it can be done relatively cheaply if you know what you're buying. Just my .02
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    are EXACTLY what you want on the trail.

    Ask ANY offroad types if you know any.

    A)
    You might be able to bend it back into place, re-air and keep going.

    A+1/2)
    You can put on spare, and fix later.

    B)
    You throw on your spare, and replace cheaply.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    ...and the AR 767 seem to be THE MOST USED and THE MOST RECOMMENDED aftermarket wheel for serious offroaders.
  • stfrancesstfrances Member Posts: 9
    It has been a long time since I have posted/read on this board....... I noticed that it says you can't search this site..... bummer.. so I am forced to bother you guys.... Has anyone heard about a problem with the front/back end of the 2001 4wd manual? I have been having problem with a shake that comes and goes.... had the tires rotated and balanced several times and the front end aligned. I know the original tires (Generals) suck, but would like to know if I have missed something about a problem. By the way.... the shake is in the steering wheel and somewhat in the floor board so it is hard to say if it is the front or back causing the problem. Again, sorry to bother you about something that is probably already been "discussed to the death." Thanks.
  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    Are your rims bent? If not, what about the suspension? It sounds like a bad control arm. Had those items checked?

    Have not heard anything regarding your topic on any X Board, so you are not "discussing a topic to death."
  • stfrancesstfrances Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the ideas....... it does seem kind "strange" that My truck was fine until the first time I had the tires rotated and balanced - around 6,000 miles. We took it back twice to the place that is knownforbeing an"ace" in the tire business. They balance the tires off of the truck. The first time they found the front tires were slightly out of balance. The second time - no problem. Just had the front end aligned and tires rotated and balanced - again it is not right. I am going to take to one other place to see if it is just the shop I am using, then I will take it to the dealer. Really, it is the most annoying thing...... it does fine then it feels like it gets "thrown out of balance" for a few, o. again, out again, etc. This is all at highway speeds. I know my typing appears out of sync as well, but it is this darn site - can't fix a mistake without knocking out the rest of the page! I'm sure you get my point... Thanks.
  • msisengmsiseng Member Posts: 369
    I got your point. Sounds like the shop did some sloppy work and made things worse! Bet you they bent something!

    I know the Grabbers are no better than lawnmower tires, but it sounds like something much deeper. Nissan's usually come off the assembly line well-aligned. Other manufactures do not fare as well.

    Let us know what the other shop finds....it is a good idea to get another opinion before some real damage occurs.
  • jmuthjmuth Member Posts: 4
    Anybody have any thoughts on the Pirelli Scorpion A/T's? I've heard others mention how good they are, and the reviews on Tirerack are pretty good. Plus, they're only about $90 (unmounted). I'm hoping to change my OEM BFG's before winter (30,000+ miles, suck in the rain). The only thing with Pirelli's is that they're directional tires...so what do you pick for the spare?
  • cygnusx1cygnusx1 Member Posts: 290
    I off-road quite a bit and have never seen anyone with the rims you mentioned or cheap steel rims (AR 767) on an Xterra. Those are for beater vehicles, (i.e old jeeps, broncos). I'm sure you have your reasons for wanting $40 steel rims as I do more expensive alloy rims so I won't argue that point. I just can't recommend anyone putting cheap $40 rims on their truck. Not too many people would have the first clue as to how to bend a steel rim back into proper shape to limp home on a trail. Swapping from 16's to 15's and cheap rims seems a step in the wrong direction for a person looking to improve the off-road performance of their truck. 15's and decent rims, yes. But that's very expensive.
  • sasquatch_2000sasquatch_2000 Member Posts: 800
    Tell me how you improve "off road performance" any more by using expensive, breakable alloy wheels rather than inexpensive wheels. Weight is not really a factor, so what is it then?
  • eawegeaweg Member Posts: 50
    Hey everbody...please forgive me if this has already been addressed. I hear that the seat comfort in the Xterra is not so great. What is it like for a 6 hour trip? I am 6 feet tall...will I be smacking me knees anywhere? I also have lower back problems, will I be hurting after sitting in one? Will the seats be the same for the 2002 model? Thanks in advance!
  • badgerx2badgerx2 Member Posts: 1
    Well, it's August. The new 2002's are supposed to be out "sometime in August", Yet I cannot get a straight answer from anybody exactly when the official release date is for the 2002s. I am begining to think there is a conspiracy to withhold this info. Please somebody, fill me in on the release date.
  • xcanukxcanuk Member Posts: 372
    Guys have been busy ;) As far as rims, yes, some are using AR-767's. Actually saw them on one X, they look good, the owner is a little xtreme in offroading and said he gets minimal rub. Offset is different, ( but remember you can't compare the numbers )
    original rims (15x7)are 5.43 backspacing
    My outlaws (15x7) are 3.7 b.s.
    The AR-767 (15x8) are 4.75 b.s.
    by numbers the AR-767 seem closer to original, but since they are 8" wide.. they check out the outer edge of the tires to the same amount as my outlaws, but they have a wider footprint.
    I still have a preference for steel rims and 15" for offroading.. but that is me when I did hit the tral more often. 15" tires are still cheaper, so maybe all said, 15" rims & tires vs 16" tires will come out about even in $$. I have 3 complete sets of tires & rims... 20 minutes with a floor jack and I'm ready to roll.
    As far as seat comfort.. I just finished the last of my 6 to 10 hour road trips, ( total 40 hours+ of driving in 10 days ) seats are still fine, no sore back, no rub, just a sore rear from sitting for so long... I'm 6'2".. 175lb+ if that makes a difference.
  • roms1013roms1013 Member Posts: 1
    I recently received a package offering a possible buyback of my 2000 xterra,anyone else have any info? what is nissan up to? thanks.. roms1013
  • silverxglidersilverxglider Member Posts: 125
    According to my dealer, the '02s won't be out till October because Nissan is going to push the new Altima. Can't vouch for how knowledgeable this dealer is though.

    Some folks have speculated that Nissan wants to buy back certain Xs to see how they have held up and make future improvements??
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