I'm in the market for a Nissan Hardbody right now. Several v6 trucks are in my price range. I've owned a 92 with the KA24E, but I've never even ridden in a v6 truck.
The truck will be used for some light towing until I fix my Isuzu. After I stop towing with it, I plan on lowering the truck and hopefully finding a club that will allow it in their autocross. It seems like the added torque of the v6 would serve me well.
I'd imagine maintenance is similar. The KA needs timing chains every 100k, that's something I'm keeping an eye out for. Is the v6 a timing chain motor, or does it use a belt? Anything of that nature to look out for?
I owned an '89 4 cyl in an access cab version with the stick and it was a sweet motor. The whole truck was a really great package. Rubber floors and all. My father had a Pathfinder of the same vintage with the six and a stick. It was a DOG. It didn't feel any faster, stronger or get better mileage than the 4 I had and it really didn't want to rev or be playful at all. It always felt like a waste of two extra cylinders.
Mechanically both were long lived and problem free on just maintenance but rusted like a 70's Fiat so neither of us kept them past 130k or so. I did not replace a timing chain at 100k miles.
For this truck, I'm only shopping manual transmissions, and if I get a 4 cylinder, I want the KA24E, not the Nap-z. They're all the same price, and they all seem to be in about the same shape.
place I worked at in College had one as a shop truck. As the warehouse foreman, I had full access to it. Stripper model with the 4 with a 5 speed, rubber mats, no radio. Was super easy to step the tail out and on a wet day would go sideways down the road for 100 yards under perfect control
V6 is a belt motor. 1995 was a nice upgrade on the inside.
I'd vote for the KA with the 5spd - it's perfect for your application.
I believe the belts on the V6 need to be done every 60K?? Spark plugs take longer to change than you'd expect.
I had a KA24E in mine. S-L-O-W, but still fun. The KA came with plastic timing chain guides, which break, fallout, and get chopped up on their way to the pan. Replacements are steel-backed. Took me about 7 hours (including dropping the pan, which I didn't expect to do going in). I wouldn't sweat the V6, but I'd take one if it fell in your lap. I think the V6's only came in the King Cab.
Lowering:
Spindles up front, unwind the torsion bars, run 4WD shocks, and cross-drill the bumpstops so they don't bottom so abruptly. Sway-A-Way torsion bars are not stiff enough to be worthwhile in my opinion.
3" angled blocks in the rear, and drill the front leaf spring hangar up about 2-1/2", and about 3/4" back.
More details: SkinnyG's Hideous Hardbody
I was planning on redrilling the rear hangers and using either 4x4 leaf packs or belltech packs. Not the biggest fan of blocks. If I remember correctly, the 4x4 leaf packs aren't as tall, but have a higher spring rate. For the front, I was planning DJM lower control arms and CalMini torsion bars. The spindles require a 16" wheel, and I'd rather avoid that if possible.
If I buy right, this might end up in the truck class at the challenge, so keep that in mind, too.
On my link, you can see where I Frankenstiened my leafs, including de-arcing, mixing in 4wd leafs, and relocating the rear shackle mount. All that effort I would not do again. The 3" blocks were not really that bad.
BellTech leafs are apparently ~really~ soft, and have no overload leaf, either.
The 4WD leafs have less arc, are thicker, but have the center bolt in the wrong place. I tried them. I ~have~ heard of someone re-drilling a new hole in the leaf pack. Not sure how smart that is, but it worked for them.
If I were to do it all over again, I would have 4-linked and bagged the stupid truck and be done with it. SO much less mucking around trying to get the ride and the look I wanted. I had mine seven years, and then sold it when I finished the '77 Silverado.
LOTS of good answers (and useless fodder) at www.infamousnissan.com. I used to frequent there as SkinnyG.
I've been on IN since before it was IN.
I'm not looking for a ton of drop, just enough to get the static stability factor in check for autocross. I could bag it in my driveway, but I would need to brush up on my welding skills a lot first. Everyone says bags can't handle, though.
I just went through your page now that I'm home. I do remember everyone at IN saying not to de-arch the springs back in the day. My friend had the redrilled hanger, he used a template that was on the old Nissan site. It moved the hole back an inch. His truck didn't have any issues with that mod, so I was planning on doing that.
Anyone here use the DJM lower control arms instead of the spindles?
Was that Nissan Customs or something? Before there was a falling out?
The redrill was usually 2" up and either 1" or 1/2" back. I did 1/2" and the driveshaft was pretty deep into the trans. 3/4" would be reasonable. 1" should work, but at the time I felt it was too far back. It made sense at the time.
If I had to choose between dropped spindles and dropped arms, I'd pick spindles because it keeps the lower control arm at a better angle for handling (less scrub). You can run 15" steel wheels with spindles - I was running Pathfinder wheels in winter, and 16" Tundra steelies in summer.
Mind you, a dropped arm would change the camber curve in your favour, since it would, in essence, be raising the opper ball joint location. Which may screw with your bump steer...
You could just run completely torsioned down (cheapest), in which case I'd run an ES ultra low bumpstop and probably still the 4wd shocks (a good one will be valved nicer). Qulaity rear shocks from a 2000 Quest work perfect on the rear.
You're making me miss my Nissan....
Keith Tanner wrote:
No, these hardbodies still look great 25 years later and if your best friend takes it out and throws a load in the box... He is still your friend afterward. Unless he forgets to clean it out.
The v6 has a propensity for cracking exhaust manifolds. Best/easiest fix is to buy headers. I think the pacesetter ones are solid (and cheap!).
The...frames...rust...through...
Watch for it.
I'm in Florida, so most of these trucks are almost completely rust free, unless they've spent time at the beach. Just so I know where to look, what are the points on the frame where I should be looking? Cab mounts? Suspension pickup points?
Mine was very thin right where a mini-notch ended up. How convenient!
Awesome, I was planning a notch, so that section of frame will at least be reinforced, if not replaced.
This one has been on the cl for a while multiple times. 'Re. Frame rust. Are those stalagtites or stalagmites?
http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/mld/cto/5914206944.html
So, it's anywhere the frame holds dirt, which is like most of the frame. Being that I'm buying a truck that's 20 years old, I will go over it well for frame rust especially after seeing that Nissan looking like a Tacoma with rusty frame issues.
If it's bad: back-half, BIG meats, 4-link, bags, narrowed 9", LSx under the hood. Hey, it's Christmas!
I've got an 86 and it has no rust issues. I've made sure to keep it clean and it's only been in the snow a few times.
The VG v6 is the only v6 I would ever own. There is a reason the VG is a common swap for the 510 guys. Using FACTORY parts you can increase its output quite a bit. I've owned the VG, KA (in sohc and dohc), and the RB series. The VG is 2nd place for me. Great engine.
