Mum’s Nissan has a new home in our driveway. However, its change in venue has already had repercussions.
I had the local shop give it a service and a damn good look around earlier this week. It proved costly as this thing has not been properly seen to for a couple of years (apart from a recently fitted clutch and flywheel) since my step father passed away. New belts, filters and many litres of oil. Plus a laundry list of broken bits.
It’s a 2004 Nissan Y61 Patrol cab chassis. This particular version has coil springs up front and leafs out back. Primary talking point is the TD42 engine talking to a driveline that has done a smidge less than 70,000 kilometres.
It also has a neat party trick...
This will come in handy and in more ways than one. The tipping tray means I can get to the rear suspension easily. This will be handy because both shocks are toast and the springs no longer have a spring in their step. Another issue under there is the hydraulic line to the rams. It flops about too much with the tray down and there’s a race on to see which component fails first: the hydraulic line, one of a number of brake lines, the load proportioning valve or the main fuel tank.
Up front is in better shape. However, the steering damper is ruined and the whole thing pulls to the left so an alignment is required.
I have a bull bar and winch for it but can not fit them until the front suspension is replaced as the added weight will sink it.
The rear tyres have already caught us out. One went just 600 metres into its new tube (it runs split rims) due to a nail while the other halved its pressure overnight in the driveway.
Main thing from here is to get a new suspension system sorted (probably a Tough Dog kit with their foam filled shocks) but I’ll struggle doing it without a lift. Then it’ll return to farm duties because yesterday we came to an agreement on a hundred acres just out of town. So me move in the Spring.
In the meantime, the first accessories have been fitted...
It’s gunna be good...