2001 Infiniti QX4 (R50) build

[marty1977]

Nice to see another Canadian on here, not too far from me either. I am also about to begin a battle against rust....

Good luck, look forward to updates!

I did actually move from Mississauga last August up North here and we do have a Family in Oakville so we go back now and then to visit. The rust thing will be a long term challenge but once done it will be good for a while I'm just waiting for some warmer weather as we still have snow falling here and temp is dropping at night blow 0 and i don't have a access to a heated garage like some people . Im hoping after Easter i can start fixing stuff fast as i need the truck to be done for new camping season.

Cheers

 

[mortonm]

I did actually move from Mississauga last August up North here and we do have a Family in Oakville so we go back now and then to visit. The rust thing will be a long term challenge but once done it will be good for a while I'm just waiting for some warmer weather as we still have snow falling here and temp is dropping at night blow 0 and i don't have a access to a heated garage like some people . Im hoping after Easter i can start fixing stuff fast as i need the truck to be done for new camping season.

Cheers

Haha I would be those "some people" with heated garage access. My father in law works at a body shop so ill get some help there for the rust.

When is your first trip? I'm heading to pennsylvania for 4 days in about 4 weeks.

 

[marty1977]

Haha I would be those "some people" with heated garage access. My father in law works at a body shop so ill get some help there for the rust.

When is your first trip? I'm heading to pennsylvania for 4 days in about 4 weeks.

I have no trips planned yet but we are planing to explore some of the Northern Ontario but plans are plans they always change. Around Sudbury is about 2000 km of snowmobile trails = off road trails in the summer lots to see and drive about. You must definitely do a trip report from your trip we have big plans for longer trips as well but that would be down the road as time and $$$ its always hard to come by.

 

[mortonm]

I have no trips planned yet but we are planing to explore some of the Northern Ontario but plans are plans they always change. Around Sudbury is about 2000 km of snowmobile trails = off road trails in the summer lots to see and drive about. You must definitely do a trip report from your trip we have big plans for longer trips as well but that would be down the road as time and $$$ its always hard to come by.

Sounds like fun! We went to the same area of Pennsylvania last September

Here is the trip report

http://www.expeditionportal.com/for...gle-SF-Pine-Creek-Gorge?p=1425515#post1425515

 

[marty1977]

i found this one day looking for inspiration on what to do with the truck, old nissan advert. they don't make it like that anymore

 

[Allof75]

Funny thing, that was a completely stock pre-facelift R50 that crossed Africa. There's a great video of it on YouTube.

 

[marty1977]

Happy Easter to all.

In other news my better half got me secret weapon to fight the rust and full set of car stands that are much batter and safer to what i use now ( cheap 2 ton stands that are way to short ) all great deals at about 40% off :victory:

This is how the car sits now in the Garage

Rad support is rusted a bit so i need to build me a new one ( "I mean how hard could it be" - Jeremy Clarkson ) so all the stuff there needs to come out...

few small rust spots behind the windshield washer tank nothing major there and all that will be cleaned and painted with rocker panel paint ...

Cheers everybody

 

[marty1977]

so i was working away on the truck using all the free time that i can squeeze out of my days.

i have found extra vent under the hood but it dose not look that it has any special function so i will weld it shot. ( this was hiding behind main fuse box )

here we have the area that is directly behind the passenger strut. You can see that after cleaning there is a gap that is why i put the tool there and of course i was not ramming it in there and it looks like the welds there just let go and there is a gap now. Could that be how the problem with R50 starts with the rust recall in that area? I will weld everything up and will be good as new. Just something to watch out for when anyone will be inspecting their car.

i did pull out the A/C condenser and radiator and was it ever dirty yuk. Nice bath will fix that

So after working on the car i know what will be done in the next month and i will be able to put it back on the road :

-New stabilizer bushings front and back ( they are already off )
-New trailing arm bushings upper and lower ( they are already off ...what a fight that i won :victory: )
-New radiator houses
-New main seal on the crankshaft im already there and there is a small leak so might as well do it ( main pulley is already off )
-New struts for the front i think KYB as it look loke i can get them shipped from RockAuto for $200 Can to my door ( if anyone has some suggestion about the struts please write )
-New stabilizer bar links in the rear as i think the one there wore original and they are loose and have a play ..clunk, clunk
-Spacers for front and rear to raise the truck from 4X4design it will be an 1" or 1.5" didn't decide yet
-New coolant in the car as i took out the Rad. and it was dirty
-refill the A/C
-New radiator support as it is all very rusted and makes no sense patching it up.
-New drive belts for fan,alternator and A/C

I will get the OME spring in the future and it will be more work but as always $$$$ is not there for now and for the price on the OME suspension i can do all those things on the car and more.



..more will come

 

[bushnut]

nice to see if that you are able to deal with rust issues yourself.
I'm bringing mine into the dealer on wednesday for the recall issue. (loads of info on it on NPORA)
here's a photo of my rust issue, drivers side.




just hoping they will be able to fix it. I can't afford another truck right now.

 

[marty1977]

@ bushnut

i hear ya i definitely would not want to buy another truck now either. I did read some stuff on NPORA about the recall and in many cases wore pretty horrible stories. I will pray to the car spirits for you so they will do a good repair for you and you will get many more years out of your truck and keep posted what happened. I do have few rust holes here and there and i figured if i do it myself i know it done properly i will take my time and fix it as best as i can. I never weld before but it looks fairly simple on YouTube . I got myself a weldr on sale will take some scrap metal to develop and fine tune my skills and get to work. I wan to get this truck all fixed up as the plan is to make a overland vehicle that we could travel all over Canada with it. I do wish i could buy nice stuff for it and make it all looking awesome but first things first so now im just taking it apart and fix what i think needs attention. Your rust looks loke it could be definitely fixed with cutting out the rusted area and welding new piece there.

 

[Jack Stilts]

Nice QX4! There was one of those in my family a few years back and I always loved it.

Looking forward to seeing more

 

[marty1977]

Nice QX4! There was one of those in my family a few years back and I always loved it.

Looking forward to seeing more

Yea QX4 is a nice truck and i love mine to that is why im putting so much work in to it to get few more years out of it. I have some parts coming in next few weeks so will start putting it back together slowly. I cant wait to have mine adventure ready like your truck witch looks fantastic.

Cheers

 

[bushnut]

looks like there gonna fix it!!!
level 2 repair on both sides along with the fuel pipe replacement.
now if only I could win the lottery.
thanks for the good wishes.

 

[marty1977]

looks like there gonna fix it!!!
level 2 repair on both sides along with the fuel pipe replacement.
now if only I could win the lottery.
thanks for the good wishes.

its a good news that you will get the truck fixed up. I bet you got some insomnia over that i know i would. Winning lottery will be nice i do play sometimes to and dream what i would do with all that money

 

[marty1977]

So for the past few weeks i have been working away to fix up the vehicle and do some preventive maintenance. I did remove the trailing arms as bushings wore very bad and i could see the death swing when driving behind my lady one day ...it didn't look good. I decided to replace only bushings and recondition the arms as best as i could.

2 bolts i had to cut out as there was no way they would come out. All the arms are sanded now and painted with rocker panel paint so the should be good again for a while.

My front crank seal was leaking at least i think that was it as the front of the engine was covered in oil so that will be replaced and i got old toothbrush and got to work.

New Rad support came in and i got the old one out and now the new one is already in.

you can see old one and new one in this pic what a massive difference :Wow1:

On the back end i did take a look at the fuel filter and it looks original at least to me and the car has 298000 km so i got a new Napa Gold so that will go in as well

the black dots in the pic is paint as i did also send my diff and painted with rocker paint to make it nice.


There is bunch of parts on order and as soon they come in i will start putting everything back together before i replace every part . Today i had the idea to also grab new thermostat as im already there everything is apart so might as well and i had a lot of might as well when im there moments ...

I wanted to get the truck ready for upcoming long weekend but it didn't work out.... its a kinda bummer but maybe i will be ready for next.


Cheers and to my fellow Canadians Happy May 24 WEEKEND !!!!!