D40 USED ULTIMATE NAVARA BUYING BUILD THE ESSENTIAL OWNER S GUIDE NISSAN NAVARA D40

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1 BUILD THE ULTIMATE D40 NAVARA WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY WES WHITWORTH How to build a HiLux-beating D40 Navara, direct from the blokes who own em! BUYING USED NISSAN NAVARA D40 + _ One of the most capable IFS trucks Comfortable and capable full size ute Cost-effective for the weekend warrior Known clutch issues Soft rear suspension Brought to you by: NISSAN NAVARA D

2 If you re looking for a ute you can use for work, but still drag through the mud on the weekend, there s not a lot that stacks up next to the big D40 Navara. With their solid petrol and diesel V6 s and in-line 4 cylinder diesel donks, the Nav s have a fair amount of grunt to throw around. Couple that up with the IS THIS 4WD FOR YOU? 7 speed auto in the ST-X 550 and you ve got a solid platform for an all-rounder. But, like all 4WDs, they ve got their weaknesses too. What goes wrong with them, and what are the tricks to getting the most out of em? To find out, we caught up with a few blokes who ve built up some tough as nails Navaras and Ben Lavis from Drivetech 4 4. Being an IFS front truck, the D40 handles exceptionally well on the black top, and even better in the scrub. It just needs to be driven a little more carefully and the driver a little more picky of the lines they take. Easy and cheap suspension upgrades and engine components make it a solid base to start from, and a comfortable and capable all-round tourer. HOW TO HAGGLE AND BUY A BARGAIN What to look for when shopping for a d40 nav BONNET LOCK RECALL CLUTCH FAILURE Making the D40 a little easier to drive, Nissan has equipped the D40 with a dual-mass flywheel and softer clutch pressure plate. With some clutches in the D40 having worn out within 15,000km due to the softer pressure plate and flywheel warping. Ensure that the clutch bites well, and the pedal is smooth the whole way to the floor. It appears that Nissan have fixed this issue as there hasn t been as many issues with the later model D40s. WHAT CAUSES THE ISSUE The dual-mass flywheel is essentially two thinner flywheels joined with a rubber matt between them, which takes up some of the shock when operating the clutch. The rubber matt has been known to split, and also as the two flywheels are thinner than a single flywheel, they are susceptible to warp due to the heat. Typical costs for a new dual-mass flywheel and a heavier duty clutch kit is north of the $3000 mark including labour. However there is a standard single mass flywheel conversion available from Drivetech 4X4, which should set you back about $2000 with a heavy-duty clutch kit. Nissan recalled the D40 Navara for an issue with the bonnet latch. A run of the Navaras had an issue with the latch popping over hard corrugations. Nissan has resolved this issue with a latch strap, which you attach to the front apron whilst putting the bonnet down. Get in touch with Nissan and see if yours is in the run that has this issue and is under the current recall. Some of the R51 Pathfinders were also recalled for the same issue. WHAT TO LOOK FOR Get in touch with your local Nissan Dealership and have them run the VIN number to see if your Nav is effected under the recall. Being a recall, whether you ve bought this new or used, Nissan will cover the costs of the strap and labour under the recall scheme. THROTTLE LAG The YD25 4-cylinder has been known to be a little slow on pick up with the drive-by-wire throttle setup. Installing a Windbooster throttle controller will help stop any lag. The system is plugged into the drive-by-wire plug at the top of the throttle pedal, with a control module you can mount on the dash for different throttle modes. WHAT TO LOOK FOR If you find the D40 to be a little slow on pickup and a moments hesitation between throttle input and engine response, it might be worth looking into one of these solutions. You can pick up the Windbooster throttle controller for around the $200-$250 mark, and installation is simple plug and play.

3 ESSENTIAL MODS AND UPGRADES SUSPENSION LIFT 2in lift and a set of decent 33in rubber will get you up in the air running tracks with the best of em, but still keep good on-road characteristics and use as a work horse. HOTSIDE TURBO PIPING It s worth thinking about fitting an aftermarket hot-side intercooler pipe as the factory pipes have a habit of perishing, and being somewhat restrictive. It will make the Nav boost smoother and the pipe will never blow out. EXHAUST SYSTEM An aftermarket exhaust system is a must for the D40s as the factory systems are restrictive. A full three-inch system on the 2.5L four-banger from turbo back is the order of the day. Making sure the system starts at the turbo instead of the bottom of the dump pipe ensures he gets maximum exhaust flow, as some of the factory dump pipes are very restrictive. UNDERBODY ARMOUR For underbody protection it s worth fitting up an aftermarket bash plate under the front diff, sump and gearbox. This is invaluable for when out rock crawling, to save you dinting or puncturing anything under the front of your truck. Drivetech 4x4 have just released a range of underbody armour in partnership with Rival that is more than tough enough for the job. NISSAN NAVARA D

4 NISSAN NAVARA D40 WHAT MOD CAN T THE TRUCK LIVE WITHOUT? Most people think if you have a factory fitted snorkel the air intake system is water tight, which is rarely the case. On the outside these snorkels look the part, but it only takes a thimble of water to kill a diesel engine, and you ll find where the factory snorkel passes through the inner guard there is only foam there to seal it. The best thing to do here, is to remove the foam, and get it sealed up nice and tight with some silicone, or replace it from the airbox with an aftermarket snorkel. Drivetech 4x4 have a new range of Safari Snorkels that are definitely worth checking out. NEXT LEVEL MOD After you ve completed the mandatory suspension lift, one of the best mods you can do is a replacement hot side hose from your turbo to your intercooler. The factory pipes are somewhat restrictive and have a habit of blowing out. Not something you want to happen when out on the tracks. This mod will get your truck breathing just that much better, and more reliable for those long trips away from home and civilisation. We spoke with Tim Mundt, Scott McGeachie and Chris Hole, all owners of built D40s for some tips, tricks and ideas on how to modify your D40 to outwheel a HiLux. 1Get a throttle controller. The factory fly-by-wire throttle is slower than a wet week! Get a hot pipe on the intercooler as soon as you can. It helps 2 with boost and wont perish. Use a good quality fuel filter cheap knock offs won t hold 3 fuel pressure and you ll need to prime the fuel system every morning! 4 Make sure you get the bonnet latch checked for the recall. Can be deadly if it pops up at the wrong moment. 5The Spanish and Thai built models do have differences and will affect which bolt on parts you use. Specifically the bullbar mounts are different between the models, so you ll need to know which one you ve got, before ordering a bar. When you bolt up an exhaust system and install a chip, make 6 sure you clean the Mass Air Flow sensor. They ve been known to run very rich if this is not done. 7 ADVICE FROM THE OWNERS If lifting bigger than 4in in the suspension, get a set of wedges to reallign the rear pinion. Otherwise you ll get massive vibrations when driving. The front diffs have weak star gears. Best way to fix them is 8 get a locker in the front whether air activated or electric as soon as you can. The rear LSD in the D40 are a solid unit, however after a bit 9 of abuse the clutch packs have been known to wear. A quality diff workshop will be able to build it up nice and tight for you. There are two rear diff centres used between the models 10 of the D40 keep this in mind when ordering gear sets or lockers WHAT YOU SHOULD PAY 2007 Nissan Navara D40 Dual Cab RX 2.5L Turbo diesel: $16,000 $18, Nissan Navara D40 Dual Cab ST-X 2.5L Turbo diesel: $19,900 - $22, Nissan Navara D40 ST-X L Turbo diesel: $38,900 - $42,600

5 SPECIFICATIONS ENGINES PETROL: 3954cc DOHC V rpm DIESEL: 2488cc DOHC common-rail 2000rpm 2000rpm (Single cab models) 2000rpm (2010 on) 2991CC DOHC common-rail 3750rpm/ 1750rpm TRANSMISSIONS: Manual Six-speed Automatic Five-speed Automatic Seven-speed (ST-X 550 only) SUSPENSION: Front Double wishbone coil over struts, anti-roll bar Rear Leaf springs, rigid live axle BRAKES: Front Ventilated discs Rear Leading and trailing shoe drums TOWING: 3000kg max (braked) FUEL CAPACITY: 80L DIMENSIONS/CAPACITIES: HEIGHT: 1895mm WIDTH: 1767mm LENGTH: 5220mm GROUND CLEARANCE: 190mm KERB WEIGHT: 1850kg GROSS VEHICLE MASS: 2805kg (2860kg - ST-X 550) PARTS & SERVICING WITH In the market for a D40 Navara? They re tough-as-nails tourers, but there are a couple of bits of gear they ll need that are worth knowing the price of, so you can haggle the asking price down. Here are the most common bits of gear that Ben at Drivetech 4 4 says are sold for the D40: Heavy Duty Single Mass flywheel conversion: from $2,060 CLUTCH KIT (DUAL-MASS, 2.5TD): $ WATER PUMP (2.5TD): $ VISCOUS FAN COUPLING (2.5TD): $ FILTER KIT (06-ON, SPANISH-BUILT): $91.00 FILTER KIT (06-ON, THAI-BUILT): $81 FUEL MANAGER KIT (ALL MODELS): $ REAR WHEEL BEARINGS (ALL MODELS): $180.00ea Suspension Lift Kit: from $1,345. Rival Underbody Armour Kit: $889 Safari Snorkel: $420 SumoSprings airless airbags: $795 To find your nearest stockist, visit CONTACT DRIVETECH 4X4 PH: