OK, so I just took my 2004 X in for a 75K mile servicing...the usual stuff, and I also had a strange leak of steering fluid coming from somwhere unidentified. I figured it was a small hole in a hose that I couldn't identify that the dealership would be able to (took it to Ira Nissan in Woburn and they've always been good to me). I get the call..."Are you sitting down, sir" Nervously my heart stops. "We were just as shocked as you're about to be...$2,350.00 for just the steering box..."

I honestly have never wheeled this buggy...had plans to since I upgraded to some slightly bigger tires to get ready for it (Nitto Terra Grapplers), put on an ARB Bull Bar, but never did since I didn't want to potentially screw the thing up AND still have a car payment on it which I just finished about 6 months ago. WTF!!!! Has anyone ever heard of this happening??? I'm horrified, and don't have $2,500-$3,000 for parts and labor!!!

Napa sells rebuilt boxes for $300 plus your core.
Don't bother with the Nissan box.
A refurb is fine.
OR if you really want to cheap out you can buy the rebuild kit from Napa for $20.

Common problem in our trucks.
It'll take you an hour tops to change out the steering box. Really easy swap, and everything is accessible from the driver wheel well.

Cool!!! Thanks for the hot tip!!! I don't suppose you have any instructions to DIY on this bad boy for this dilema??? If not I can try to search some out online, but figured I'd ask anyways.

Replacing the steering box is very very easy. I helped change one out in a matter of an hour. The hardest part of the whole job is getting the pitman arm off..

Since you dropped your X off in Woburn - call and pick up a steering box from:
Advanced Auto Parts in Everett Ma
321 Ferry Street, Everett MA 02149-560
617-389-8200

Cardone part# 27-8416

Prices below are from 2006, may be slightly higher now. But they had the cheapest prices around Reading (where I live) when I needed to do mine.

Part cost - $299.95
Tax $20.00
Core Charge - $100.00
total incl core - $419.95

You'll get the core back when you bring the old steering box back to them.

As for the install:
Tools needed: 12 mm; 19mm; 41mm Sockets, 14mm; 17mm; 19mm Wrenches, Pitman Arm Puller, Torque wrench, Hammer (Optional), Breaker bar or pipe equivalent, Steering fluid (min 2), Some type of lubricant to break nuts, rags, small bucket, Jack stands, Jack, wheel chocks, and most important a group of people who are willing to break a sweat. The bolts/nut sizes are 12mm, 14mm (wrench), 17mm (wrench), 19mm, and the doozy 41mm (1-5/8" Socket will also work) for the Pitman arm

1. Park on level ground
2. Chock rear wheels, set parking break, use seat belt/bungees thru steering wheel and lock in place
3. Break loose drivers side wheel lug nuts
4. Raise vehicle with jack
5. Set Jack stands (use jack in alt location for additional support)
6. Remove drivers side lug nuts and wheel
7. Remove pop tabs for splash shield over Steering Box
8. Use 41mm Socket (or 1 /58 Socket) W/Breaker bar/Pipe and loosen Pitman arm nut. The longer the breaker bar or pipe and the easier this part will be.
9. Remove Pitman arm using arm Puller.
10. Remove fluid supply and return lines (17mm & 14mm). The lines will leak so be prepared. They are located on top of steering box.
11. Remove steering wheel linkage bolt (12mm) completely & separate w/ screw driver
12. Remove 4 Steering Box mounting bolts/nuts (19mm sockets and wrenches) the bolt heads are towards you, there are nuts on back side of frame
13. Maneuver steering box out of its location
14. Remove cap protectors from new steering box supply and return holes and install O rings.
15. Installation is reverse order; I did use a 1 1/4? socket to re-seat the pitman arm, after aligning it with the splines, placing the socket under the pitman arm and tapping the socket with a hammer. Also make sure line on steering Spline is lined up with white line on steering linkage before locking down.
16. Torque all bolts to specs, refill PS fluid (turning wheel full right to left until desired level is reached) start vehicle and test for leaks.
17. Oh yeah, get an Alignment ASAP.
18. Don?t forget to drink lots of Ice Cold Refreshments during the entire process.

If you have someone who has done one before, it'll take about half an hour to 45 minutes. If you are doing it yourself for the first time expect about 2 hours.

Wow, nice write up Jeff!

Awesome!!!! Thanks for all the information!!!! I'll need to lay this all out before I get underway since this is definitely going to be one of the more involved projects I've ever done for any of my trucks (I've mainly done a handful of radiator replacements and brake pads as well), so should be interesting to expand my horizons. Now I just need to find a level spot, some jack stands, source a few additional tools from Auto Zone or something, and a day that it's guaranteed to be nice out!

Sounds like a potential mod day.
Let us know if we can help out as I'm sure there are a few of us that would be happy to try and meet up to get it done.

I'd like to take credit for the write -up, but
I have it saved on my computer as a word document. I've copied a bunch of "how-to's" from XOC, NOR, FLXX, and the old Forumer board and saved them as word documents, along with my own write-ups.
This one might not be mine, and in this case I'm pretty sure it's not. There are a couple of steps in there which I didn't do, and #18 isn't something I would have written.
I copy and keep a lot of info for my own reference, just in case, and fpor the most part I don't record who actually posted it or where from.



I see you have "Boston" listed - where in the area are you?

I have a bunch of the odd tools needed, and I live maybe 5 minutes from Ira Woburn. The biggest issue for me is that I'm getting married a week from Sunday, so I don't have free time until Sept 15th.

Cool!!! Thank you for all the offers!!! I live in Melrose, so about 5-10 minutes from you in Reading.

I have a heavy travel schedule coming up for work and will be pretty wrapped up on the weekends for the first half of Sept (congrats on the wedding), but if you guys get together on a regular basis to do mod days I'd totally be down for meeting some new folks, doing some wrenchin' and fermented experimentin' maybe a bit later in the month! Where do you guys normally meet up for that?

I don't have a super bad leak "yet" since the resevoir will stay at the cold max fill line for about 2 weeks before I need to add steering fluid, but I figured its better to take care of this sooner rather than later.

FYI, I Lucas stop leak steering fluid when mine was leaking, I got an extra year out of the box before I replaced it.

k_enn

I live in billerica and can help you out to. I just got moved into the new house and have all the room we need to do it. Also if anybody wants a mod day I would be glad to host it. I dont have all that many tools but I have alot of room and am sure every one here has what would be needed.

Thanks for the tip on the Lucas stop leak. I'll try that to see what that gets me, but I think I still will need to plan on replacing before it gets too cold to wrench outside with fall and winter coming. If the stop leak works all too well, I can always meet up to do a mod still...like crankin' up the torsion bars a bit to get a bit more height on my pretty much total stock buggy, possibly leveling out my front end after putting on my bull bar.

I just got a new steering box from NAPA,it's not installed yet.

If you have AAA you can get a discount at NAPA and with a AAA discount it will run you $274 plus a $111 core charge which you get back when you return the old one in the new part box.

yes check it out: http://www.nexterra.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1918