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Hi all, I have a 1994 sev6 pathfinder that goes into a side to side wobble when traveling above 65 mph. It doesn't do it all the time which led me to think it was a roll in the highway but it doesn't matter what road I'm on so I'm thinking suspension problem. BTW it subsides quickly when I let off of the gas. Any ideas? I've been underneath and didn't see anything obvious. It acts like it needs some kind of sway bar. Thanks, Randy PS, What do torsion bars do?

Edited by porridgebird
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Torsion bars are a style of spring. The other types are : LEAF and COIL which most people are more familiar with. The Pathfinder uses torsion bars up front and coils out back. The Torsion bars are a long steel bar with a specific thickness and length that use the inherent "rebound" and "spring" of the steel itself to act as a supporting spring by preloading the bar with one end anchored to the frame and the other (adjustable) anchored to the suspension. The preload sets the ride height and spring force. Easy, simple system that can take a beating. 

 

To get to the wobble: I would think that would be a rear suspension bushing problem or possibly a broken frame. I never got mine to wobble but it was doing that on the way back after I broke the frame in the mud pit. I just never got up to 65... because I killed the alternator in the mud lake and borrowed a battery from a friend who charged my battery on the way home. There are a lot of bushings in the rear suspension so I think an hour or so with a pry-bar under there  poking around and you might find the loose bushing. It could also be a panhard rod (keeps the rear axle centered under the frame of the Pathfinder) bushings that have rotted out or a rusted out DeDion tube (located over the axle). Really, you need to get a mechanic under there to take a look around!

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Pretty common for the rear suspension arm bushings to go bad and allow the rear axle to wiggle around, especially when you're getting on/off the gas. Commonly called the death wobble. There's no de dion tube in these, it's just a solid axle with a five-link (two uppers, two lowers, and the panhard to center it).

 

Also take a look at your front end while you're under there. Make sure the strut rods are intact (though if one had snapped, I think you'd know long before you hit 65). If the bushings haven't been done, do them, those tend to look fine even when they're horribly wallered out.

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On 3/8/2019 at 9:12 AM, SpecialWarr said:

To get to the wobble: I would think that would be a rear suspension bushing problem or possibly a broken frame...

 

On 3/8/2019 at 6:17 PM, Slartibartfast said:

Pretty common for the rear suspension arm bushings to go bad and allow the rear axle to wiggle around, especially when you're getting on/off the gas. Commonly called the death wobble.

 

As mentioned by @SpecialWarr & @Slartibartfast, this is a common problem on aging Pathfinders, as mentioned at the bottom of the first post of this thread...

 

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Many years ago, I broke a rear swaybar endlink while I was in Moab. Couldn't see anything wrong because while the truck was sitting still, the ball end would go back into its socket. After getting pulled over and having the nice officer explain to me that when going around corners, it is not legal to have 2 tires up in the air, I decided I had to find the problem. when I grabbed the link and pulled, it popped apart and I found the problem that time. New link and I didn't have the sway anymore. I have also had to replace the rear link bushings for wear causing odd handling issues. Have to do it again actually. My right rear shock dumped all its oil about the time I wound up parking my Pathy for a while and I have noticed it has become a bit squirrely due to that. I will also admit that my truck is in rough shape since she has been neglected for the last 4 years and I am just getting back into working on it. 3" body lift and 4" suspension lift in the rear with soft springs have made things really noticeable.

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Many years ago, I broke a rear swaybar endlink while I was in Moab. Couldn't see anything wrong because while the truck was sitting still, the ball end would go back into its socket. After getting pulled over and having the nice officer explain to me that when going around corners, it is not legal to have 2 tires up in the air, I decided I had to find the problem. when I grabbed the link and pulled, it popped apart and I found the problem that time. New link and I didn't have the sway anymore. I have also had to replace the rear link bushings for wear causing odd handling issues. Have to do it again actually. My right rear shock dumped all its oil about the time I wound up parking my Pathy for a while and I have noticed it has become a bit squirrely due to that. I will also admit that my truck is in rough shape since she has been neglected for the last 4 years and I am just getting back into working on it. 3" body lift and 4" suspension lift in the rear with soft springs have made things really noticeable.
Hope all is well with you bud!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N920A using Tapatalk

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Welcome back to NPORA @Mr_Reverse! Feel free to stick around, we can always use someone with your experience here offering advice to others in the NPORA and Pathfinder community as a whole! :beer:

 

Along the lines of the shock dumping it's oil, a while back after a (light) wheeling trip I noticed s change in handing. It didn't take long once I started looking to find that I had a lower shock mount (on the axle) literally break away, the mount, not the shock. I have it and have it, temp'ed up, and has been this way for a while just to keep it from dangling down below the axle. One of these days I'm either going to have to take it to a shop or get myself a proper welder and fix it myself. But in the meantime I've learned to compensate in how I drive to account for the handling change.

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On 3/24/2019 at 11:00 PM, Mr_Reverse said:

Yep, things are finally settling out a bit for me so I am working on getting things together again.

Long time no see, good to see some familiar names are still around.

 

Welcome back! Just wandered back in myself. Seems I have these 3 pathfinders that I should do something about... :scratchhead:

 

B

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