pathy swaying at freeway speeds

[dududuckling]

Can someone explain exactly what worn rear bushings feel like?

 

When you are cruising on the highway, and in the presence of moderate wind that blows against you, you can feel the rear end of the pathy swaying left and right. Consequently, you might have to do some correction by steering minimally towards the left or right side in order to go straight. In the city or at low speed, you can't really feel the sway.

 

That's based on my driving experience. According to the people on the forum, I need to replace the rear bushings that are part of the control arms.

 

By the way, my 2000 pathfinder is still running on stock suspension with 198,000 km on it. I hope this helps.

[dkpath96]

Ok, I replaced all four lower control arm bushings with polys in late July 2007. Solid as a rock and quiet after that.

 

30,000 miles later the swaying is starting to come back, along with some clunking in the right rear wheel well while driving over potholes. I cannot budge the lower control arms manually, and my tire pressure is spot on.

 

SO, is it time for the upper control arm bushings to come out, or should I focus on the panhard or stabilizer bars next?

[adamzan]

Check the sway bar end links and the bushings where the sway bar mounts to the axle. I'm not sure about r50's but I noticed on my wd21 that they do help keep everything nice and tight back there. It should be a similar setup on yours.

[tmorgan4]

SO, is it time for the upper control arm bushings to come out, or should I focus on the panhard or stabilizer bars next?

 

Grab onto one of the upper links and try to twist it. With good bushings you'll get a little bit of rotation but not a lot. If you are able to twist it a good amount, take a look at the bushing as you twist the link and you might notice that the metal bolt sleeve is separated from the rubber bushing.

[Issac]

On my control arms I weighed it out and bought them from Nissan dealer and it was not a bad price. Burning or drilling bushing is a pain, always, and all you gotta do is make sure you start soaking your bolts and nuts ahead of time because they take some serious torque. Also make darn sure your truck is supported because you don't want to get killed. Its 4 Bolts only and a little tiny brake line bracket if I remeber right. Easy except the torque required to break them free. Buy the factory bolts and nuts. This is not one to hassle with. I have done poly bushings and have had so many hassles with them. They are hard often, are oversized often, and take tremendous forces to install sometimes. Some are better than others. This one is a no brainer for me and glad I went factory. Lower arms rear are what i am talking about. Also if you put hard poly in one place, your going to put loads somewhere else maybe.

The new factory bushings can be twisted from side to side. I had zero sway after that.

[parrish]

I replaced the bushings on my 2001 Pathy with 159,000 miles just last weekend. What a job! Actually, it wouldn't have been too bad except for the two bolts that connect the lower arms to the axle. Both of those were fused and had to be cut to remove the lower arms. I had a local shop remove the old bushings (only took them about 30 minutes to do all four arms). I replaced the bushings with a set of polyurethane bushings I picked up from www.pathfinderbushings.com. They installed very easily- just used lithium grease on each bushing and tapped them in with a rubber mallet. The poly bushings from pathfinderbushings.com are already cut in half- so it makes installation a snap.

My old bushings were still intact- but loose enough where I could feel the sway on the highway and it was also sounding rather rough over bumps. Nice and tight now!

As someone else said here in the thread, my uppers were wore quite a bit more than the lowers. So I'd recommend doing all four links if you are going to do this job. Besides, the uppers are easier to get off!

 

Also, I had a hard time finding grade 10.9 metric bolts to replace the two lowers that I cut off. But I discovered that you can use a 9/16 grade 8 fine thread bolt instead- and it's a better fit in the sleave to be honest. The stock metric bolts have a little too much play in the sleaves for my taste- but the 9/16's fit very nicely in the sleave with almost no play.

 

And, the best way I found to do this is to ONLY do one side at a time. When you reinstall the arms do the top first. Then, with that in place you can use a floor or bottle jack to slowly raise the yoke of the differential. This will cause the axle to rotate allowing you to easily line up the lower arm. Doing it that way it's a simple one person job.

 

Edit: after reading this thread I noticed I could have bought the very same bushings from AC for about $100 less than I paid at pathfinderbushings.com. Wish I would have found this forum about a week or so earlier! Oh well, live and learn.

Edited July 1, 2009 by parrish

[polonez]

hey guys! I just purchased my pathfinder a week or so ago and i bought it with this problem. I knew right away what it was and that it wasnt a big deal to fix....

after reading these posts I see people are having some issues with this... doing one side at a time and what not... Its a very simple job and it cost me $11 to repair.

 

You can remove all 4 at the same time. just park on level ground. engage 4x4 and put in first, also engage park brake.

 

All the work can be done from under the car with no jacking needed. that way everything stays nice and aligned (for the most part) and its a pretty simple job.

 

Once you get them out. Impacts wrenches work like a dream down there.

Clean the rubber and fill with Proform Urethane sealer. let dry for 48 hours and reinstall. 1 tube of the stuff did all the bushings and they are stronger and better than factory. pretty much same as getting the poly bushings from 4x4parts.com.

It took about 3 hours total labour to do the job and that includes cleaning the old bushings and filling them with the urethane. Puting it back together was a snap as I did not allow the vehicle to budge for those few days.

 

This is an easy and CHEAP fix.. very cheap. the urethane is very strong and reliable. ive even done motor mounts with them that have failed and they lasted for over 100k miles once filled. these will no doubt prove to be reliable.

 

Hope this helps some of you out there that dont want to spend lots of money on new bushings or whole assemblies!!

[12161216]

I just has the upper and lower bushings replaced in the rear this week with the Split poly pieces from 4x4 parts and wow what a difference. No roll a the rear end really is much more truck like. Every thing feels stiffer. The mechanic was really cool, he actually let me help with the job and we figured that with burning the bushings out and cutting the inner sleve with a hack saw it only took 10 min per arm after the first one. I did bend on lower rear bar on the first one trying to beat the sleve out with a big hammer before we learned the hack saw trick. The bar bent back in place and everything seems to track well. Anyway the whole job cost $80 labor . The only thing that could of saved me some money was that I bought all new grade 10? bolts from 4x4 thinking mine would all break and they all broke loose not a problem. I have the factoty 8 bolts if anyone needs them.

 

James

Edited March 11, 2010 by 12161216

[180sx]

just throw those bolts away. They are not really safe to use again once taken off.

[giddyuppony]

Hey hope some one will answer this question. I was looking at rugged rockers and the have some SWEET upper and lower links for sale, expensive but nice. I was thinking of getting them but I wanted to know about sizing. At present the pathy is stock, but im planning on putting either the OME or AC lift on it ( 1.75" or 2.0" respectively) Now the question, do i need to have a different length of upper and lower links for the before and after lift, or will one size fit all?

thanks,

[Tungsten]

take it to a reputable mechanic.

 

 

Theres a reason real mechanics dont get any of their parts at PepBoys. Mechanics ALWAYS have accounts at CarQuest, AutoZone, Napa, WorldWide, etc.

 

Pep-Boys is like the Toys-R-Us of auto parts stores.

 

I'm angry that this pep boys kid thinks he can write up a christmas list of everything he can think of, and hopes it will solve your problems. In most cases this would probably be true, so you cant get TOO mad at the guy... but the brakes thing... the torsion bar thing... thats just uncalled for and ridiculous!! Someone should fire that guy!

 

From my experience Pep-Boys seems to have a much better selection and pricing than AutoZone, even though I wouldn't shop in either one unless I was buying something like a detail spray or a can of paint. I do recommend NAPA auto parts but stay away from their service. CarQuest is pretty good but that's not always around and depends on where you live.

[Patty]

I just has the upper and lower bushings replaced in the rear this week with the Split poly pieces from 4x4 parts and wow what a difference. No roll a the rear end really is much more truck like. Every thing feels stiffer. The mechanic was really cool, he actually let me help with the job and we figured that with burning the bushings out and cutting the inner sleve with a hack saw it only took 10 min per arm after the first one. I did bend on lower rear bar on the first one trying to beat the sleve out with a big hammer before we learned the hack saw trick. The bar bent back in place and everything seems to track well. Anyway the whole job cost $80 labor . The only thing that could of saved me some money was that I bought all new grade 10? bolts from 4x4 thinking mine would all break and they all broke loose not a problem. I have the factoty 8 bolts if anyone needs them.

 

James

 

Sounds like a decent job! I just had my control arm bushings and sway bar link replaced at a local shop. He brought the parts in from the dealer and after installation an labor it came to $440.

[paoldschool]

Just did my 96 R50 with the split bushings from 4x4 parts. WOW!!! I cut everything and replaced all the nuts and bolts, and also replaced the shocks. My patthy is fun to drive again!!! My only problem now is my 16 year old son likes to drive it too.

[anzaman]

You should replace front/rear sway bar bushings/links,rear upper control arms, trailing rods, and panhard rod. It cured the "death wobble" on my '98.

[RedRider3141]

This past summer I installed the split Poly bushings from 4x4 parts. No big deal right, lots of tutorials pretty stragiht forward. Three things I learned:

1) Dorman Control arms SUCK. They lasted 10K miles before the death wobble came back. Don't even bother with them, go straight for the poly.

2) 6 out of 8 bolts came of easy with an impact gun. #7 took some convincing with PB blaster, Propane Torch and 3 Ton lift/ 1/2 ratchet. A technique I can only recommend if you do not care at all about your 1/2 ratchet. Basically you put the lift under the ratchet handle and lift the vehicle with it. gradually the weight of the vehicle resisting the torque applied by the lift breaks the nut free.

3) when the method above fails, which it never has except for when I do not have access I did this for nut #8:

 

A few minutes of careful grinding with a cutoff wheel and a few hits with a blunt chisel. Buy the bolts when you get the split bushings from 4x4 parts.

[Mjharris526]

Hi  I'm pretty new to even just using social media so I've never really liked using computers so basically long story short I'm way behind my peers in life due to previous poor life choices. Way past all that now. Point I wish to make is my 95 was swaying and the front passenger wheel on freeway felt like it was going to fall off. I work at Mercedes Benz  of Seattle and going on 3rd year. I dont know very much about auto repair so I basically dove in to get everything for front end. I ordered and replaced all the main suspension bushings poly's.  Only things I didn't touch up front was the steering box n column and the diff. So over 40 hours of grueling torture and almost turning into a nightmare disaster I barely finished without havin a nervous breakdown.  I have no sway issues anymore. Wheel is still acting like not 100. Everything I learned went through researched and kept doing till I got all errors ran through to understand well ok. This is down to my diff now.Those auto locking hubs were destroyed inside which everything else eliminated has to be diff. Not sure how long these thing's are supposed to be ( comments)  so back to point. Most of my finished work is acceptable. I'm very o.c.d about thing's. So That clanging noise I have sounds like it may be similar. I know  almost certainly that my clanging sounds are from lack of experience and didn't have book or torque specs so now I know my upper and lower control arm bolts to spindle ( knuckle are very loose. Which  to fix appears from manual I have to go back in disconnect and remove axles at least unbolt them  from diff to give me enough space to actually get the 22 mm socket on the bolt to successfully tighten.. I didn't want to over tighten and completely had no knowledge of proper procedures.. Also the inside bolt of upper arm is almost impossible to torque due to a brake line welded in the way .. I am very upset about this and took my bottle neck jack to the mofo and started applying caveman techniques to almost bust it off. The darn thing only bent slightly.  So that will have to be an open end rench tighten close to spec.  Once I complete this month long repair I'll update my results.  In short it appears loose in hardware bolts appears to be the clanging sounds not shocks. It may sound elementary but just go through and verify bolts tightness for anyone going through this. On the real though I'm very fortunate to have had lots of help throughout this and a lift. I don't recommend anyone without any experience try to dive in as how I did. I literally had no other better options.  I tried to get financed for an auto loan with 2400 down and a medical collections bill stopped that so I bought all par t z and kits that I could. Pleaese be very careful with the torsion bars. Like those tapered bolts around 2 or three steps before or after u remove bars a r e very difficult to replace.  

[92SEPathFindr]

Death wobble or old suspension? My 2004 LE R50 is VERY WOBBLY feeling driving over about 55 mph!!  Sort of feels like the rear of the car is dancing around a bit. And around town every bump easily bottoms out the rear end. I’ve been reading here and this is perhaps rear control arm bushings?  Also I may need the front and rear suspension replaced as affordable as I can. 1) what are your thoughts on strongest and most affordable front & rear replacement suspension products?  2) Any thoughts on rubber coil spring spacers, the bump stop products, or the SumoSpring products and are any a good option?  I have been told that the springs don’t really “get old and tired” but instead the strut or shock absorbers need replacement?? Thanks for any help or questions.  Best regards, Aaron 

 

[Slartibartfast]

Control arm bushings would explain the wobbly feeling. Bottoming out sounds like shocks or springs. If the ride height is OK, I'd start with shocks. I put KYB Excel-G shocks on mine and they haven't given me trouble.

[92SEPathFindr]

4 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

Control arm bushings would explain the wobbly feeling. …I put KYB Excel-G shocks on mine and they haven't given me trouble.

Slartibartfast thanks so much good sir! You make it sound so simple and right on. Much appreciate your help!! 
best regards, Aaron 

[Slartibartfast]

No worries, hope it's actually that simple once you get into it!