sj993 Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 (edited) Recently I've had some problems with the alignment on the car. It seems something hit the subframe and shifted it therefore throwing out the alignment. That has since been fixed however I find the steering wheel is rather loose and any bump or imperfection in the road causes the steering wheel to shake pretty badly. I also notice whenever I come to a stop something seems to moving when it shouldn't be beneath my feet. The best way to describe it is it feels like something in the steering or suspension is moving when it shouldn't be and it's coming from what feels like directly underneath the pedals. Anyway before I drop it at the Nissan dealer I would like to know if there are any suggestions on what the problem might be or what to check for. Any input would be greatly appreciated. The car in question is an 04 Pathfinder LE 4WD with approximately 36K. Edited September 13, 2007 by sj993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CDNBullrid Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 i know on my 01 that the strut was shot causing a vibration like you said. i dont think this is your problem but do a quick check to see if it is good or not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HitTheTrails Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 yeah, i have a bad front strut and my steering wheel does the same thing. just have a look and see if its leaking fluid... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sj993 Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 (edited) yeah, i have a bad front strut and my steering wheel does the same thing. just have a look and see if its leaking fluid... Hmm, yeah but the dealer replaced both the front struts and lower control arms because they claimed they were bent, I don't know if they actually were or not as it was paid by my insurance. In any event I know something is wrong just by having driven other Pathfinders that don't behave anything like mine does. But I will check and see because you never know. Edited September 13, 2007 by sj993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nissan3 Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 Recently I've had some problems with the alignment on the car. It seems something hit the subframe and shifted it therefore throwing out the alignment. That has since been fixed however I find the steering wheel is rather loose and any bump or imperfection in the road causes the steering wheel to shake pretty badly. I also notice whenever I come to a stop something seems to moving when it shouldn't be beneath my feet. The best way to describe it is it feels like something in the steering or suspension is moving when it shouldn't be and it's coming from what feels like directly underneath the pedals. Anyway before I drop it at the Nissan dealer I would like to know if there are any suggestions on what the problem might be or what to check for. Any input would be greatly appreciated. The car in question is an 04 Pathfinder LE 4WD with approximately 36K. If you're feeling like theres something banging at your feet and you hear a clunk its probably the sway bar needing new bushings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonianbrat Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 If his sway bar needs new bushing already then there is a deeper problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vengeful Posted September 15, 2007 Share Posted September 15, 2007 It sounds to me like your steering rack wasn't properly reinstalled. Take it to a different dealer, one that actually knows what the hell they're doing, and send the bill to the first one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nissandoms47 Posted September 17, 2007 Share Posted September 17, 2007 He didn't say he bought a new rack. the front sway bar on the r50 doesnt have bushings on it. Just end links. As for the movement maybe they didnt tighten up something or maybe you're subframe is totally cracked. When i was playing around in moab and the front end got air the struts topped out so fast that it actually tore apart one my strut spacers and ripped apart a piece of the factory subframe that holds the differential on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sj993 Posted September 17, 2007 Author Share Posted September 17, 2007 (edited) He didn't say he bought a new rack. the front sway bar on the r50 doesnt have bushings on it. Just end links. As for the movement maybe they didnt tighten up something or maybe you're subframe is totally cracked. When i was playing around in moab and the front end got air the struts topped out so fast that it actually tore apart one my strut spacers and ripped apart a piece of the factory subframe that holds the differential on. Hmm... well from what I understand the dealer sent the car to a body shop which re-aligned the subframe as it was apparently off. Is there any part of the steering that goes through or bolts to the subframe? I just need to know because if anything is then something in the steering was probably damaged as well. This is all being taken care of through my insurance but it has been one long drawn out affair to say the least. I had asked the whole steering issue be looked at while it was there for the alignment issue and they simply attributed it to the "large tires" and the rack and pinion steering. The large tires being the factory size tires on the factory wheels and basically saying Nissan put in a car steering system in an SUV. Needless to say I was not impressed with the explanation and unfortunately I have been to all the other Nissan dealers in this area and this one is the most competent of the three, not saying much I know. It is at the dealer right now so I'm hopeful they will do whatever is necessary to get it fixed as I have left it there for a week since I'm out of the country. Edited September 17, 2007 by sj993 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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