MY1PATH Posted December 31, 2009 Share Posted December 31, 2009 (edited) So years ago I got sideways on a gravel road and when a fence slowed me down I noticed that one of my front sway-bar end links was snapped. I replaced the endlinks and bushings with energy suspension kit from rugged rocks. this kit came with new clamp bushings as well that fit VERY tight. Soon after, my driver side swaybar clamp sheared off @ the weld. SO I took the front sway bar off for a few years... A few years and a few inches taller my pathy is going to cali so in Prep I decide to try the front sway bar back on since the lift has made it more boat like. Using a clamp from a JY pathy I set it up again and for a while it drove like a car... Once again the driver side clamp has broke. Looking @ the pieces I broke the 2nd & 3rd time it seemed nissan made only RH clamps and just cut off the tab and welded them backwards for the LH leaving a brittle double welded area for the driver side clamp. with only 4 days till the trip (yes B we are now trying to come on the 4th) I'm going to try 2 things. 1) shave down the clamp bushings. perhaps they are so tight that when the swaybar twists it puts too much load on them. 2) Run a RH clamp bacwards on the LH Since I belive the RH clamp may be less brittle. getting the backwards clamp tight should be interesting. and in case anybody didn't notice, the FSM states 58-65 ftlbs on the bolts for the clamp and to hold the clamp the frame. It should be 18, and they will strip before 40flbls lol Edited December 31, 2009 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) update; I found very new looking OEM clamp bushings on a JY pathy I am goning to try those, wish me luck. Edited January 1, 2010 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 The only problem I have is worn out bushings... but I have seen at least one broken frame mounted clamp in a wrecking yard before. But I don't recall what side it was on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.510 Posted January 1, 2010 Share Posted January 1, 2010 Try loosening up the nuts on the end link bushings a ways. I'd tighten them up until they don't rattle plus a turn or two max. Using poly bushings leads to suspension component failures in applications like this where the bushing has to deflect sideways. The added fore-aft loading from stiff or over-tight end link bushings may be causing your chassis brackets to fail. Weakest link in the chain... Sorta off-topic anecdote about the danger of polyurethane bushings in some applications: On 510s and Zs lots of people have suffered strut rod (Nissan calls it a Tension-Compression rod) failures caused directly from polyurethane bushings. The poly bushing is much stiffer than the stock rubber one and in this application it has to deflect @ 90 degrees to the rod as the suspension moves up and down. This fatigues the strut rod at it's weakest point, the shoulder behind the bushing. On a Z failure is not such a big deal since they are rear-strut (like a 4wd WD21), but on a front-strut 510 (like a 2wd WD21) it can cause a catastrophic accident. When the rod breaks the front wheel stuffs into the firewall, locks up, and jambs the steering! This happened to me under heavy braking on corner entry (when the rod is loaded the highest) at serious speed in a 510. I was lucky and had a "good spin" where there was some runoff. If it had failed on almost any other corner I'd be dead. I make a thing for 510s and Zs called a T/C kit that replaces the forward rubber bushing with a machined ball & socket that actually reduces the loading on the strut rod during suspension travel and has zero fore-aft compliance at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) 3) Try loosening up the nuts on the end link bushings a ways Thanks 510 for valuable experience. Is there a sleve inside the bushing to prevent strut rod wear on the wd21? Edited January 1, 2010 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 1, 2010 Author Share Posted January 1, 2010 (edited) K turns out the bronken one this time is allot thiner than the other side, I cannot remember if the other one was like that. Also putting a LH clamp on the RH will not be as easy as I thought as the weld interferes with the frame... with the JY's closed and a determination to get this buttoned up (hopefully for the last time) I did what I usually do. Make it work with what I have. First I reamed up the bottom hole to 1/2" then using the sheared of braket as a template I ofset my templeate in the bottom hole enough to align my new hole away from the edge of the bracket and BAM!! I have an ambideterous swaybar clamp. time for a test drive. 3Hrs later; so far so good. Haven't put it thru any sharp turns or curvy roads yet but maybe I'll do that on the way to work. Edited January 2, 2010 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 (edited) well It went thru the real test going fast on the overly windy HWY 20 in CA. still not broken. I think the majority of the problem was the fragile LH clamps. I saw 2 differant styles in they jy but all the RH ones were the same and had a little guesset on them.(none of the LH had gussets). I think stock clamp bushings and minimal tighness on the end links may have helped a little too. all and all it pretty much drove like a car on the way down instead of a boat-like lifted SUV Edited January 6, 2010 by MY1PATH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 6, 2010 Share Posted January 6, 2010 Cool!! WTH is 'obverly windy'?? That's simply a road designed for motorcycles!! Welcome to California, now lean!! B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I broke the passenger side sway bar clamp on my old Pathfinder when I was sucked into a curb. I welded it back on and it never broke again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 This fatigues the strut rod at it's weakest point, the shoulder behind the bushing. On a Z failure is not such a big deal since they are rear-strut (like a 4wd WD21), but on a front-strut 510 (like a 2wd WD21) it can cause a catastrophic accident. Actually the 2wd WD-21 is the same as the 4wd, the 2wd D-21 is different and has the rods on the front of the LCA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 Cool!! WTH is 'obverly windy'?? That's simply a road designed for motorcycles!! Welcome to California, now lean!! B don't forget, I grew up in cali. But that stretch of i20 from I5 to hwy 1 has some of the windyest roads I've driven on in cali. Lots of fun tho! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 I had forgotten that... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MY1PATH Posted January 23, 2010 Author Share Posted January 23, 2010 final update, on the way back I "took a wrong turn" @ 101 and enjoied an extra 100 miles of windy roads no breakages! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now