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1994 Strut Rod Bushings/Rods - Ouchie.


Inyourface1650
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I was hoping to drive the pathy around 1800 miles round trip and do some offroading in MOAB over the next couple weeks....

 

Front end was a little loose - I knew this, the bushings looked a bit chewed so the plan this weekend was replace all the bushings.

 

I dont think they are going to cut it :(

 

IMG_20141219_1702545981_zpsa6837e45.jpg

 

IMG_20141219_1659146171_zps0b8cee03.jpg

 

IMG_20141219_1658270681_zpscd36db3e.jpg

 

Looks like I'm taking the corolla and renting a jeep in MOAB!

Edited by Inyourface1650
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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, don't feel alone, a lot of them look like that. I believe that the bushing should be a 60,000 mile maintenence item, if not more frequently in salt country.

 

It doesn't take too long to fix, especially if you have access to a welder. There are threads here discussing what bearing races are the right size to use/weld in place.

 

B

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I replaced my bushings with poly. Was that better than rubber?

They should last longer, but I have heard some argue they will limit articulation, increase shock/vibration and generally be less compliant.

I have poly bushings on everything in the front end...

 

B

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I have poly strut rod, upper control arm, swaybar and link bushings. The ride is noticeably more harsh than my other wd21 with all stock bushings. It may handle slightly better, but not enough to justify putting poly in everything. The UCA bushings don't last for @!*%.

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The polyurethane ones from 4x4parts. I greased them and even put all new zerks in my uca's. I pumped fresh grease in every oil change and they still wore out in less than a year.

 

A stock wd21 rides quite nice actually. Which is why I bought a second one that won't get lifted.

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Mine were egged out too, just welded in a nice patch with some large washers and new bearing cones like mentioned above. The nuts on the end of the strut rods were much easier to remove once they were heated due to the nylon lock ring in the nut. (didn't see that at first, what a pain to remove after 200k worth of rust)

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Yeah, you tend to lose a lot of steering, but the control arm bushings and bolts should hold it together for a little while. :shrug:

 

Seriously though, being in a salt state and 200k, from what I have seen here they have to be ready to fail...

 

B

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well... the last thing I need is for one to finally break while my son is driving. Guess I'll have to look once it gets out of the single digits. Laying on the driveway in these temps is not a good idea.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I need to replace my bushings--hopefully it will help cut down on the wandering. If the bushings are bad, is it normal for the strut rod itself to need replaced like Inyouface's? I'd rather not disassemble, reassemble then disassemble, reassemble again!

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So they salt the roads where you are? And how many miles on your Pathy (I'm assuming they have never been done).

If the answer is yes or 200k miles, odds are there is damage. Even if you can reuse the rods, be prepared to to refinish them with some sort of rust prohibitor. The good news is once you have had them off once, it is far easier the second time... ;)

 

The unfortunate things about those bushings is you can't really tell much by looking at them unless they have fallen apart; you pretty much have to disassemble to assess.

 

B

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Thanks! We get some salt here, though not salt belt levels. I do have 270k miles and the bushings are visibly bad, so I should just go ahead and buy the rods, too. Any specific brand recommendations on the strut rods? I plan on Energy Suspension bushings.

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You are welcome.

I suspect yours are damaged, but I can't swear they have to be replaced. The bushing cups may be damaged as well, one fix is to have bearing races tacked on in place.

As for sourcing them, I suspect they are a dealer item. Never forget Rob Lacy over at factorynissanparts.com. I looked them up, $40-ea. I have no idea what his return policy it...

http://www.factorynissanparts.com/parts/1995/Nissan/Pathfinder/XE/?siteid=214081&vehicleid=92803&section=FRONT%20SUSPENSION&group=FRONT%20SUSPENSION&subgroup=SUSPENSION%20COMPONENTS&component=Tension%20rod

 

B

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I'm having a moment of excitement, which hopefully is not misplaced. When I had my brakes done at Firestone a few months ago, they said my lower control arm bushings need replaced. Maaaaybe they were looking at these since they are obvious and connect to the LCA. Much less of a bother. Maybe I will just order the bushings are see how the rods are when I pull it apart.

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