Jump to content

Trailing arm bushings


Tarryall
 Share

Recommended Posts

Hi all!

 

I've followed the website for years, but haven't posted before. I've got a 2004 Platinum LE with 160K miles and runs great. It started life as my wife's car, and then was passed on to my son and then daughter as their "learning car" and daily driver. Along the way I put on a OME lift and Flowmaster exhaust, as well as a few other things. It has now migrated back to me for my alternate DD and I'm doing some basic maintenance. I'll post a picture when I get a chance.

 

My question has to do with the Trailing Arm bushings. I took the Pathy into dealer for the passenger airbag recall, which went fine, and when I picked it up they had also done a service inspection and noted cracks in the drive belts (yes) and wrote "rear links/bushings" as well. I thanked them for the inspection and told them I did all my own work and I'd take a look at it. I have never had any symptoms of a "death wobble" and all the bushings look fine, including the stab. bar. Everything is tight and there is only some occasional suspension thump noise from the rear over rough roads. I know there are problems with the earlier R50 TA bushings, but I thought at some point in the later years they were improved, and mine is a very late model production. I just don't remember where I saw that. I think the Nissan service department wrote it up as the the standard "rear bushings need replacement" without any inspection.

 

Does anyone know if the bushings were in fact improved at some point?

 

Thanks

SJC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quick way to check for differences is to compare part numbers for various years. Try using RockAuto or any other parts distributor website. Look up the item in question for your specific year and then compare it to other years checking for different part numbers, which would indicate there could be a variation

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks. I don't think the part itself changed, but the quality of the bushings was upgraded after they became obvious for early failure. Again, I don't remember the source of that information.

 

SJC

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you can't tell that something is wrong with them, they're probably fine. The occasional thump could just be nothing, or maybe a sway bar link? But that would be more of a clunk (getting into describing noises with words, oh boy). I've never had my trailing arm bushings wear out, but from what I gather it's fairly obvious when they do. I wouldn't worry about it, unless the dealership is willing to elaborate or show you how they know they 'need' to be replaced.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Mine went out around 170K, the bushings were all chewed up and I had BAD death wobble on the highway, the whole rear end start shaking and throw the truck out of balance. Narrowly avoided a couple accidents going over bridges. I just ended up replacing both arms entirely for about 100$ cause I wanted it to be a quick job and din't have a press for the bushings. As far as preventative maintenance goes you could definitely spend your money/time on worse things. Rugged Rocks does sell adjustable length rear arms but they're pretty pricey.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for all the replies. Since I have no symptoms of a death wobble or looseness in the rear end, I'll leave well enough alone. No point in fixing something that ain't broken.

 

Here's a picture of my Pathfinder:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No rust at all. It's been a great truck, and as the last of the "Japanese made" Pathfinders it has a lot of life left in it. The interior is in excellent shape, and the leather seats still look good.

 

The OME springs were from the early production and sagged over time. I added Fluery spacers and have been quite happy with those. It also has a Fluery skid plat up front. Although I thought the automatic transmission seemed more suited for a mini-van, I appreciate it much more over my 2017 Tacoma six-speed automatic which is always hunting for another gear. The All-Mode Transfer case also leaves a little bit to be desired, but I found that turning off the VDC in tough conditions gives it a little more self control, especially in slick snow/ice conditions.

 

I've owned CJ's, Scouts, 4Runners and Tacomas over the years, all built for off-road, and always thought the Pathfinder stood up to all of them, if you appreciated the limitations of an IFS. Plus, it has room in back for gear and the dogs:

 

1zbz39t.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No pet barrier. I've used them before and they're kind of a pain. We fold down the back seats and put the gear there as a natural barrier. The Corgi puppy will try to climb forward, but the other two will stay in the back on a moving pad. They stay happy because they know they're headed to the mountains. :-)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...