I have a 2001 Pathfinder 2 wheel drive and every time I get up to speeds above 40mph the rear end feels like the tires are shifting or sloping around and it makes the whole vehicle rock from side to side. It goes away if I accelerate or slow down but when when I'm just gliding along at 40+mph it starts up again. Anyone experienced this before?

This is a known and common problem on these units (R50's).
It's also known as the "death sway".
Basically it's worn out bushings on your upper and lower (rear) control arms.

Do a search under rear bushings, or death sway, and you'll come up with a ton of threads and solutions to your problem.

Thank you for the reply Buzzman, my local dealership service department didn't have any answers for me, they simply said bring it in for a diagnostic check.

I have seen this but not had personal experience with it, but I know those that have spent a little extra money and upgraded the uppers and lowers. They claimed to have a better ride which is not unheard of so keep that in mine. If you have the extra cash to do so. If not then obviously do what your budget allows.

captn cookie wrote:I have seen this but not had personal experience with it, but I know those that have spent a little extra money and upgraded the uppers and lowers. They claimed to have a better ride which is not unheard of so keep that in mind. If you have the extra cash to do so. If not then obviously do what your budget allows.

I think what you are referring to is upgrading to polyurethane bushings.
They will last the life of the truck. I didn't go that route, but there are guys on here that have done it.
Hopefully one or more of them will chime in (Fueler, where are you? lol)

CregK wrote:Thank you for the reply Buzzman, my local dealership service department didn't have any answers for me, they simply said bring it in for a diagnostic check.

If your dealership is not aware of this problem (or the solution) then they are not very good.
Get a second opinion, or show them this website and thread.
Good luck.

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The quick way to determine if yours need service is to grab the lower control arm and twist it. If it twists at all, the bushings are shot and need replacing. You shouldn't be able to move them by hand at all.

You may also want to replace the bushings on the panhard rod and stabilizer bar, and the stabilizer bar connecting rods:

http://www.amazon.com/Proforged-113-101 ... ref=sr_1_1

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Thanks guys for your responses, After telling my local dealership that the problem was the bushings in the upper and lower rear control arms. They quoted me a price of $800.00 if there are no complications. With the holidays coming and my wife having the next couple of weeks off, the truck will be free to work on. Atraudes, I really appreciate the link to your own personal experience with this issue, after reading it and seeing the photos I think I'm going to pull out the jack stands and the tool box and take this on. I will keep you posted.

Keep us posted.....

New trailing arm bushings are the key to getting rid of the "death wobble." The rear end sway made my 2001 Pathfinder almost undrivable. I was continually on and off the throttle to manage the sway and keep me from sliding over into the next lane. I bought a set of two piece polyurethane bushings with sleeves and bolts for both upper and lower arms and had planned to replace them myself in the driveway. After realizing that i wasn't going to get this done without some new tools and more time than I could spare I checked with my local mechanic. His quote was $240 to replace all the bushings, but after his initial inspection only the lower bushings were bad, and the cost was adjusted down to $180. A bargain as far as I am concerned. Depending on the age of your vehicle and how long you plan on keeping it you can buy Poly bushings and have the old sloppy ones replaced, or complete new arms with rubber bushings already installed for a few bucks less. The Poly was the way to go for me and my Pathfinder drives like new. Now I can't even get it to sway if I try. Whichever route you choose, there is no reason to put up with the sway when you should be able to get it done for $400. Make sure you check upper and lower bushings so you don't buy more than you need. Thanks to so many in this thread and others for identifying the solution, and excellent DIY instructions for those who have the right amount of ambition and tools. Cheers!!