Rear subframe bushings?

[7anshin]

I had my car at the shop today getting the clutch replaced and found out I need new bushings for the rear subframe. They said the problem is nissan won't sell them the bushings alone, they will only sell the bushings with a whole new rear subframe.... $519.21 parts price for the rear subframe with the bushings in it unless I can find a source (maybe aftermarket) for the bushings.

I have no clue what I am looking for. Here is an image with the part I need highlighted from the mechanic.



Does anyone know where I can get these? I'm being honest I'm clueless and at a loss right now.

The mechanic seems to think it is urgent that I get these replaced or consider parking the car.

Thanks for any help you can be.

[DriftingJesus]

nooooooooooooooooooooooooessssssssssssnoooooooooooooooooooooooooeeeeeesssssssssnooooooooooooooooooesssssssssssssss

Just go to splparts.com (nico sponsor) and order some aluminum subframe bushings

You car will ride a little bit firmer, and with a little more road noise. But it'll save you at least 200-300 bucks.

400 if you install them yourself

[7anshin]

Thank you! I know the par exists and I have a chance now at saving my Zenki. I have been having to borrow money like crazy as of late to keep running and it's really started to stress me.

Mechanics down here all seem to think nissans are crap and are not slow to express that.

They want about $360 to install new ones on top of the parts cost so that would really be about $880 installed if I had to buy a new subframe, and I can't do it. I just had part of my collar bone cut out so my right shoulder is useless. I have to have them install the parts, I have no choice at this point.

[n00b240]

my review on the spl subframe bushings. I love em. good luck

zerothread?id=101842

[7anshin]

Thank you, you guys are taking more stress off me than you know. Even with install this will cut my price in half.

Your write up is good, the noise really isn't as bad as they say? Can you hear it from outside of the car?

[Axel Grungy]

this is an easy fix. any DIY'er can do it, cheap too.

[dousan_pg]

here's a tip:

NEVER TRUST MECHANICStey are theives. they recommend it because they knowu are at their mercy do work yoruself, do work yourself do work yourself. nothing is beyond motor and ecu problems are beyond the vaverage person.u d ont needto pay 300-500 bucks for a brake job when in reality it willl take u 1/2 a day and basic handtools and an FSM.

dont replace them.get spacers and it will reduce much of the slo pand cost under 100 bucks.

splparts.com

[apex760]

here is waht they look like

[drifter_for_life06]

SPL Collars FTW y0!

[dfw240_EE]

BINGO!!!

I knew I had seen something on this awhile back. Stickied in the suspension forums, is this thread:

zerothread/97924

Step by step on replacing the subframe bushings with pictures. Note, this poor sap actually dropped the whole subframe. This makes it much easier, but I would think that is a lot of work to do.

[DriftingJesus]

I've got those collars, they cost about eighty bucks I think

I've yet to install them though

[geebee03]

been looking @ bushing sets for sale. Energy Suspension sells lots of different combos. Also Kazama sells those collars. Read somewhere you don't have to drop sub frame completely, just loosen up and drop some

[Axel Grungy]

yeah with the slotted collars u dont have to drop the whole thing. just loosen it up a bit, slip em on.

[7anshin]

here's a tip:

NEVER TRUST MECHANICStey are theives. they recommend it because they knowu are at their mercy do work yoruself, do work yourself do work yourself. nothing is beyond motor and ecu problems are beyond the vaverage person.u d ont needto pay 300-500 bucks for a brake job when in reality it willl take u 1/2 a day and basic handtools and an FSM.

dont replace them.get spacers and it will reduce much of the slo pand cost under 100 bucks.

splparts.com

No, I have found the hard way this is the truth 99% of the time. The sad part is as I said before

"I can't do it. I just had part of my collar bone cut out so my right shoulder is useless. I have to have them install the parts, I have no choice at this point." I can hardly shift without a nights worth of pain, but I love my car and it is my only choice.

I think either way I would have to reach up to do this, and that is just not possible for me right now, so I'm kinda at the mercy of the mechanic.

I noticed the spacers though when I checked out splparts.com last night... They look good and you don't have to drop the whole subframe which is nice. All I can do right now is hope my mechanic doesn't try to gouge me to much.

They have been good to me before on prices but they don't work on nissan's too much so have no clue about the aftermarket world for these cars. Thats why I told him about NICO and that I was going to ask you guys FIRST before he talked me into "about a grands worth of rear end work".

Nice thing though they do seem interested to see what parts I can find because then he can use them with other cars, he told me he doesn't want to have to order the whole rear subframe just for the bushings, that would just be dumb.

[HashiriyaS14]

Can't find a friend down there to help you with the install?

We've got a lot of members in Florida. Try getting some people over to help you out. Hell, even if you have to buy 3 cases of beer to get them there, it'll be cheaper than having a mechanic install the stupid bushings.

Besides, garage days are a good way to meet members in your area. If my car never broke, I wouldn't know half the local enthusiasts that I know, lol.

[oki_bum]

This should help you:

http://www.zeroyon.com/index/content/view/70/47/

go there...i ran into this a while back looking for a FSM.

[ddgsxr504]

All I have to say is Energy Suspension Polyurethane 300ZX subframe Bushings FTW!!!

[dousan_pg]

doodhit up local FL boardsim sure the members would be more then happy to come to your place and help you out. floridafail.com is a good board haha..those aree some friends of mine.and ther eis other local FL boards too. get some beers and some snackes and its a 20 min job maybe 45 if they work slow..and u saved yoruself a lot of money and made some new friends. do it!

[penpen-commander]

1) mechanics wants you money, you can buy them seperately.2) you don't need to buy the whole subframe, that's complete bull****. slap your mechanic.3) buy either nismo, or just get the hyper energy suspension and find a new mechanic to put it in for you. hyper energy is cheaper, and lasts longer.

[drifter_for_life06]

any friend with a good shoulder can help you, they dont need to be that mechanicalyl inclined as long as an FSM or the SPL online instructions are a fingertip away

[nu_born]

it's pretty gay...Nissan doesn't sell bushings seperately, and those spacers look like a decent fix but i've heard that in time those things destroy the bushings and you end up back at square one, i have no idea if this is true or not...but, if you'd like a closer to OEM solution JWT sells subframe bushings on their site or you could do the 300zx bushings like ddgsxr suggested...

[dousan_pg]

the spacers do not destroy your bushings where ever u read that u got fed liesthey just hold the subframe firmer against the chassis.bushings will be fine.

[drifter_for_life06]

[7anshin]

I will be going with these:



For the price, quality, user reviews and convience of not having to remove the whole rear subframe... I do love that price too.

I will check out the florida board. Maybe I will meet some local members, that would be great. I see lots of nice s14's and a few nice s13's every day just driving through town.

Thanks for all the help guys!

[n00b240]

You cant really notice the noise of the solid bushings outside the car

Good luck with the spacers, be sure to let us know how it goes. Im pretty biased with my solid bushings.

I didnt go with spacers, because I felt that since the rubber is still there it will eventually wear away. And the whitelines will also wear away in a longer period of time

Either way, let us know once you get em installed

[7anshin]

To tell you the truth I love the idea of the solid metal bushings. I'm going to put these spacers on, that should hold me for some time & later down the road get the solid bushings.

These seem like a good "cheep" fix (no subframe dropping) and I can have the car not buck and bounce in the rear end while I am saving up for the solid bushings.

I do not mind road noise at all, and you will all get my review like it or not.

[7anshin]

I know this post is old but I just got the money saved to get the spl collars. (The blue ones above in the post)

I put them on this morning and I must say that between this write up and this write up from splparts.com I had it done in 45 minutes.

I replaced my screwed up arm with a new impact wrench, that helped a lot. I could not do a better write up than the two above. My suggestion is read them both twice then go look under your car. Look at the car and put together what you just read and looked at pictures of. Work it all out once or twice in your head and it is easy, even with my screwed up shoulder. ANYONE should be able to do this them self.

All the tools I needed:

1 Set of Jack Stands (2 stands)1 Floor Jack1 wrench1 14mm socket1 17mm socket1 rag (to wipe things clean, a lot of dust down there)

It rides like it has a new pair of shoes on the rear. Everything is tight but not too tight. No more creaking rear end. No more bucking when I let out the clutch. No more loud thunk sound from the rear when I downshift. Ahh so nice!

My review? Anyone riding around on the original stock bushings should get these right away. You will feel a difference in your ride quality, it is like a new car. The only problem? Now that the rear feels so tight and smooth I notice how much I need to work on the front!

[ADiamond75]

the spacers do not destroy your bushings where ever u read that u got fed liesthey just hold the subframe firmer against the chassis.bushings will be fine.

At first I thought this was true .. but the bummer is once the subframe bushings get to a certain point NOTHING can save them but replacing them.

I had the infamous subframe problem (chunking / skipping in corners / clunking from rear end) and tried the subframe spacers from Kazama ... yeah they fixed the problem for about 4 months ... then the problem came back and only got worse. By the time I got around to replacing the entire bushings in the subframe there was almost nothing left of the front ones ..

And when I say nothing I mean NO rubber was making contact and when I dropped the subframe the center metal sleeve did not leave the car's mounting spot till I grabbed them and pulled them off.

I went with Nismo subframe bushings ... you can buy them from nissan WITHOUT buying the subframe ... they're like 179 but a PITA to install .... must have a large press. But yeah .. no more subframe problems !!!

[eds13]

yeah i really need to put mine on... there just sitting here in my room

[n00b240]

nice update 7anshin, do you hear any new whines, drones, or added sound scores since the install?