1992 240SX Front Suspension Problems

[dfw240_EE]

As the topic says, 1992 Nissan 240SX. It has 180,800 miles on it. I have recently changed the front crankseal on this car, and changed the belts, but this problem has been around since before then. I just think it is time to do something about this. As far as I know all suspension and steering components are the same age as the car.

Often times, whenever I brake to a full stop, I hear a 'popping' sound come from the front of the vehicle right as I stop. I will also on occasion hear the same sound when I pull into the drive way as I turn the wheel over and when I start to turn the wheel in the other direction I hear the pop. Also when I grab the front wheels one hand on front and the other hand on back and shake it I can feel some wiggle and I hear something moving around. Further I feel a fair amount of steering wheel shudder as I drive and the steering wheel jumps ever so slightly as I brake.

At night when I brake I notice my headlights drop on the roadway as the front end dives during braking. This is for any applied braking force, though more so for hard braking than normal braking of course. Is this normal for this year and age of 240SX?

Right now my strongest suspension is that my tie rods are shot.

It is late and I am tired so I will go to bed now. If more details are required, I will be happy to provide. Thanks in advance.

[NISTECH]

inner tie rods are likely loose in thier ball sockets. time for a new rack or tie inner and outer rods.

The front end of a car is suppose to dive when braking its called weight shift.

[dfw240_EE]

I know. I just think it is more pronounced than it should be. But I think I am just entering that phase where I am used to the car but am ready to improve it

OK So can I just change the tie rods? Or does changing the rack make more sense? On page ST-14 of the 1993 FSM (the one available on Zeroyon) I see only one tierod on each side. By "inner and out tierods" do you mean the "Tie-rod inner socket" and the "Tie-rod outer Do not disassemble"?

Further, by the procedure on ST-15 I see that removing the tie rod is only 4 steps in to the procedure. From this I gather that I don't have to disassemble the whole rack to get at the tie-rods. Is this a correct assumption?

[NISTECH]

The tie rods are 2 peice units on each side. you have the outer rod that threads on this inner rod. If you remove the boot from the rack and extend the rack so the side your working on protrudes out you can unbolt the inner rod socket assembly from the ram of the rack. There is maybe ,cant remember for sure, a lock of some sort on it to hold it from spinning free. May not have the lock though and just uses locktite. This you will have to determine unless someone else chimes in here.

[NinjaTanuki]

my car did exactly this, then i installed coilovers and it completley went away

*shrug*

[gehzumteufel]

mine does this too. im replacing the tie rods soon. so hopefully this will eliminate this

[dfw240_EE]

I have been reading into the problem, sometimes the popping sound is the spring twisting in the cup. I don't know how to correct that, but of course replacing them with coilovers would do that. I also heard tie rods, tension rods, and sway bar ends will do this too.

Recently I was driving through the parking lot and hit a speed bump with my right wheel but not the left, and it made the pop. So on a whim I positioned myself to hit the next bump with the left but not the right, and it didn't make the pop, so I believe it is coming from the right side. Further the right tie rod feels different from the left. So this is the theory I am working under. I will also check tension rods and sway bar ends.

I don't know how to tell if the spring has been twisting in its mount though.