I have a 1995 240sx base model, which I purchased about 3 years ago with ~115,000 miles on it. The car had KYB GR2 shocks and stock springs when I purchased it, and generally ran extremely well for its age. I have since added a CAI, Whiteline springs, and buddy club racing P2 wheels with low profile ES100 tires. As I did not need the car up at school, I kept it garaged and have only driven it in the summer. I followed the basics for removing a car from storage, flushing and replacing the fluids, etc.
About a year ago, when I started driving it again for the summer, I began to notice a severe loss of power in 1st gear accompanied by a loud <clunk> coming from the rear when I depressed the clutch to shift to second. The other gears seemed to be fine. At first I thought it might be a transmission or clutch issue, but the other gears worked so well I couldn't figure it out. After some more troubleshooting driving around the neighborhood and town, I noticed the rear end felt really lose.
I took the car to a midas to check it out, and they explained that the clutch and transmission seemed fine, but the rear subframe bushings were completely shot, and needed to be replaced. As this work requires the rear end to be removed and disassembled, I had a very difficult time finding a local shop willing to do the work. I finally found a restoration shop that agreed to do it, and asked them to install some Whiteline springs I had purchased along with the bushing replacements (nismo bushings).
They installed the springs, but refused to install the bushings, because "it was too much work." I begrudgingly paid a far-too-high bill for the spring installation ($400!!) expressed my frustration, and took my car home.
As the summer was close to a close by the time this was all sorted out, I put the car back in storage, and my father, fairly experienced in automotive work, said he'd work on it when he had the time.
He informed me when I returned home several weeks ago that he had checked all the bushings, and they seemed completely fine. He used some bushing-repair gel in the bushings just to be sure, and said he noticed a very lose bolt on the differential, which he tightened.
Last night we jacked up the car and checked out all the bushings and bolts again, and everything seemed fine. I noticed that two of the bushings seemed to extend far out of their sockets, but my father said that was a result of the car being jacked up. While driving the car around afterward, it seemed much better than it had been, and we credited the lose bolt or possibly the spare tire, which we found was unsecured, for the previous issues.
While driving today, the first serious driving I've done on the Whiteline springs, the clunk returned when I depressed the clutch to shift from 4th to 5th at about 50 mph. It happened several other times during various shifts, but always ocurred when the clutch is fully depressed. When I turn hard (took a right angle at about 30 mph, but wide), the whole car shudders and feels like it's skidding. During normal driving, the car simply feels less poised and secure than I feel it should. The rear end does seem a bit loose, but not nearly as bad as before. 1st gear power seems fine compared to when the problems first started.
Any ideas as to what might be wrong? Does it sound like my father was wrong, and the bushings really did need replacing? Might the issue turning hard be wheelrub? Anyone know any good nissan mechanics near south New Jersey/Philadelphia area?
Any and all help is appreciated!
