infinti i35, front shocks seem to bounce stiff and rapidly

[mark1o1]

Hi, this is my first posting, im somewhat of a new comer here. this is the first problem im having with this car where the solution could not be found on this forum.

I have an 02 i35. its in very good condition, very well maintained with one owner ahead of me. the only thing wrong was the front and rear shocks.

I had all four shocks replaced at a auto service center. first i got the fronts done,.,., then 3 weeks later got the backs done.

a day later after getting the fronts done. replaced all with the gr-2 shocks and struts. I started to feel a very uncomfortable feeling in my driving. here is what it feels like to me.

The cars front end seems to bounce very stiffly even on the smallest bumps. especially at speeds slower the 40 mph. after it hits a small bump it seems to feel like some after shock effect. soundes like the shock is moving up and down hitting something bouncing about 4 times afterward within a second after clearing the bump.

the car doesnt go up and down a whole lot. feels like the car probably goes about a half an inch lower and higher then it should. the sound sounds like if you would throw a heavy rubber ball hard in between two walls spaced about 2 feet apart,., please advice to what you think the problem is,.,

Note: the work was done by a professional.

[Markc]

Why not take it back to the shop where you had the work done and explain the problem to them. A test drive over a few bumps should confirm the problem.You may also have other front end issues that the new, stronger stuts may have brought to light. Possible sway bar end links or ball joints. How many miles are on the car?

[mark1o1]

I am going to bring it back, (for the fouth time) i just dont trust them anymore. I do have AAA backing me up a little bit since its one of there certified repair centers. Just would like a little more insight on the problem before i bring it in again.

the car has about 140k on it. It probably is a ball joint. The car felt good in the beginning.

The car is starting to feel like it did about 3 months before i brought it in and is getting worse. It just seems like maybe one of the shocks they put into the front was bad. and after driving it around for a month is beginning to make the other side go bad, making it much more noticible.

[Markc]

It's not likely, (but not impossible), the new struts are at fault.There's a recall on the lower control arm mounting pins. Was this recall addressed?

[mark1o1]

really? had no idea. im not really sure. Do you know what year the recall was,.,?? i bought the car about 6 months ago. I knew the shocks needed to be replaced when i bought the car,.,., still was a great buy. The car had never been in an accident and carfax cleared completely, the cars never been to a mechanic before. I can tell by looking under the hood. All the stock screws and bolts are still untouched. So i doubt the car was ever takin in for the recall.

after work yesturday i drove and really paid attention to how the vibrations felt, did my research earlier. it seemed that the sourse of the problem is in the front wheels, then gradually travel toward the rear of the vehicle. I believed it was a bushing.

I dropped off my car today and the owner of the auto repair center said he thought it is a bushing or bearing, forgot which, but located on the upper control arm. or something like that. im not very good with cars, but learn as i encounter these problems with all my cars. so i will see, and keep the forum updated in case someone else encounters a problem like this.

I will look into the whole recall thing though.

[Markc]

If you call your local dealer with the VIN, they should be able to tell you whether or not they've been addressed. I believe there are 3 recalls for the 02 I35. I had mine in to the dealer for a spare key to be programmed and they punched the VIN into their data base and the history from the recalls and when they were fixed was displayed.

[mark1o1]

Thanks for the heads up,., i called the dealer and they informed me that my car has either had its recalls adressed or my car was just not effected. . the mechanic got back to me. It was the lower control arm. the bushing wore off. thats the reason for the rattling, and vibrations. the part alone is about 350.00. i will get that repaired on monday. then the car should feel great. They told me on a normal road, the car was the smoothest ride in the whole shop and they had 6 people test drive it to give their opinion on the ride quality. They even said it rode smoother then the receptionist brand new maxima.(( so i completely recomend the gr-2 shocks and struts assembly. they are a great brand at an affordable cost.

They recognized what the problem is and will be dealt with on monday. and confident that the car will feel great.

another question though for the public. I looked at this web site for cheaper control arms. cost is about 80 dollars for each the right and left side of the lower control arm if you include shipping.. Is it smart to replace it with these instead of dealer parts?? Im thinking the parts this other company is offering is an after market. her is a link below to the info on the lower control arm.

http://www.clearlyauto.com/cat...l-Arm

[Markc]

You can buy just the bushings from partsgeek.com. Nissan does not offer the bushings. You have to buy the whole control arm.

[mark1o1]

YOU'RE RIGHT!!! you just saved me hundreds of dollars. wow thanks. I just purchased it, it also claims it is more durable then the nissan bushing. thank you so much.

[Markc]

You're quite welcome. Hey, ya gotta help out a fellow Canuck. I'd replace both sides if I were you. The original is rubber and the new one is poly.

[Markc]

Whoops, my mistake on the fellow Canuck line. I see by your profile that your Ontario California, not Canada.Did you get your front end issue sorted out?

[pethelman]

I have the exact same car except with 120Kmiles. Experienced the same clunking sounds under the same conditions. Turned out to be the motor mounts. I replaced the right front mount and 99% of the sound/feel is gone. Pretty sure the front and rear mounts need to be replaced as well. Just something to be aware of if the problem persists.

[mark1o1]

Thank you for your input. And yes another problem i am having is the motor mounts. At least i think so. I believe that driving on such bad shocks and struts for so long and having a problem with the lower control arm bushing, may have damaged the motor mounts. But I notice the noise more when the car is idling or accelerating at lower speeds when rpm is higher. How much is the cost for replacing the motor mounts? I heard it was alot of money from a friend,., but she had a Lancer. Im not to concerned on the problem, but if i should be then let me know please.

[Markc]

If the mounts are bad, you should get them replaced. Unless you really baby it, every time you hit the gas that engine is going to move too much causing undue stress to other parts such as the flex section of your exhaust.What was the final outcome of your front end issues? Did you go with the poly bushings?