Well, I put up my car today to put on some new tie rods, and it just isn't pretty at all.
A) I found the clunk in my suspension, the passenger side sway bar bushing is missing. (actually, discovered that one last week, couldn't get to it till today)
B) I found that the reason the bushing fell out is because the bushing bracket is hanging loose, a bolt is missing. Plus I am not sure but I think the bolt holes don't perfectly line up (like less than a few mm off) between the frame and the tension rod bracket, where that sway bar bushing bracket bolts in.
C) The passenger side tension rod bushing is cracked.
I think this is the result of a fender bender in the spring. Or maybe I hit a pot hole hard. Or the road I take home has manhole covers in the road that are badly recessed into the pavement. I try to avoid those, but its not always possible.
So I decided that putting the tie rods in is a bad idea. As it stands the car will drive. If I put the rods in myself, I run the risk of making things worse and not being able to drive it under its own power.
It needs an alignment bad anyways, and I don't have the equipment to do that myself, so I will take it in to a reputable mechanic I know first thing tomorrow. I am taking it in to a mechanic because I fear that the frame might not be straight, and I want experienced eyes to look at it. I think if the tension rod bracket can be bolted in straight and the alignment is set, I can handle the rest. I can handle the tie rods and tension rods.
http://nissaninfiniticlub.net/...d.JPG
It isn't pretty...
Re: It isn't pretty... (dfw240_EE)
So what's keeping you from just putting in new tension rods/bushings & sway bar bushings?
If you care is in as bad shape as mine when I did stuff, most likely the tie rod bushing & lower control arm bushing are also beat to hell. Might want to consider those lca bushings.
I smell time for ENERGY SUSPENSION BUSHING SET! :-D
If you care is in as bad shape as mine when I did stuff, most likely the tie rod bushing & lower control arm bushing are also beat to hell. Might want to consider those lca bushings.
I smell time for ENERGY SUSPENSION BUSHING SET! :-D
The reason I can't just put bushings in is that the bracket that holds on the sway bar bushings was ripped out of it's hole. When I took it in, they were able to retap the hole in the fram where it bolts in. All good now
I got it in for the alignment. He said that the left side strut is off by a whole degree. It just pushes to the right now. Fully driveable, but will need to get fixed sometime soon. In fact, getting that sway bar secured really firmed the front up. I think I will focus my efforts now on fixing the power steering leak and other odds and ends.
What is really nice though is that slowly but surely for the first time since my fender bender last spring my car is feeling better. It hasn't driven this nice since I bought it a year ago.
I got it in for the alignment. He said that the left side strut is off by a whole degree. It just pushes to the right now. Fully driveable, but will need to get fixed sometime soon. In fact, getting that sway bar secured really firmed the front up. I think I will focus my efforts now on fixing the power steering leak and other odds and ends.
What is really nice though is that slowly but surely for the first time since my fender bender last spring my car is feeling better. It hasn't driven this nice since I bought it a year ago.