New Guy and I need a little help!!

[Confused]

I just purchased a 99 Q45T with 89k on it and it has a few issues I want to resolve. I noticed when I hit the brakes and release them quickly the front wheels move forward about 1-2 inches and produce a nice clunk sound. I looked and the (lower stabilizer rod bushings?) are torn. I don't know if I am calling the part the right name but it is the piece that connects the lower control arm to the frame. Also, I looked at the rear and I see the bushing at the bottom of each of the shocks is torn as well. Can I replace those bushings on the rear shock or do I need new shocks?I guess my main question is if there is a complete bushing kit available for this car and is that my best option or should I just replace the ones that look bad. I saw in a few posts to check with Tom but I don't know who Tom is or how to reach him. Any help will be greatly apreciated. Thanks!

Tim

[qsiguy]

Welcome to NICO.

Yes you can get bushing kits. It's actually Joe to call not Tom. He's at Infiniti of Scottsdale in Arizona. http://www.everythinginfiniti.com You'll see banners all over the board for him. He gives us a great deal and should be able to tell you what you need. If you want confirmation take a few photos if the parts in question and we should be able to help you identify them.

[Q45tech]

Rubber bushing and rubber flex hoses are the bain of most all mechanical conveyences.

Oem bushings are soft and wear at a fast rate to isolate road vibrations from the body. Many oem bushings are silicone liquid filled to further dampen vibration. Many oem bushings are assymetrical in stiffness and have precise positional arrangements.

The low production volume of Q45 makes it tough to create aftermarket parts.

Things like front tension rods and front and rear suspension arms, rear subframes, motor, transmission, and differential mounts require oem parts IF you wish to restore or maintain like new ride and harshness.

Many people's standards waiver when money is involved and they accept inferior to oem ride to save a few bucks.

Let us know where you stand and what type of cheap or quality mentality you have?

Over the 318k I've replaced oem tension rods 5 times or just about every 4 year on the front of my old Q in ATL...................depending on local road roughness and how you brake, they last about 60k before they crack and silicone leaks out.

This indicates that your Q's previous owner/owners were of the cheap variety and skipped things that cost money and they probably skipped services and drove it into the ground.

I would pay an expert to check and list other faults so you can get a good idea of what else is defective!

As we always say most 9-10 year old used lux cars FOR SALE have wear items that amount to $3,000 to repair soon after purchase.

Your car will need shocks and other unnoticed components not to mention the transmission and diff and AC are half worn out. Probably new spark plugs and a Knock sensors and misc idler pullies soon.

Changing lubricants and coolant frequently is the key to prolnging life and reducing parts replacement costs

Other will link aftermarket hard rubber bushing replacements for those who don't care or want a stiffer more vibratant suspension.

[maxnix]

At 89K you are very close to new shocks and struts, boots, front strut bearings.

What does the Infiniti dealer performed service history which you obtained prior to purchasing the car reveal? All fluids and filters should be newly replaced if not not verifiably within thier life span or of unknown origin.

Welcome to NICO.

Start reading and all will be revealed.
Modified by maxnix at 8:14 AM 4/21/2008

[Confused]

Thanks for all the info! I will talk with Joe and get some parts ordered. Thanks again.

Tim

[oldmako]

Confused,

Having just gone through your situation I can comment. My 99 with 120K needed just one strut mount. You could push down on the fender and watch the top of the strut bounce around in the mount. A fairly cheap fix if one only wanted to install a new mount. The problem is that the strut has to come out of the car to get to the mount. Not too much sense in going to all that trouble and expense if the struts and other rubber are old and shot all to hell as well. So, I bit the bullet, opened the wallet WIDE and did the whole front end.

Q45tech hit the nail on the head regarding parts....they are very few makers of decent after market suspension parts for these cars so you are left with the dealer. Excellent quality parts to be sure...but them mothers are pricey.

Good luck and enjoy the new ride.

[maxnix]

Q45tech hit the nail on the head regarding parts....they are very few makers of decent after market suspension parts for these cars so you are left with the dealer. Excellent quality parts to be sure...but them mothers are pricey.

Why Joe is our friend.

http://www.infinitipartsusa.com

[Q45tech]

If you think Nissan/Infiniti parts are expensive try V8 Lexus parts, or German parts with the EURO compared to more stable YEN.

If you can buy a used $50-$100k V8 car you deserve to be punished with parts is the socialist at heart mantra. Really all about low volume of production but why not punish the rich is the democratic way.

[RAP]

My experience has been that ALL Nissan parts are pricy. But then so are US auto dealers parts so...

That's why folks who buy old cars like Auto Zone, NAPA, and others, first. OEM is reserved for the "Up against the wall folks" with no other options.



JACK

[qship96]

Speak for yourself! I use factory parts 99.9% of the time. Quality well engineered and fitting parts....and delivered to your door at a discount from Joe.

[maxnix]

That's why folks who buy old cars like Auto Zone, NAPA, and others, first. OEM is reserved for the "Up against the wall folks" with no other options.

JACK

No way are any parts supplied by American third party retailers of Chinese goods near the qulaity of OEM. What do you not understand about lowerst bidder and how they got that way?

To paraphrase H. L. Mencken,

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

[jimbyjimb]

I think his point may have been that on much older engines, say a small block Chevy, the options on part purchase increase since the aftermarket is so huge many companies make parts that exceed even modern standards by a long shot for these very old designs. This is obviously not so for the Q. What I can tell you is that if companies like Trick Flow or Edelbrock made Q parts I would certainly buy them, as they are often better made than ANY oem part of equivilency. Aftermarket drives competition in quality and pricing. The Q's serious downfall is that lacking. While stock is often overkill on the Q the lack of aftermarket is what makes it so expensive to own. Comparing an old engine with 50 years of aftermarket parts development to a 15 year old design is impossibly rediculous. I understood his point none-the-less.

[maxnix]

I think his point may have been that on much older engines, say a small block Chevy, the options on part purchase increase since the aftermarket is so huge many companies make parts that exceed even modern standards by a long shot for these very old designs. This is obviously not so for the Q.

Exactly. Comparing GM to any Japanese or probably now Korean automaker in terms of quality is just not possible. Tell me, how much after market is there for the Northstar? From what I understand, presuming your thesis is correct, it is in dire need of upgraded aftermarket parts. Maybe the paucity of such parts is an indicator of the lack of sophistication of USA aftermarket parts sourcers? Notice alll the high end tuners are European or Japanese, not American based.

Comparing an old engine with 50 years of aftermarket parts development to a 15 year old design is impossibly rediculous. I understood his point none-the-less.

Well that's good, but this is not a forum about old tech cast iron, pushrod OHV V8.

[RAP]

No way are any parts supplied by American third party retailers of Chinese goods near the qulaity of OEM. What do you not understand about lowerst bidder and how they got that way?

To paraphrase H. L. Mencken,

"No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public."

Now do you really think that Nissan is above doing the lowest bidder thing? They are under the same financial pressure as any other makers of cars. In any event NAPA does handle parts made in Japan by Mitsubishi an others that supply after market and OEM.

As far as the Chinese are concerned they will provide quality parts if they are held to certain standards. The Japanese are sticklers for quality control, or used to be, and they are most certainly in China having parts made cheep cheep. Hell even the Mexicans, used as a cheap source of labor, are being left behind and they too, now complain about "cheap Chinese goods".

Maybe you don't understand the concept of cheap labor as pertains to manufacturing?

This Q45 car has suffered the cheapening syndrome since it's inception. The model I have, a 2000, is damn near identical to the 240SX underneath? I believe, from what I have read, that the older or original models were more complex and thus more expensive to make. They had to cheapen them so Nissan went to the simplest, and "cheapest" configuration of the McPherson strut set up.

In closing your quoting of Mencken as a reference to question my intelligence is another example of why no one respects you on this board. Life must be mean to you?



Jack

[maxnix]

Now do you really think that Nissan is above doing the lowest bidder thing?

In closing your quoting of Mencken as a reference to question my intelligence is another example of why no one respects you on this board. Life must be mean to you?

Yes, Nissan sources their own parts or from traditional suppliers. Could it be you don't understand the Japanese keiretsu business model? Nah, you know it all, right?

Sorry Mr. Mencken's paraphrased rhetorical statement insulted you so deeply, but it wasn't a quote. It was a paraphrase. Look it up. He never said those exact words in that sequence. I think there is even a previous post here about it.

Obviously you don't know the board members I do. Disagreement and disrespect are not the same thing for the intelligent.

Sorry life is so bad for you. It's pretty good for me.

[jimbyjimb]

Exactly. Comparing GM to any Japanese or probably now Korean automaker in terms of quality is just not possible. Tell me, how much after market is there for the Northstar?

Since this is a Q forum and everything is compared to it, The Northstar has a seemingly HUGE aftermarket when compared to any year of Q. There are any number of hard parts available through name-brand performance part dealers ranging from carb kits to stroker kits to heads. I never said these engines NEEDED these parts, I said the aftermarket would benefit everyone by driving competition to make better parts for less money. This would benefit ANYONE.

I think the quality of the old iron horse V-8's speaks for itself. They may be simplistic, but that is their single greatest advantage over new-school tech. Less to break, less to fix. With modern engineered parts and fluids an old iron horse will last almost as long, if not in some cases longer than newer engines before needing a drasticly cheaper rebuild that will again last as long. Many modern engines are designed to not even be rebuilt, can't bore them. You're right, comparing quality isn't possible since an engine that's been on the road for 40 years is obviously very high-quality indeed. How many cars built in the last 10-20 years will be around another 20-30-40 years? I bet my 69 F250 will still be on the road in that amount of time, unless we all switch to hovercrafts and wheeled vehicles are outlawed.

New technology is wonderful, more power per cubic inch, smoother, quieter, less emissions per hp, longer engine life, so many great things. New cars are also built to throw away when yer done with 'em. Check out any flathead ever made and you'll be looking at a piece of quality, yet very simple engineering. What good is a forum without side commentary? Or better yet, how many people who post on here have a well-rounded automotive education spanning from 15+ liter Diesel's to 1000cc motorcycles to a riding lawn mower? They're all related. We're here to learn, and these side topics teach many who don't know valuable information that pertains to anything from that crazy cruise-ship Diesel to their Q45. It all pertains to the Q in some way, broadening the education of Q owners everywhere. Talking about other makes and models may actually spur much growth, more than isolating just one make and model. We aren't supposed to be on here selling cars, just having polite conversation not to be taken personally and trying to help a brotha out, or seeking help ourselves. At least, that's why I'm here.

[jimbyjimb]

Think of Jeet-Kune-Do, Bruce Lee's philosophy on the martial arts, why limit yourself to one form? Why limit yourself to all forms? Why limit yourself? Gotta love the Lee.

[oldmako]

I think the quality of the old iron horse V-8's speaks for itself. They may be simplistic, but that is their single greatest advantage over new-school tech. Less to break, less to fix. With modern engineered parts and fluids an old iron horse will last almost as long, if not in some cases longer than newer engines before needing a drasticly cheaper rebuild that will again last as long. Many modern engines are designed to not even be rebuilt, can't bore them. You're right, comparing quality isn't possible since an engine that's been on the road for 40 years is obviously very high-quality indeed. How many cars built in the last 10-20 years will be around another 20-30-40 years? I bet my 69 F250 will still be on the road in that amount of time, unless we all switch to hovercrafts and wheeled vehicles are outlawed.

New technology is wonderful, more power per cubic inch, smoother, quieter, less emissions per hp, longer engine life, so many great things. New cars are also built to throw away when yer done with 'em.

Talking about other makes and models may actually spur much growth, more than isolating just one make and model. We aren't supposed to be on here selling cars, just having polite conversation not to be taken personally and trying to help a brotha out, or seeking help ourselves.

Amen to that Cochise.My skanky old Silverado has 230K on the original engine, transmission (try that on a Q), shaft and differential. It's a beast. Apples and oranges sure but how can one argue with the bang for the buck when the life (and cost)of the vehicle is amortized over that lifespan? It burns crap gas, and never requires a 20 dollar can of BG44k. It's got another 100k in it easy.It does piss me off that I have to worry about the slushbox on a $50K car with only 128K. The trade off is that the BarbieQ is silent at 90 mph....and will gladly go 120 if I can just find the right stretch of copless road.

Apples and oranges. I am fortunate enough to have one of each.

[Victor]

Many parts stores give lifetime warranties on their after market parts. If the part you need comes with one who cares if it doesn't last as long as an OEM if its less than half the price, maybe even one fourth, you just put another one on for free if it fails (of course there is the extra labor).

[Q45tech]

Except for a few big items labor and parts [MSRP Retail from dealer] are pretty much equal.With our $85/shop hour rate parts run a little higher say 55-60%. of total bill.

Based on both Lexus and Infiniti the average bill runs around $350 based on annual revenue divided by job totals. Of course the 4 and 6 cylinders cost about half to a third as much to maintain as V8.

If you are a do it yourselfer, discount parts seem cheap because you don't charge a reasonable rate for your spare time say 2 times your hourly rate at work.

[trajanH]

Does anyone know where to buy control arm bushings separately without the control arm attached? Oh! and maybe someone knows of some junk yards in Southern California that have 1997-99 q45 cars? Thanks for your help.

[maxnix]

Joe is your friend also.

http://www.infinitipartsusa.com

Anyone who answers cna help you. good to have your VIN on hand.

[trajanH]

I checked that site and really did not know what I was looking for.If someone can give me a direct link on that site to the FY33 q45 control arm bushing part I would really appreciate it.

[trajanH]

I actually found some Poly Bushing Kits on ebay for 85$ but they are for the q45 1996 and Nissan 300Z. Does anyone know if these bushings will fit on a 1997 Q45? The description also had an interesting write up on why poly bushings are superior to rubber ones. Arguing an increase in performance and durability. Would like to know if infinitipartsusa.com has poly control arm bushings also.

[maxnix]

You'll need to call.

G50 and Z32 are similar designs but different dimensions. FGY33 is similar design in the rear suspension, but not quite the same.

Polyurethane will make the car less isolated and somewhat harsher.

[trajanH]

The ebay shop selling the G50 poly bushings emailed me to say that they can order the FY33 poly bushings for me. So I might go in that direction unless I find an easier way to get some. I like the idea of the poly bushings being more durable and can sacrifice some of the ride qualities of rubber. The less I need to get up under the car and fix stuff the better. Especially, with a car that is as expensive to repair as the FY33 Q45. Just dont understand why infinitiusa.com does not catalog the bushings separately or offer the poly bushings to customers.
Modified by trajanH at 9:42 PM 6/21/2009

[trajanH]

Looks like my ebay connection does not have the bushings I wanted after all.So if any one can help me i would appreciate it. I want to replace the original lower control arm bushings on my 97 Q45 with polyurethane bushings. If anyone knows where I can find the correct ones that can fit please let me know.Also, is it true that the control arm(transverse link) for the 98 Nissan 240sx is the same as for the 97q45?