M35X

A few months ago I had a clunk at the front right wheel over every bump which ended up being a sway bar link.
Life has been good and noise free for a while but now I have a clunk that only happens once per acceleration/deceleration.

Example 1: If i come to a hard-ish stop and get the suspension nice and compressed, as soon as I start accelerating again I may hear a knock immediately as I start accelerating, or it may show up during the first bump I hit, but seems to disappear until the next time I stop/ change the direction of the suspension and drivetrain loading.


Example 2: Sometimes when I back out of a driveway with a big gutter/ bump in the entryway, i will get the clunk as soon as i change from R to D.

I have replaced the front prop shaft which got rid of a different clunk
I have replaced the sway bar links which got rid of yet a different clunk
It shouldnt be strut mounts since that would be a clunk over every bump.
It shouldnt be the front diff or half-shafts since that would generate a clunk when i go on/off throttle in a low gear

I have upper control arms waiting to go on next since they are cheap and easy, and after that my next easy cheap item is the sway bar bushings.

Im not going to be surprised if its the lower control arm/bushings but visually they look alright and those guys are pricey so i'd like to expend my other options first.

Any other items to check or thoughts you may have?

It's your sway bar again me thinks.

I used to change them like my socks on my M35x when I had BC coilovers . Every oil change. I went through like 5 brands lol.

I saw Edbwoy's video on youtube on dropping the sway bar (thanks as always Ed!)

Thanks for your feedback, knowing that you have gone through a few sets is good data.
Do you remember any brands that you used that didn't work too well.

I went with Moog end links and upper control arms thus far and was planning to go with Moog bushings if for no other reason than they are split and therefore easier to install. I dont have much justification for choosing Moog other than they focus primarily on ball-joints and sometimes offer improved designs over stock.

picoman wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:46 pm

I went with Moog end links and upper control arms thus far and was planning to go with Moog bushings if for no other reason than they are split and therefore easier to install. I dont have much justification for choosing Moog other than they focus primarily on ball-joints and sometimes offer improved designs over stock.

I looked at the price of moog end links recently and it was higher than the price of OEM end links direct from Infiniti that they quoted me that same week. My OEM ones have lasted me 160k, so you may want to see if your dealership has them cheap too.

Ilya wrote: ↑

Tue Feb 12, 2019 12:42 pm

It's your sway bar again me thinks.

I used to change them like my socks on my M35x when I had BC coilovers . Every oil change. I went through like 5 brands lol.

You think it has something to do with extra stress from being dropped down low? Thats really interesting that they failed so much. I am just replacing mine for the first time at 160k and figured these new ones would last me at least another 100k.

I also buy the OEM ones for the sake of longevity.

Some of these household names are just that, because their names don't guarantee quality like back in the day. Sometimes you get lucky, and find Moog components inside your Autozone branded box. As above, I go with OEM to avoid the guesswork.

Anyway, I'll throw in a guess - control arms. A very sure way of testing them is to creep to a stop then immediately slam your brakes. Take off fast. If it clunks in either or both of those scenarios, your bushings are possibly worn.

Here's my driver seat diagnosis of the Y50 chassis:
Stabilizer links - result in a clunky ride in general. The front end will feel rattly
Stabilizer bar bushings - typically a light clunk over bumps
Control arm ball joints - might clunk as well at moderate speeds but a heavier sound. Unlikely to hear over bumps at very low speed. Steering wheel shake + instability at higher speeds likely
Control arm bushings. A very heavy clunk/thud at heavy take off or sudden stopping. Does it once. Might squeal, but very hard to hear when loaded
Upper control arm bushings - squealing noise going over bumps/driveway
Bearings - howling, rumbling, gravel in a pump. Left bearing bad = noise quieter when going round a right bend, and vise versa. Skipping if bearing is severely damaged
Axle click (common on rear axles) - a snap or click when moving from a stop. There's a TSB on lube & retorquing things
Inner/outer tie rods - steering wheel shake at almost all speeds. Crooked steering wheel, car pulling to right or left. Outer tie rods might clunk over bumps
Wheel imbalance - steering wheel shake at moderate to higher speeds
Bad rotors/brakes - judder when braking. Shaking at speed
Bad tires - everything under the sun really. Rumbling, howling, skipping, hopping, jumping, steering wheel bouncing, card-in-bike-spokes sound etc

Well, after all that I have to say that when I get a completely messed up project, I take it to my neighborhood Firestone for a diagnosis. It costs $10 and although they might not get everything, their professionals and equipment do a good job of shaking things up safely to call out the major issues.
Then a video like this one happens where you test everything else out while replacing the lower control arm (LCA).
And you're welcome Sir, I appreciate the support... and I'm trying to intentionally record better videos for tutorials. I've come a long way from my first uploads a few years ago.

So Ilya got me scared about my new End Links that would be going in soon so I started looking for other models that are stronger. Ended up getting the SPL ones:

https://www.z1motorsports.com/suspensio ... -5097.html
https://www.z1motorsports.com/suspensio ... -6599.html

https://www.z1motorsports.com/suspensio ... -5487.html
https://www.z1motorsports.com/suspensio ... -5488.html

They look significantly fatter than stock ones or things like Moog. They also have extra adjustment for taking some pre-load off when you are lowered. So for those of us that have gone with coilovers or lowering springs it is probably best to get either these SPL or Whitelines to account for our ride height.
Ill let you know how the installation goes and get a picture next weekend when they go on.


Oh, and I did a cross reference on part number for M35 end linsk and they are the same number as G35 ones, so these should fit fine.

did u find what the issue was? i have a similar problem however it tends to only be when i am almost at max turning radius and usually in reverse or 1st gear. i do know my ball joints are wearing but could it be something other than that?