Rear bushings and bent frame?

[Sentientbydesign]

Hey guys.

I just found out my I30 needs new rear brakes. No problem, I have them coming in next week.

The problem is that my rear alignment is out of spec. .25 degrees on the driver's side rear. When I went to check the brakes, I noticed that the arms that connect to the axle aren't at a 90 degree angle with the joints they connect to and the bushings are VERY worn.

Can anybody tell me which bushings those are and if they're a DIY job. I replaced the LCAs in the front, but I'm not sure what the rears are called and whether energy suspension has them.

Also, should I consult a frame shop regarding the arms or just replace the bushings and have the car re-aligned?

TIA

[brianw]

Energy does NOT have rear bushings for these cars. Pedders does-- http://www.cattman.com is the only US distributor for Pedders at the moment.

You will need to drop the whole rear axle to replace the control arm bushings, it's not an easy job just because the damned thing is so big and weighs so much. You may need a hydraulic press to replace the bushings-- I believe you do.

0.25 degrees of what, tho? if it's 0.25 of negative camber that's not a big deal...

[Sentientbydesign]

Sorry, should have specified that it was .25 degrees of Toe. Oddly enough, it's the left side that is out of spec, but the right tire that is wearing unevenly.

The rear right tire is wearing like a wheel that has excessive positive camber, but it has 1.1 degrees negative camber *shrugs* I'm hoping that the bushings will make a difference.

Thank you for letting me know about the cattman. I'll go check it out.

[brianw]

0.25 degrees of toe isn't much. A frame shop may not be able to do anything about it, the only thing possible in the rear is a thrust alignment.

If you're in Southern California, Darren @ West End Alignment has one of the only jigs in the nation to properly bend the rear beam without damaging it to adjust it. One or two other shops have such jigs too, but I'm not sure where.

[Sentientbydesign]

I spoke to Brian Catt at Cattman and Pedder does Not make bushing for the A32. The bushings they had listed were cross referenced with the J30 which does not have a beam axle with trailing arms, but independent suspension instead.

Does anybody know of somewhere I can get custom urethane bushings from?

I remember seeing a member on Nico that did, but I don't remember who it was or if their bushings were effective.

[brianw]

Doh, so the Pedders bushings didn't actually fit? Crap...

not sure who would do a custom bushing, I would suggest either replacing with another OEM bushing or looking for a local racecar or off-road shop that does these things.

[Sentientbydesign]

I spoke to Energy earlier today and they basically laughed when I asked for custom work. I even asked if there were any plans to produce the bushings due to the large customer base (nico and others) who have 4th gens, but they had no plans and didn't seem interested.

I'll check around to see if anybody else will do custom work.

The problem is that the axle is over $500 from the dealership and that's the "recommended" method of replacing the bushings.

[brianw]

That's because the demand for the rear control arm bushing is essentially ZERO. It's an expensive part to replace because the labor is a pain in the *ss, and 99% of the people on car forums, Maximas included, are interested in looks and not handling. A bushing isn't sexy enough for them, plus the A33 equivalent from Energy-- which does NOT fit the A32, it's been checked-- is already $55 or $90 or something not cheap. :p

You might need to bite the bullet, although I'd see if a discount Nissan parts dealer can get you just the bushing.... the labor's still a pain in the *ss tho.