So I'm trying to replace my rear control arm bushings

[kkamakasi]

which requires me to remove the rear control arms (trailing arms). Here are pictures of the part in question:

From the rear passengerside looking towards the centerline of the car.


From the centerline of the car looking outwards to the passengerside.


So here is my question.

Does the car need to be on jackstands for me to remove/install this trailing arm or can I remove/install it while the car is sitting on the ground?

If it does need to be jacked up, where should I place the jackstands? On the rear axle?

What is the procedure to get the bushings replaced?

Thanks alot!

[Chuck Tribolet]

The trailing links keep the axle in position. If they aren't there, things will move.

The truck needs to be supported at the chassis with jack stands. FSM shows where.

I've done both of my uppers twice. The big bolts are a bear. I couldn't break them loose with a 24" breaker bar and a pipe cheater. That provided a good excuse to order up Ingersol-Rand's baddest 1/2" impact wrench (1000+ ft pounds!), which. with more PSI than spec and a couple of minutes of banging, broke loose three of four. The fourth I had to cut off with a pneumatic cut-off tool.

Note that the FSM specs replacing the big bolts and nuts.

Note that the FSM says to retorque the big bolts and nuts with the truck at normal ride height. That means put everything together loosely, put the spare in the truck, floor jack under the diff, remove jack stands, and lower the jack so the truck is more or less level. FSM says do this with a half tank of gas. Since I frequently have a big load aft (120 pound tongue weight, and a load of dive gear in the truck), I do it with a full tank.

When you pull the bolts out, be sure to tag them by where they came from. They aren't all the same. There are at least two different part numbers.

I'd use anti-seize compound on the big bolts.

You'll need to disconnect the sway bar. Don't bother to reconnect it until every else is back together except the wheels and a spare.

The picture in the parts book sucks. Be very patient with your parts person let them take a break and help some other folks. If ask real nice they might print you a copy of the picture to take with you.

How many times did I say FSM?


Chuck

[m0nkeyprince]

cool, im planning to do this too, except i dont have a recipricating saw, to cut the metal band loose after you burn the bushing out. Would a simple one from home depot work?

[CanuckQx4]

First off dont burn the bushing out, you need to get it super hot and its a big mess. I simply drilled about 10 holes and the rubber just popped out with a screwdriver and a blunt hit. Then I bought a $3 metal blade for my jigsaw (assuming you have a jigsaw and wouldnt need to buy a resiprocating) to cut the band then popped the sleeve out with a screwdriver

[kkamakasi]

Well, I finished the bushing replacement.

I just ended up paying a chassis shop to press the bushings out/in for me for $60.

It probably saved me couple of hours of my life, which $60 to save is a good deal for me.

The ride is much stiffer and the rear is definitely not doing the death sway anymore.

However, with that said, I would have preferred to go with brand new OEM bushings instead because now I feel like it's too stiff.

I don't off-road or do anything crazy with the QX4. It is strictly for daily chores such as driving to work, groceries, occational cross-town trips, lots of highway use.

And like I've mentioned before, I'm in New Orleans, pothole capital of the known universe.

I would have much preferred the OEM bushings and wouldn't have mind doing the maintenance again in another 100k-150k miles.

I guess it's too late to do anything about it. If it ends up bothering me so much, I guess I can always just press them out, sell it on here, and replace them with OEM ones.

Anyways, a good solid day's work on the QX4.

Thanks for the help guys.

[Iceman2989]

I am looking at doing the same thing to my 97 pathfinder to get rid of that "death sway". Im new to this forum, and to working on cars, but if you wouldnt mind, can you tell me more about what work was done? Did you have to supply the parts, and then they did the labor? Is that what the $60 was for?

Thanks! And as much detail as you can afford time to write will be much appreciated!

[kkamakasi]

I did the install myself.

I removed the lower trailing arms in my garage and brought it to a suspension shop for the old bushings to be pressed out and the new bushings to be pressed in. That cost me $60.

The new bushings I ordered online.

[Iceman2989]

Thank you! Are trailing arms the same thing as control arms? Im looking around online for the bushings, and Im seeing a lot for the front lower control arm, and not so much for the rear lower control arm... are the bushings interchangeable? or would you happen to have a link to a place that sells em cheap?

ps, how long did it take to remove the arms?

[alexf20c]

no, the bushings are not interchangeable.

if you want polyurethane bushings, check out www.4x4parts.com. they're a PITA to install yourself, and for the same price you could just replace the entire control arm from www.rockauto.com.

the rear suspension links can be referred to as control arms, but are commonly called trailing arms.

[Iceman2989]

I am SO impressed with the difference after I put in those bushings I got from 4x4parts.com!! No wobble! NONE! Driving on the highway just got kinda boring now that I dont have to adjust anything to correct the Death Sway~ Thank you all for your help! I only changed the lowers, and it was all the difference I needed, Couldnt be happier about it!

[fueler]

I am SO impressed with the difference after I put in those bushings I got from 4x4parts.com!! N

me too, one of the best things ive ever done to my QX4

[jsessums]

Thank you! Are trailing arms the same thing as control arms? Im looking around online for the bushings, and Im seeing a lot for the front lower control arm, and not so much for the rear lower control arm... are the bushings interchangeable? or would you happen to have a link to a place that sells em cheap?

ps, how long did it take to remove the arms?

napa does have both the lower and upper control arm bushing let me know if you need the part number

[Iceman2989]

Thanks, but I purchased my parts from 4x4parts and have installed them already. It is unbelievable the difference that it has made in the ride of my pathy, I love it! Thanks to everyone for the great information!

[zxmarc]

i would need those part numbers from napa please, would help a lot

[codeguy]

Thanks, but I purchased my parts from 4x4parts and have installed them already. It is unbelievable the difference that it has made in the ride of my pathy, I love it! Thanks to everyone for the great information!

Iceman: Can you provide information on what you did to replace the bushings? I have the exact same problem with my 88 Pathfinder and I am a bit nervous about doing this type of work myself. I am confident I can handle the job, once I fully understand what needs to be done, but at this point I am kind of clueless.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[Chuck Tribolet]

It's pretty straightforward.

Drop the spare tire and put it in the back of the truck so it's natural ride height when tightening things back up.

Take the tires off.

The bolts holding the trailing links can be a real bear. The first time I did my bushings, I had to use Ingersol-Rand's baddest
half-inch impact wrench for an extended time on three of the bolts. The fourth I had to cut off with a pneumatic cut-off
wheel.

When you take the bolts off, keep track of where each came from. The front and rear upper bolts are slightly different.

The FSM says replace the bolts and nuts. Do it.

You'll need to disconnect the ends of the sway bar.

Antiseize compound on the big bolts when you put it back together.

You'll need somebody with a press and the right dies to press out the old bushings and press in the new ones (if the new ones
are rubber).

Assuming you have the diff on one floor jack, a second jack will help align things when hooking the sway bar back up.

Do one side at a time, mostly so you can see how things go back in.

The first time I did it, I only had bad bushings on one side. I bought the whole trailing link assy from Nissan and saved
the trailing link I took out. When the second side went, I got new bushings from Nissan and had the pressed in the old
trailing link so I didn't have to run out in mid job and get bushings pressed.

[Towncivilian]

Anybody know roughly how much it'll cost to have this work done at Nissan or an independent shop? I'm looking at a '97 Pathfinder for a friend and the listing says there's death sway.

[Iceman2989]

Codeguy-
I bought mine from 4x4parts.com Heres the link "https://www.4x4parts.com/nissan/pathfin ... -6246.html"

I took em to a local guy and had em done there. I believe it was a couple hundred for that, but I was also getting a bunch of other things done at the same time, so I dont remember the exact cost of that part of the work. Just a total bill of about 900... ouch.

If youve got the tools to do it, I bet you could get it done, but I didnt have access to any at the time and so I had someone else take care of it.

[rydebynite]

Anybody know roughly how much it'll cost to have this work done at Nissan or an independent shop? I'm looking at a '97 Pathfinder for a friend and the listing says there's death sway.

I went in to the stealership for routine oil change (was feeling lazy didn't feel like doing it myself) and had them rotate tires and check wheel wells for the rust recall (all good here no probs). Had them check my suspension and find out why my rear feels like its swinging all over the damn place at slow speeds and on highway. So I was quoted 625.07 for REAR lower and upper control arms if anybody feels they want to go there and get this work done.Plus my shocks are blown.I pretty much have an idea of what I want to replace but as far as the bushings go is it better to get the ones that are split in two or the solid one piece. Is there a chance of it slipping out or is one weaker than the other?