I was jus wondering who has replaced their shocks/struts, where did you go? How much did you pay? Did you do it yourself, how much were parts and how long did it take? Thanks

I've done the rear shocks. It took 20 minutes and 100 bucks in parts.

Yep, rear shocks are an easy DIY. Front struts, mounts & bearings I had AAMCO do, don't remember the price off hand though.

Is there a DIY write up for the rear shocks on here?

There sure is: how-to-replacing-rear-shocks-and-springs-t528353.html

But it's basically support vehicle with jack -> unbolt shock -> insert shock into bottom eyelet (with restraining strap still attached), secure, cut strap and guide into top eyelet, secure, torque bolts. 15 minutes a side, give or take.

I wrote a reply to a few of the threads on how much it cost me in parts and labor a few days ago. But i was quickly repremanded for posting it. By one of the moderators some one said i was rude. If is still up u can see the break down. Use amazon, ebay, rockauto.com for most of your parts need it. Shop u will find deals. Key is to really look

I did shocks, springs, bumper, about to drop spacers and air bags.

blkqx4 wrote:I wrote a reply to a few of the threads on how much it cost me in parts and labor a few days ago. But i was quickly repremanded for posting it. By one of the moderators some one said i was rude. If is still up u can see the break down. Use amazon, ebay, rockauto.com for most of your parts need it. Shop u will find deals. Key is to really look

that's weird... that'd be the first I've heard of a moderator deeming a price-out as "rude".


I did all "four" - struts, front springs, shocks, rear springs.
If you do struts, remember to get OEM strut bearings and mount. I believe the KYB strut mount/bearings break down rather easily. There's a thread someplace about them. I'll see if I can search it and reference it here later.

ARB EMU Medium Duty springs (4x) $300
KYB Gr-2 struts (2x) = $65+60 (Left and right were different prices... go figure)
KYB Gas-A-Just shocks (2x) = $104
OEM(Nissan) Strut bearings (2x) = $50
OEM(Nissan) Strut mounts (2x) = $50
Subtotal is around - $630. you'll need to account for tax and shipping according to your own case.

I had PepBoys (in case they don't elsewhere, I'm sure you can call around to different shops) install the front springs. I removed the strut assemblies, along with new parts (new strut, new spring, mount and bearing) and took it to PepBoys to have them change things out. You're likely able to re-use the strut-cap/retainers, that's why you need to take the old assemblies too.

I installed the rear spring myself, which was a the most difficult to do, as the springs where obviously stiffer and a bit longer than the worn out springs. I had to do a lot of back and forth, titling(see-sawing) the rear axle to slip those suckers on. That's right... no spring compressor :P. Of course, a spring compressor (manual or hydraulic) would had made things a world easier.
Of course rear shocks are easy enough to change out, as the shock assembly is easily compressed to make it line up.

The biggest advice I can give you....
ORDER new bolts and nuts to replace the old ones. I was dumb and in a "rush" to see the new parts installed, that I ignored replacing nuts and bolts and re-used them. They didn't fail on me or anything, but it's more of a "while you're down there" type of thing. It's strongly suggested by FSM, anyhow.

Also... I would like to mention that I'm no wrench-monkey. Overall, this took me about 10-16 applied hours to complete. I'm sure it'd only take a mechanic shop maybe no more than 5hours to do all of this
I just took my time and studied what I needed to do (ie. what I needed to remove, how to remove it, tools to remove, tools to torque, etc) and proceeded carefully. My "tool chest" consists of combination wrenches, regular socket and deep socket, a torque wrench that goes up to 100 or so ft-lbs, a woodblock (for times I needed to prevent the wheel from turning), a floor jack, and jackstands. The obvious tools are screwdrivers and maybe a worklight
Other than that, that's all I used.

Oh and if you decide to do the suspension work on your own... you'll need an alignment
which may cost you $60-80 depending on your mechanic labor rates.

Good luck!

Finally got time to do this yesterday. Ordered the parts through the dealership I work at. Monroe sensatrack shocks were 39 a piece and got the springs for 60$ for the pair. Had to use a spring compressor to removed and install new springs. All in all this probably took me 2 hours. Great DIY and my rig rides SO MUCH better. Is there a write up for the front on here too?

If you own an R50, you have done or will need to do suspension work. So far I've done both sway bar bushings and links, front control arms and the upper trailing links still need to be done. I sort of got into the habit of checking out other R50s on the road for death sway and sagging rears

Brute 03 wrote:If you own an R50, you have done or will need to do suspension work. So far I've done both sway bar bushings and links, front control arms and the upper trailing links still need to be done. I sort of got into the habit of checking out other R50s on the road for death sway and sagging rears

question about the sway bar if you don't mind
Did you get OEM links? or do they come with polyurethane. The reason I ask is because I inspected the links, and the only place there seems to be a bushing is the rear, where it connects link-to-body. Otherwise, is it necessary to change out links if they're not bent, cracked, or broken?

And the other question is regarding the bar bushings. Not sure if you used polyurethane, but would there be any noticeably benefit to using poly over rubber type?

donald wrote:

Brute 03 wrote:If you own an R50, you have done or will need to do suspension work. So far I've done both sway bar bushings and links, front control arms and the upper trailing links still need to be done. I sort of got into the habit of checking out other R50s on the road for death sway and sagging rears

question about the sway bar if you don't mind
Did you get OEM links? or do they come with polyurethane. The reason I ask is because I inspected the links, and the only place there seems to be a bushing is the rear, where it connects link-to-body. Otherwise, is it necessary to change out links if they're not bent, cracked, or broken?

And the other question is regarding the bar bushings. Not sure if you used polyurethane, but would there be any noticeably benefit to using poly over rubber type?

I didn't change the sway bar links in the rear since they seemed to have a fair amount of miles left in them, however, the fronts were shot and causing all kinds of clunking noises over bumps. I replaced those with the greasable moog units.

As for the sway bar bushings I used rubber. I never really noticed a handling improvement verses poly in my other cars. handling wise, poly bushings make the most difference in the control arms and steering rack IMO

1 more question
Would you mind sharing the Moog front link part number?
Thanks in advance!

Excuse my ignorance, it's my first truck, and I haven't read any explanations for the number of times I've read about spring replacement. What is the reasoning behind replacing the springs? I have 123K mls, the rear doesn't sag, don't tow - never towed, never and will not off-road, stock height and wheels/tires, but the ride isn't great, and I'm working my way through the mostly original suspension. I expect to keep the truck until 180K mls. And if I should replace now, what with? Thx.

the springs are weak and sag out after years of use. Mine are really soft in the back of my qx. If i load it up with gear for camping it will bottom out on potholes.
I was going to go down the air bag route for the rear for like 150 bucks. that way I can tow a boat and not squat like crazy.

Thanks for the info, Renthal. I'll keep my eye out for when it starts sagging.

hi All
im told i need new front right strut because the bearings in the mount are bad. garage told me to to replace the whole unit becuase its not worht the time to seperate the old mount from the strut. it looks like a fairly simple job 3 bolts on top and 2 bolts down by the knuckle? no need for special tools or compressing springs? garage wants 2 hours of labor = $250 each side. this would be my biggest DIY project. advice would be appreicated! thx

The strut mount bearing for your QX4 (54325-5V000) is a $33 part from a dealership. Less than that elsewhere. https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Nissan-5 ... B00GKB5VMA
From my experience, aftermarket strut mount bearings seem to be the least reliable strut assembly item so I have stayed with OEM bearings when I changed my struts. The strut assembly comes off simple enough, as you noted, but a spring compressor is required to disassemble the strut, spring, and strut mount assembly to replace the bearing once the entire strut assembly is first removed. It's not a difficult DIY project but you need the right tools.

thanks but i was under the impression that if I buy the full strut assembly it comes with the mount and thus no compressing of springs is needed? also what struts do you recommend? my shop installed monroe the last time , another garage recommended kyb? i found this monroe strut at parts geek dot com , any opinions?

You're correct. If you buy an entire pre-assembled strut assembly, no spring compressor is needed. It is a very simple DIY install. No special tools are required but getting a front end alignment after both struts are installed is highly recommended. I installed KYB Excel-G struts on mine, with OEM strut mount bearings and bumper/bellows. I don't think KYB has a pre-assembled strut assembly for the QX4 or Pathfinder. Shop mechanics and many DIY owners like the pre-assembled units because they are easier to deal with. The unit costs are typically quite low as well for all the parts in a complete preassembled kit. However, low cost and long term reliability don't always go hand in hand.

thanks. i just priced monroe (roadmatic 281573 full assembly for $115 each side at rock auto dot com
yes, it appears very easy to replace these things.. I watched a youtube video and now feel like an expert
.. just a few bolts and re torque ( i'll have to buy an "adult" size torque wrench )
wierd that the shop wanted $500 per side, claiming its 2hours of labor per side... am I missing something?
also - garage seemed to tell me its ok to just replace the rt side since thats the one that has the bad mount.. but i read online you should always replace them both at same time . any thoughts on that?
and yes... i will definetly get alignment after its done.

omg.. did I make that giant emoji?!?! wasnt on purpose

mvmcali wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 11, 2021 7:38 pm

...wierd that the shop wanted $500 per side, claiming its 2hours of labor per side... am I missing something?
also - garage seemed to tell me its ok to just replace the rt side since thats the one that has the bad mount.. but i read online you should always replace them both at same time . any thoughts on that?
and yes... i will definetly get alignment after its done.

Shop mechanics love these preassembled strut kits because they are often paid by the job done, not by the hour. Yet the shop rate in time and cost per hour, whether preassembled or not, does not change. The mechanic can then get more jobs done in a day and get paid more for doing more jobs even when it is less work. Both sides should be replaced at the same time, especially the front end struts, because the performance differences while braking, maneuvering, and driving (generally speaking) will be badly impacted if one side has worn spring and strut responses while the other side has new performance characteristics.

yeah... there is a 'book time' that garages use to bill. apparently the # of hours to repair/replace is provided by the factory (my shop tells me german car makers dont provide that but US and Japan does) and if the mechanic is quick he can increase the shops profit margin by doing the job quickly. seems like a recipe for disaster when you think about it

did i mention, the billable time for 1 strut replacement is over 2 hours, thats why the shop is quoting me $571 to replace one front strut assembly. that seems a lot of time when i look how little dissassembly is required to get the part in/out

dumb quesiton.... when we talk about OEM parts... is the only place to get those is thru the dealership? or can i order OEM online? and OEM doesnt mean the part is labeled Infinity right? for example , bosch makes parts that come factory installed on new cars. how do i know im getting an OEM part

mvmcali wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 10:03 am

dumb quesiton.... when we talk about OEM parts... is the only place to get those is thru the dealership? or can i order OEM online? and OEM doesnt mean the part is labeled Infinity right? for example , bosch makes parts that come factory installed on new cars. how do i know im getting an OEM part

Ordering an Infiniti or Nissan part number from a dealership guarantees you will get an original equipment manufacturer part. Depending on the specific part, it could be tagged in some way (a label, molded in, engraved) with the Infiniti or Nissan name or the OEM supplier's name, such as Hitachi, or it could have both names, as you may find on an ECM. Hitachi and Bosch, for example, are both OEM suppliers but they also produce aftermarket parts that can be suitably similar or even identical to the part quality they supply to automotive manufacturers. When you buy a Genuine OEM part from a third party, not the dealership, it will still be packaged with the automotive manufacturer's name even if Infiniti or Nissan did not make the part. Depending on the specific OEM part, the part itself may not even have a name on it. It might have a part number on it but it might not be the Infiniti or Nissan part number. The unique fuel filter for my Kia Soul, for instance, is the same filter used in some Hyundai vehicles. The OEM part number is the same for Kia and Hyundai but that part number is not on the part itself and the only difference, depending on where I buy it, is the name on the box it comes in. Neither Kia nor Hyundai actually make that part. The actual manufacturer, an OEM supplier, also sells it on their own as an aftermarket part , in their own packaging, but there is no guarantee of the same OEM part quality. Additionally, there are numerous aftermarket part knock-offs that look identical to original equipment, often cost significantly less than genuine OEM parts, but often have very poor reliability.

That wasn't a dumb question at all. The complete answer I tried to reply with is likely even more convoluted than what I wrote. The best way to know you are getting an OEM part, not necessarily just one provided by an OEM supplier, is to be sure the part is sold as "Genuine OEM" or buy from a dealership. Research the specific part you need to purchase to be sure it is suitable for your needs if you do not buy genuine OEM parts.

thanks. and yeah... knock-offs have created a real delima in the last 20 years (thanks China). i remember several years back , i replaced my xenon headlamp bulbs. didnt want to pay the exhorbitant rate the dealer wanted so i bought off amazon. did some research and learned how tricky the knock-off makers can be. they mimick the packaging and the the lettering .. basically everything except the quality

by the way, any recommendations for an online seller of OEM parts ? i found a site carid.com which seems to offer oem parts

mvmcali wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 3:10 pm

by the way, any recommendations for an online seller of OEM parts ? i found a site carid.com which seems to offer oem parts

The gold standard is NissanPartsDeal.com. It's a network of Nissan dealers and the site uses the same database and drawings as Nissan DPC. Searchable by VIN, MY and p/n.

mvmcali wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 12, 2021 3:10 pm

by the way, any recommendations for an online seller of OEM parts ? i found a site carid.com which seems to offer oem parts

I really don't have any recommendations on preferred OEM parts reseller in the USA. There are more than I am aware of. Here are some I have purchased from or at least considered, just to name a few.
Infiniti Parts Deal
Nissan Parts Deal
Tasca Parts
Querk Parts
Parts Geek
I've ordered parts in the UAE as well at great prices from PartsNext.
Some Amazon resellers occasionally have good deals on genuine OEM parts too.

Tasca is an actual Nissan dealer doing business online along with brick-and-mortar. Courtesy Nissan does the same thing. Since they're dealers, anything from them is guaranteed to be genuine.