I have a '94 SE Maxima and I am looking to replace the bushings for the lower control arms in the front suspension.
Does anyone have any suggestions of where I can find the best bushings for this part?
I'm looking for cost/performance balance.
Thanks.

 

Do a seach for bushing. Lots of information.

 

There's no cost/performance balance when it comes to changing the bushings. I don't think there's any poly bushing out there, if that's what you're thinking. The OEM rubber bushing can be purchase at your local dealer but they might tell you have to buy the entire control arm because the bushing aren't sold seperate. If that's the case order the bushings from www.CourtesyNissan.com and be on your merry way. Be for warned the old bushings aren't that easy to press out but has been done by a few members here, myself included

 

Yea, i went to the dealer and they told me that i would have to buy the hole thing, so i just went to a junk yard and tore out an arm there.

 

You could have just bought the bushing for an 88.
But if you had done a search you would have known that. Along with the fact that an unspecified member "rebuilds" the control arms.
or give me some time I have something in the pipeline

 

Someone posted that you could get the poly bushings from Australia. Anyone know anything about this????

 

I've got someone looking at the poly bushings from AU, but waiting on the guy to get back to me on them.

a junkyard control arm is probably in same or worse condition than the one you pulled off the car. you need to replace the bushings if you want decent handling again.
If been doing this service for $130 shipped, and have done it for several other members all with good results. give me a shout if you want to. since you've already bought another set of arms, you can mail those to me and I'll swap those and forego the $100 core charge up front.. let me know!

 

matt you only charge $130? per arm right... ive notice my car sways alot at higher speeds and when im on uneven road it tends to drift? sound like the prob?

 

do those come with or w/o *****?

 

I had bought that control arm way before I even knew the org existed, i was just adding my input on where i got mine, but since your so quick on the trigger, next time i need a misc part ill just ask you.

 

Hope I didn't offend you. I just spend my day on the org except saturdays.

 

how difficult would it be to make our own poly bushings? i've never looked at them myself so i'm not sure how hard it would be.

 

Unpossible. I can almost guarantee that no one on this entire board has the resources, knowledge, and equipment to fabricate poly bushings.

 

big problem. they have metal sleeve in 'em and around em. otherwise they'd be easy to do. there are places that sell the poly in long rolls for making custom bushings

 

u sure about that?
ok maybe not poly...

 

only tools it would really require are a lathe and brains. poly bushings aren't hard to make per se, but they're definitely not a DIY job.


Maxine89, I do the whole job for $130 shipped, that's BOTH sides. you need to send me your old ones after you do the swap, that's why it's so cheap. most people don't have the tools to press the bushings in/out, and that's basically what you're paying me to do.

(No, that does not include a new ball joint, just the front and rear control arm bushings. New ball joints would put the parts cost for me at over $130, let alone my consumable tools, time, packaging, shipping, etc...)

 

Thanks for the suggestions. I back on the road with a new control arm and new bushings for the front end. It's too bad there aren't any poly bushings available (as far as I could tell). What's the deal on the Australian connection for these items? I was told by a few European and Asian manufacturers that they did not make poly bushings for this particular model.

 

where'd you get em from?

 

Had to go straight to Nissan for them.

 

OUCH!
What did you pay for em? 160 ea?

 

hehehe you shoulda searched more. we coulda saved you a LOT of money.

 

90

 

about 3 days ago i was cut off and pritty much ran off the road, i hit and wentr over a curb at about 40 mph, i totaly bent the shi* out of my driverside control arm, i went to the nearest auto wrechers place, and bought a control arm for 50 bucks with the bushings,
the accident was so bad - my front driverseid wheel was bent up against the back side of the fender next to the door, and because of my fender being all out of place my door wouldnt open, but about 500 dollaz, and 4 to 5 hours of labor,my car is up and running once again. got new struts and had to get a alignment and um i installed the control arms and bushings and a new link for my sway bar myself. Car works great now- but the only thing i have notice is that when i start it up when the car has been sittin over night in the cold it smells like the fumes from the exhaust is coming str8 into the car, guess i need to replace that too - prolly damaged it while going down the hill.


http://www.courtesyparts.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?
this site also has bushings/\..... if u need em.

 

http://www.4dsc.com/articles/suspens..._bushing.shtml

eh what do u know heres a write up

edi:t: oh nm i just saw that u fixed ur problem.. how muh do just the bushings usually run?

 

$10 approx for the metal pressin bushing.
order for a 2nd gen though

 

control arm bushings through nissan are about $60 per set after you pay shipping.

I'll do the whole job in pressing the old one out, new ones in, etc for $130.
If you don't think that's a deal, had to the garage and try to do it yourself. you may get the control arms off, but you're not getting the bushings pressed in without a hydraulic press.