Is the 3rd gen bushing natural rubber?

I remember seeing a DIY howto on putting another bushing in our control arms. Was that a 4th gen bushing?

If so, is that bushing made of a better material? like Celcon or nitrile? polyethylene? There must be a benefit of retrofitting another gen bushing to our C arms.

Is there a bushing out there that is more resistant to breakdown from ATF or oil leaks?

If not, Im going to figure out how to fab a shroud/cover to protect it from drips and splatter from above. Anyone done that?

I need to buy Nissan brand C-arms next time. The right side bushing pod was welded incorrectly and at about a 3° angle. Probably helped the breakdown.

 

Read this:

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hlight=bushing

 

Even better...

In search...Type-----> control arm bushing

 

why not just fix the leaks instead?
hope they weren't from me
I had that issue with one supplier, I have since changed suppliers and now no longer have any issues with them.

 

Well as long as their OE, I will be ordering from you again. I don't remember where I got em. I thought I had only ordered the R&P and PS pump based on my invoice. But I bet whoever I bought them from was getting them from the same wholesaler. I absolutely have to get a new one. It shifts about a half inch on the rail.

 

I will fix the leaks, but I don't know if you could ever fully stop leaks. So I will try to fab a shroud anyways, even after I pay all I can to stop the leaks.

 

They aren't OE.
there are at LEAST 3 different manufacturers that I know of for the arms.
the brand I used to carry, you had to rotate the big bushing they had it set in the center or better known as 90* off for either side.
Current brand has it set right for each side, I've been using them for about 3 years now. Haven't gotten one back yet (of this brand)

 

you haven't been around nissans for long, have you? the power steering ALWAYS leaks in Nissans. every single one I've seen. Every one.


And FYI.. the Energy bushings are polyurethane. impervious to oils and such. part of the reason I switched to them.

 

Yea Ive only been around the 3rd gen max for about 9 years. First and only type of vehicle ive ever owned. Totaled one and restored it. Totaled it again and had to buy another one. Won't buy another car til about 2015 maybe =)

I dont ever expect to stop leaks for the maxi. Its possible that I will re-engineer the PS pump later on. For sure I am going to try to make a SS hose line and seal it to CNC machined ends to match the OE ones to stop the leaking. I work closely with a company called Flex-Ing (www.flex-ing.com) and they have the know how to help me out. The factory crimp on the PS hose looks weak and I don't like it..

 

the hose fittings isn't the problem... the pumps just ooze and seep fluid, and I've seen the lines sweat as well. strange, but they just do. all Maximas, 240s, Z31s, Z32s, 240/260/280z, sentras, altimas... any of them will start doing it after 60-80k miles.

 

my last one wasn't when I sold it
I'll find out on the sentra eventually

 

Yeah p/s leaks about every 18 months like clockwork. I was thinking about maybe putting a ring of caulk around the "wrist" of the control arm just before the leak gets to the bushing, and that way it would just drip there instead of going further, but then just fixed the p/s.

 

i agree. and i hate it damn it!!! right now im actually trying to fix the leak so that i can install the Stage II lower tie bar i ordered from you Matt. actually i had it installed but when my dad came in with the air gun, he accidentally cross threaded one of the bolts on the driver side of the rear mounting point of the Stage II lower tie bar which is the hole that Matt said that needs to be wider in order for the tie bar to fit properly. apparently i went ahead to the junkyard to get spare bolts and a heli-coil set to repair the hole on the frame. Matt i also noticed that in order to install the tie bar on my car i had to loosen all of the control arm bolts and sway bar nuts so that i can install the tie bar. is that normal for the entire suspension to shift in order to make the tie bar fit? i know i have to get my car aligned after this since i noticed that the suspenision shifted in position.

 

the LTB shouldn't have required you to unbolt the whole bottom end of the car. sometimes you have to adjust the angles on the front part of the bar a bit, but it should still bolt on just fine.

Mike, don't bother with sealing the control arm bushings.. just replace them with urethane and it's not a problem.. the urethane won't deteriorate in oil like the stock rubber.

 

well mine leaks out of the passenger-side strut-tower-mounted connector. It drips off the lower corner of that bracket; i suppose it leaks from the connector itself and not from a hose puncture.

 

try pulling it apart and replace the copper washers on it.

 

I had the entire front suspension replaced a few months ago because there was so much wrong with it that it was just easier. I dont know if the bushings on the new arms were polyurethane or not.

Do modern cars have it from the factory or is it a cost-cutting issue for production?

 

natural rubber is softer and more compliant, so they use it. provides a smoother ride and less road noise transmitted into the chassis & cabin. lower NVH means happy grandma drivers.

polyurethane is stiffer, but better for performance. cost-wise, the poly is more expensive too, but it really isn't a factor in this case. the big issue is noise and vibrations, which Nissan doesn't want. performance aftermarket people like us (well, me) do want it.

 

Find a gunk called Petroseal. Its aircraft-grade polyurethane sealant. Way better than silicone under the hood when it comes to heat. I believe petroseal is meant for use in and or around catalyzing agents like fiberglass or other 2-part epoxies. When some of those start to kick they hit 400°F or higher, So I'd bet petroseal would take the constant heat. It also isnt flexible and kind of looks like JB weld so its rigid and strong. Its meant for trapping gasoline vapors within a contained system, so even helium (when they test primary petroleum containment equipment, they use a helium test and a sniffer) cant get out if you seal the joint right. Should work fine for liquids.

 

Where can I buy those urethane or nitrile bushings for my C-arms?

 

do you not read? I sent you an answer to your PM with exactly where you could get the bushings. You even sent me a link in that PM to MY post that has a link in the very first sentence to the site I got the bushings which is the same link that Pervis Anathema posted in this thread. I then told you that you could buy the front round bushings from courtesy nissan, brian (internetautosupply or whatever it is now), and Matt who all have posted in this thread.

Also you have the search feature...use it...but if you aren't going to use it at least READ the responses you get. Its a waste of my time to respond to you if you don't read and use my response.

here is a hint in case its a matter of you not knowing how to use this site. If the words are a different color and underlined its a link and you can click on it to take you to a different site...like the first sentence of that post you sent me (and PA posted).

 

Frak sorry Mikey. APs link to the post looked like part of his sig so I scanned past it.

And as for your link to the parts site, you didnt really word it right. It could have been underlined for emphasis for all I knew. Usually posters provide a link in this way: "I don't know if anyone on here got these or not because they are kind of expensive. Go HERE to see them."

I scanned the whole sucker up and down and didnt find a ref link. Theyre also not on Brians C-Arm page unless its under accessories somewhere.

Thanks for the Internet Tip! I see links everywhere now!