Houston...We have a problem (core support rust - pt.2)
 

So anyone that lives in an area with snow and corrosion, this is your 4th gens fate. I noticed a clunking yesterday and thought...Oh snap! I think my control arm bushings are shot. Well I went to check oil/ trans fluids as a part of my weekly inspection and noticed my radiator pimped down on the passenger side and the passenger side support bushing also missing.

As I inspected further, here is what I found:

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_119_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_120_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_121_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_122_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_123_full.jpg

Here's a link to pt.1 of the Core Support rust page in case anyone needs it.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=500698

This is what is being installed tomorrow I guess, was gonna wait a couple weeks.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_124_full.jpg
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_125_full.jpg

hey dude, how much did all this stuff cost ya.. one of my good friends got this and hes been worried ever since his car is gonna fall on the ground or something....

holy crap, that is some terrible rust

damn thats a lot of rust, i better take a look over my car to looks for spots like that...

Yeah give us the prices man. Mine is worst....

Plus I had to weld on a piece of metal to hold my hood latch down...

Where and how much did you get all that for?

Good heads up for all the newbies.

It was like $160 or somewhere around that for all of it. I have it all torn down at the moment. I will get some pics up later, and hopefully finish it this weekend. I planned on taking it to a shop, but rather at least try it first myself. Actually my step-dad is helping a lot too. Without his help, the car would be in a ball of flames in the backyard while I made s'mores over it. lol. jk.

And yeah..165,000 miles of NE Ohio winters and salt will do that, My car is a giant rustball...but bit by bit I am fixing that. She has to last until I earn my Degree.

wow, now your scaring me dude. i know my bushings are bad and i was told at the dealer my rad support was'nt too bad. i looked at it when it was up in the air and its still together, phew!!!! i did'nt know you could replace just the lower support, i thought you had to replace the whole rad support. where did you get the lower support?? please inform us of that and your progress.:frosty:

This is for all the others out there that tried to fix it half way...
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_126_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_127_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_128_full.jpg
Pay close attention to my Nismo bungee radiator support!Lol. Also, if you look close, all those 3/8in holes are where you have to drill out spot welds. You really notice when you look at the pic above then below.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_129_full.jpg

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_130_full.jpg

So all I have to say after today is...PITA.. PITA... PITA!!!
Holy Spot Welds Batman!! There were so many, like 20 per side. And there isn't a lot of places to be welded, just a lot condensed in a small area! And the 12mm in the front corners will snap, one broke through in the engine support, so saws all that. Three 14mm on each side, one on the back will spin with the nut broke free...saws all that one too. Sorry I wasn't more step by step, esp with the pix, but I had to rush, I MUST be done by Monday. But I can maybe comeback and add more later...phew! I'm goin' to bed. I'll add more after I get done (hopefully) tomorrow.BTW took my stepdad and I 6 hours to completely disassemble to the point of re installation.

-Please don't flame us, neither of us are or claim to be professional body repair men. This is a first for both of us...we are engine builders. Body work is WAY harder IMO.

Xtra .02 = I know I need a new A/C condenser...horribly! Just I can't have one here by Monday without spending $300, and I don't have that. That's definitely next. I will obsess about it now until its fixed. Plus I don't have a way to drain the existing A/C charge, and NO I'm not just releasing freely it into the air.

haha, you think you had to deal with alot of spotwelds!!! Try having to do the upper as well, and then having to do like 50 more just to use a junkyard upper! I think next time I do this for someone I think I'm going to just put the mig welder on the highest voltage setting and turn the wirefeed all the way down :) <-------- EDIT:that won't work, stupid me.

how that is messed up... we should all get together and call Nissan up on this one.. i mean they should have a recall or something...

Rust due to climate = not nissan's fault?

hi im new..but i can definitely tell thats not a good thing..lol

Too bad most of us arent spoiled enough to live in Florida, where you have no snow/salt/rust and smooth roads.

Ok that would be so if they were rusting in different places...

but almost ALL of us have this problem... so yea i call for a Recall....

Installation begins:
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_131_full.jpg
These are the three bolts I was speaking of earlier..14mm the bottom one towards the rear of the car on both sides was a pain.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_136_full.jpg
Impact bar, bracketry, etc..
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_133_full.jpg
Almost done...just some trim and lights
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_134_full.jpg
Finito
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...6_135_full.jpg

As I said, this was not an easy task. I do not recommend anyone doing this if they have little problem solving skills and mechanical abilities...and a good set of tools. Also once again, Thanks to my Step Dad Brian for all of his help and time. Total reassembly time was 5 hours, so this was a total of 11 hours work time.

Main tools:
- 3/8 and 1/8 drill bit (Or a Spot Weld Cutter)
- Dewalt 18V power drill
- Welder
- Saws All
- 10mm,12mm,14mm,18mm sockets (1/4 and 3/8 drive) AND Ratchet Wrenches (I swear these were made specifically for of our Maximas)
- flat and phillips screwdrivers
- Variety of Hammers and Chisels
- Truck bed coating, undercoating, rust converter, Rustolium paint, PB Blaster, AntiSeize
- wire brush set
- grinder

I bought all the parts from Nissan dealer.
Lower Core Support: 62530-40U00
(2) Bolts:11898-40U01
(2) Bushings: 11243-40U01
Approx - $160 for all if I remember correctly.

A shop will want from $500-$800 to do it for you.

I don't have the fogs in because the one is still recovering from a very personal meeting with a raccoon the size of small cow! (hence the crack on the right, lower side of the bumper cover.)

dam it looks a lot better wen u finished it. lol

but i must admit....i love miami's hot *** sun!!!! no snow...no salt....ftmfw!!!

very nice job im a body guy, what kind of undercoating did you use?

Thanks! It was a lot of work! I used Truckbed coating mostly. I used some rubberized undercoating, not much. It wasn't 3m or anything special. Whatever WalMart sells. can't remember the name.

I have the same problem on my 97. I'll see tomorow how much my mechanic quotes me when he puts in my new cat tomorow.

California too unless you are in the Sierras :).

so how do you break the spot weld? Need a welder to do this job?

http://www.ingallseng.com/graphics/P...ures/92900.jpg
You can either buy a spot weld cutter (link to pic above), or use a center punch, then 1/8in drill bit, then a 3/8in drill bit and pry with a chisel and hammer.
_the spot welds are mainly where you see the 2 vertical rectangular holes on each side of the radiator, by the sorry excuse for a power steering cooler. They are all around there, mainly connecting nonsupporting sheet metal.You will be able to see them as they look like "dimples" in the sheet metal. Some you REALLY have to look for. They will be in corners, and inside those rectangular holes too.

Wow you did an exellent job man

Thanks! You alls compliments are greatly appreciated to us! It was a lot of work! (As those of you that did it already know!) I couldn't imagine doing the whole support, Kudos to you that have!!

amazing work! very nice indeed. Thank goodness i live in socal where I never see snow. lol!

I wish I lived in Socal for more reasons then snow!! OMG I LOVE CALIFORNIA!

i had the same problem with the support rotting out. i wouldnt even attempt this on my own... much props to those that have done it themselves. the condensor has to come out i believe and its a lot of work,i took mine to a shop and its about $800 for the job. hate to spend that kind of money on maintenace but it had to be done. if yours is rotting out get it taken care of, you dont know when it can totally collaspe.

good thing you were able to do the repair yourself, otherwise you would have had to spend mucho $$$$

great job on that. So what kind of welder did you use? and how much for the welder?

jeez that was a ton of rust. looks so much better.

My core support is just about to fall right off too lol!

Into the shop next week, quoted 200 labour (i love small towns).


All Canadian max owners should check for this, i could just imagine what the older maximas that live in the city look like.

I used a Small Lincoln Mig. not sure what model exactly, it was like 400 bucks for it. The wire was Fluxcore (I wanted to use gas, but couldn't get it until Monday and that wasn't an option). Harbor Freight had the wire and it was like $25 for a smaller spool.

Nice, I'm planning on getting a small welder, so I just wanted to know what kind you used.

very nice. i'm glad someone decided to do it themselves the right way!

Thanks! I learned the hard way...doing things the wrong way in my adolescence! Now its the right way or not at all, no matter what/ how much it takes, I'd rather only do it once!! Research and planning FTW!

Anyone having the rust problem but not bad enough for major surgery should check eastwood's website, they have many products for rust control that really work.

www.Eastwoodco.com

http://www.eastwoodco.com/jump.jsp?i...1&iSubCat=1485

.... dammit.. jsut went and checked mine.. same prob.. not that bad.. but isee it starting.. well i guess soemthing else for them to do when the motor and tranny is out..

A write-up of this should be stickied. I'm sure all Snow trudging maxima's may one day run into this.... Unless if you guys are smart now and coat the thing.