ugh i have some crazy clunking noise in my front end so i pulled off the front bumper and headlights to see my radiator support rusted all the way through i have the new oem piece any suggestions or should i just take it to my local shop and have them do it?




headlights and bumpers are overated lol

 

Damn that truly is a nightmare. I've been hearing a clunk from the front end for the past month. I think it may just be the failure-prone passenger motor mount but I'm going to check this out now.

 

Make sure you get a OEM radiator support or you'll be sorry.

 

Straight from Courtesynissanparts lol

 

That sucks. The exterior looks so clean for that to be lurking underneath. I keep spraying rust inhibitor on my rad support in hopes I can keep the rusties @ bay. So far, so good.

 

If I forked over the cash for the entire front apron frame assembly instead of just the lower support, can it be changed without welding?
http://www.courtesyparts.com/maxima-...2070_2072.html

 

Im not entirely to sure u should be able to change the upper with no problem but im 100% sure the lower u have to drill the factory welds out and reweld the new one

 

no.

 

that sucks. What a nightmare! Northeast is in a Deep Freeze this week and I am surprised you are doing this kind of work outside right now.

I just got new upper rubber rad. support as well as wire brushed and painted over the upper brackets yesterday.

After looking at yours, I gotta go check mine when i get a chance. With an inspection camera, i hope i don't have to tear through the entire front end like you did.

G/L

 

i see G35 rims! that sucks about your radiator assembly though

 

I thought this was going to be another Plane Crash thread...

Rust bites...

 

holy moly that max look clean tooo looks can be deceiving spray underbody protectant rubber coating on your new one?

 

it's 16degrees at 3:00pm in New Jersey when I was doing this ((((((((((

 

Lol thanks man I have the full stillen lip kit as well but this rad support set me back for paint for it

 

Yeaaaaa any specific suggestions on which protectant I should buy????

 

I'd probably say this http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=24

Known and trusted name and all that.

 

Soooo I finished pulling the front end at my uncles shop and come to see that the previous dumbass owner of the car used MADD rivets all over the damn front end so now I have to drill all of these stupid ****s out wasting mad time.......

 

Pretty sure it's an ebay radiator support that's why it broke the way it did.

 

I agree^ I used the cheap aftermarket ones and they ripped up like that in exactly 90 days each one... then I went OEM and 4.5 years later, still looks brand new underneath

 

How much Was it from Nissan??? I need one BADDD myself i wanna take a pic and show you guys. i just bought it and looked underneith and seen a half inch plate of Metal WELDED across the Rusted Radiator Support and its welds are rusting...



I been hearing Clunking from front end and can NOT pin point it entire front end is tight so now im starting to think its from the radiator support but how does it make clunking noises?

 

Haven't even thought to check mine. My car has been a Texas car for the most part of its life, anyone in Tx, more specifically DFW, had any issues like this? I'll check mine tomorrow, just curious for now.

 

This is my 3rd Maxima...I've read Maximas have ****Y rusted out Radiator support problems left and right and NEVER once Experienced it, my 95 had 290k miles not a LICK of rust, my 99 with 260k miles not a LICK of rust, this 01 I just bought from Louisiana is a damn RUST PIT...The Undercarriage looks like a 1975 Vehicle and i Kinda wish i didn't Buy this junk cause Rust is the worst thing for a car that you want to last you.

 

damm. gotta say is the rad support that was on there was from ebay. im gilty of buying one and yet 90 days later it cracked just like that. motor went so i junked it and bought a 97 max. there is rust at the same spot but not bad. im going to replace it this summer anyway. just to be safe. im swapping the motot so best time to do it. im going to go with oem tho.

 

Motor Went??? like this caused motor to fall out?

 

I bought it a while back b4 Christmas it was on sale I think from factorynissanparts.com I paid 160 free shipping , it was either from there or courtesynissanparts, as for the clunking when I let the clutch out around 2grand it used to make this loud *** bang! I couldn't take it anymore lol I had to change it asap!!

 

6hours later



The car would have been done today but the bolts that connect from the radiator support to the cross member were rusted out got to go to dealership in the morning and pick up new ones!

Old Piece.the oem one was wayyyy heavier then this bull****

 

****....

 

Might be too late but you should look into some POR15.
You won't have issues with it rusting out anymore.
You can still apply it while the part is on the car.
Had I known of that stuff before I'd have done the whole underbody.
Instead got it undercoated...never again!!
Aside form makin my white rims brown (stained), every job is dirtier than it needs to be.

My '97 Max's radiator support is all but gone at this point as well.
Radiator is held in with about 5 zipties.
Don't plan on keepin the car much longer, just till snow is gone.
Too rusted out to bother saving it.

 

Everything bolted up all done


Now to trackel this tomorrow side mounts as well



Any tips on pressing these in advice is needed thanks guys!!!

 

Good work. I had everything stripped down to radiator support on my 01 last summer and even drove like that for few days

 

So does this need to be welded ? or just bolted in place?

 

The Oem welds have to be drilled out to get the entire piece out and the new piece has to be welded in there are also some bolts that holds te bumper support to the radiator support its a pretty annoying job and time consuming

 

So i guess where those rivets are were where it needs to be welded . ridiculous that they can sell such crap like that one that was on there

 

yup!!!! its awful lol its def ebay ****

 

Yep that's a non OEM support that broke on you. There's more than one stress crack visible in the pictures.

 

Hopefully my gf's 2000 will hold up till spring then ill be tackling this job and it wont be gettin no paper thin ebay support . seems like everything that isnt nissan made is pure junk and falls apart .

 

Good job on the fix!
I think it might be time for me to think about the same repairs...

 

Looking at this thread I thought I better take a look at mine.





Luckily we don't get much moisture here.

 

your crossmember and bolts look brand new lmao u have nothing to worry about .....

 

Are those the Trailing arm bushings? There is a really good write up on getting the old fluid ones out somewhere - doing a search should find it. I just did mine and pressed the bushings in using a 1/2" x 5" long threaded bolt. I used big washers and two squares of plywood to press them in - it worked like a charm. The write up says to use a piece of PVC pipe, which would work - but i just used two small blocks of wood inbetween the Trailing arm and the plywood squares (6" x 6").