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Front Bushing Failure??

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Old 03-14-2009, 08:43 PM
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Mutt
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Question Front Bushing Failure??

Hello All,

Was at the dealership yesterday getting an oil change and this was noticed on the front driver side...





Questions:

1) Is this the front lower control arm? (I thought the LCA was the curved piece to the left, in the first picture)
2) If so, can just the bushing be replaced or would I need the whole piece?
3) And, would this be the front lower control arm inner bushing?
4) If not the front lower control arm, then what is it and what piece, part would fix this situation?

Your help, as always, is much appreciated!
Old 03-14-2009, 09:12 PM
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thinking
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The service manual calls it the transverse link.
Old 03-14-2009, 09:20 PM
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ALO8
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a while back the dealer told me i needed to replace my bushings i believe, not sure if the arm itself, "due to you riding around lowered without getting an alignment", I still havent got the bushings replaced, Im saving up for aftermarket arms
Old 03-14-2009, 09:24 PM
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So then the front lower transverse link bushing would correct this? Like this one offered at mynismo.com?

http://www.mynismo.com/products/?id=5348

54560-RRZ30 NISSAN 350Z 2003-2006 Front Lower Transverse Link Bushing $35.00
Old 03-15-2009, 10:24 PM
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mthreat
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Originally Posted by Mutt
So then the front lower transverse link bushing would correct this? Like this one offered at mynismo.com?

http://www.mynismo.com/products/?id=5348

54560-RRZ30 NISSAN 350Z 2003-2006 Front Lower Transverse Link Bushing $35.00
You got it. That's the only bushing that Nissan seems to sell for the transverse link. I had the exact same thing happen to my tranverse link bushings (one side first, then the other). I just replaced each one, because the Nismo bushings took 6 months to get in from Japan. Now I have the Nismo bushings just waiting until I need them. Maybe Mynismo.com has them in stock now...
Old 03-15-2009, 10:32 PM
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Jay'Z
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What did it feel like when the bushings failed?? Did it vibrate your steering wheel?
Old 03-16-2009, 07:06 PM
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I honestly didn't even feel that it had failed. My tech showed it to me.

I am also seeming to find that there might be different names for this "arm" or transverse link. Here is a product from Whiteline...would anyone know if this would work also? I called the retailer directly, and they weren't sure.

http://www.oakos.com/Merchant2/merch...ory_Code=10800
Old 03-16-2009, 07:10 PM
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Jay'Z
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How much they going to charge you to replace all ur bushings?
Old 03-16-2009, 07:33 PM
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I will probably only do the two bushings (one on each side). But I need to find out which ones exactly will work. I am having a friend do the install, so shouldn't be too bad as far as cost.
Old 03-17-2009, 08:01 AM
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FYI Folks...it looks like the "transverse link" is also called a "lower control arm". Apparently one term or the other may be used when searching for this bushing. So from what I gather it would be either the "front lower transverse link bushing (inner)" or the "front lower control arm bushing (inner)". The outer bushing would be the bushing closer to the wheel while the inner is closer to the center of the vehicle. I hope I got this right.......
Old 03-17-2009, 09:12 AM
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Gsedan35
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I considered the Nismo hard rubber part. But after reading the Noltec product discription I went them them instead.

oem bushing and arm


oem bushing out of arm


Noltec bushing


Noltech bushing pressed into arm



Old 03-17-2009, 09:19 AM
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Spork
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Looks familiar.

I dealt with this last summer.















Check here for my experience.

https://my350z.com/forum/brakes-and-...hlight=failing

Last edited by Spork; 03-17-2009 at 09:32 AM.
Old 03-17-2009, 09:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Jay'Z
What did it feel like when the bushings failed?? Did it vibrate your steering wheel?
It made a strange cement-mixer sound while turning, and the wheels kept jerking, which I felt through the steering wheel. My car would pull to the side when driving straight.
Old 03-17-2009, 09:35 AM
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Thanks for the pics Gsedan35 and Spork! Much appreciated and I think these pics will be very beneficial to people in the future who go through this!

Gsedan35...how are the Noltec bushings treating you?
Old 03-17-2009, 09:44 AM
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Gsedan35, also where did you purchase the Noltec's from? Thanks...
Old 03-17-2009, 09:47 AM
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warmmilk
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Originally Posted by Gsedan35
I considered the Nismo hard rubber part. But after reading the Noltec product discription I went them them instead.

oem bushing and arm
[IMG]http://pics.montypics.com/gcoupe35/2009-02-04/1233814327_137929_r1_02_3a.jpg[IMG]

oem bushing out of arm
[IMG]http://pics.montypics.com/gcoupe35/2009-02-04/1233814439_137929_r1_18_19a.jpg[IMG]

Noltec bushing
[IMG]http://pics.montypics.com/gcoupe35/2009-02-04/1233814569_137929_r1_11_12a.jpg[IMG]

Noltech bushing pressed into arm
[IMG]http://pics.montypics.com/gcoupe35/2009-02-04/1233814662_137929_r1_16_17a.jpg[IMG]


[IMG]http://pics.montypics.com/gcoupe35/2009-02-04/1233814634_137929_r1_15_16a.jpg[IMG]
from past experience with urethane bushings, they wear out really fast needing replacement in less than a year. i've never delt with polyester bushings though. are they supposed to last longer? how long have you had yours? are they still nice and tight?
Old 03-17-2009, 10:13 AM
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ALO8
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so if the bushings are failing, do i need to replace the lower control arms as Spork did?
I went in for an alignment and the dealer said my lower control arm bushings are torn, they quoted me $208.24

Last edited by ALO8; 03-17-2009 at 10:27 AM.
Old 03-17-2009, 11:37 AM
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Kwame
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Originally Posted by warmmilk
from past experience with urethane bushings, they wear out really fast needing replacement in less than a year. i've never delt with polyester bushings though. are they supposed to last longer? how long have you had yours? are they still nice and tight?
The Noltec bushings are polyurethane (essentially the same as urethane). Not to be argumentative but as far as your experience, it really comes down to the quality of the bushings you use. There are crappy polyurethane bushings and excellent polyurethane bushings. For example, we have been running polyurethane bushings in Adam's 600+hp 280zx for over 10 years without any issues and thats just one of the shop cars that we have completely outfitted with urethane/polyurethane bushings without any issues.

I have recently ordered all of the Noltec (Noltec, Whiteline and Nolathane were all bought out by Red Ranger and are the same company. Noltec = Whiteline Plus) bushings for my car. I wont be able to post a review for some time however due to the fact that the rear subframe bushings wont be in the U.S. for some time.

For anyone looking to purchase any of the bushings we have a of couple sets available, with the exception of the subframe bushing.

Front Bushings:
http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?m...ng&prodid=3783

Rear Bushings:
http://www.z1auto.com/prodmore.asp?m...ng&prodid=3784
Old 03-17-2009, 12:18 PM
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Spork
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Originally Posted by xxxlino
so if the bushings are failing, do i need to replace the lower control arms as Spork did?
I went in for an alignment and the dealer said my lower control arm bushings are torn, they quoted me $208.24
IIRC, youcan replace just the bushings if you wanted.

I just have a thing where I insist on putting new parts on whenever I can.
Old 03-17-2009, 12:31 PM
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warmmilk
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thanks for the lesson Kwame, i just thought that urethane was urethane, didn't know there were good and crappy ones

what brand is adam using in his car?


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