My 03 G35 6MT is at the dealer for 60k service... they just called and said the compression rods are cracking and need to be replaced, but it's $650

1) what are compression rods, what do they do, and what will happen if i dont fix this now/soon?

2) is $650 a fair price for this?

3) is this the sort of thing i should take and have done at a private mechanic for a better price (how much would i save?)??

4) if i just bought a full suspension (shocks/struts/springs) off someone's 350Z, and swap it out with my existing suspension, would this problem ostensibly be moot, or would it still exist even if i did this?

thanks for any input-- i gotta call them back soon!

 

Compression rods are designed to wear fast to absorb the stress of suspension movement.

Common first to wear on All Infiniti's since 1989 where they were called Tension rods on Q, J30, even G20. 300zx and trucks.

Just one of the maintenance things you must get use to replacing FREQUENTLY, probably time for new shocks all around [common weariut every 60k].

 

Yes, compression/tension rods do wear out and should be replaced, but $650 may be a bit steep depending on how much labor they are doing. Find out what part price they are quoting you, as the discounters online (Performancenissanparts.com, Riverside Infiniti) sell it for ~$130 per side assuming it's a coupe (you need one for each side.) Sounds like a lot of labor that you might be able to get done cheaper somewhere else. You may want an alignment afterwards, though.

Q45Tech is right - my 300ZX's tension rods gave out at 70k, and although I could have driven around for a little while on them, there was some clunking, and the car felt much better after replacing them. Don't recall the labor being that high though...

 

where are the compression rods? Are they in the shocks or something? Do they get replaced when you get coilovers?

 

They are essentially suspension arms that attach from the front subframe to the suspension upright, and stabilize the upright and absorb some of the deflection of the suspension.

See this picture:
http://www.courtesyparts.com/betasit...5_800_802.html

It is part number 54468 and 54469

 

To me that looks like a part you can remove and fix and when you'r done with it. Get the car align.

 

I take exception to this description. Yes, compression rod bushings may experience some 'normal' wear like shocks/struts, but the design on the G35 is clearly inferior. Just do a search on this forum! The bushings frequently crack and cause awful clunking/creaking noise - not after 60k miles, but often in as little as 5k miles!! I challenge any Infiniti rep to state on the record that this is a normal "designed to wear fast" component! In my experience, this is the very description of a DEFECTIVE design and/or material, and not in any way normal.