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I have a 2002 Nissan Stagea that ran straight and true with no excess tire wear, until idiot mechanic bent something!! It was the Best Damn Hearse On The Lot! Which is equal to the 2004 G35XAWD in all suspension and underpinnings(Skyline AWD)
. Yes, these were the predecessor cars for the G35X all wheel drives released in the U.S. as 2004 AWDs. All suspension components are the same and same part numbers
. I had a guy bounce this car hard on a short hoist with the tires hanging(unsupported tires stretching stuff), and I picked up 1-dregree of positive camber(only on left front) with very very slight toe-in, but almost un-noticable on measuring toe. If anybody has heard of such a strange thing, or what part is the best guess to replace, let me know!!! No other alignment issues are noted, so it is and has been a bit frustrating, especially on the island I live on for now. Worn my tires off rotating them to the +1 camber positive front left. I cannot see any visual problem with left compression rod bushing, and given the nature of aluminum upper arm(more V-Shaped on AWDs) I see cracks near the forging built-up area around the upper left ball joint aluminum, but wherever aluminum is built up like that it can seem like a crack, but it can just be a part of the seem only. I am suspecting a stretch A-arm, since no play or bulges on the bushings. My second guess is the compression rod bushing (liquid filled, has no play??, has no sign of distress??). I could replace it out easy at home in the states, and drive away, but anything coming to here thru customs multiply 3X for each part, plus shipping gets taxed with it 3X. $125.00(part + freight) ends up being $375.00 = expensive A-Arm even if it is the correct guess!!!
Thanks for not tearing me a new one about posting this car on here, but from the underside it is a G35X with a 2.5 liter. Any help or guesses or similar odd jounce damage is sincerely appreciated.
I bought it with 70,000kilometers on it(45,000 miles or less) for $850.00. Shipping from Japan to St. Kitts gave a total of $3,100.00. After taxes and Customs and license plates and a 1 year sticker = $8,600.00. That is why I love taxes so much, since they do so much for me.
I have an upper left control arm and cone (AL500) seat coming, so hopefully that helps or fixes. Then, pay the mechanical engineers to stretch, bonk, strike, hammer and clammer, then drool on themselves in sheer ecstasy.
You sir are a funny, offbeat guy that fits in perfectly around here, welcome to our dysfunctional little family. It's a damn shame they didn't make these with the 3.5L motor, would have made the Ute even more bad azz than it already is!!
Keep us posted as progress is being made, sub'd for the future lulz.........
There was a 2.5Turbo in the AX models before 2004, then in 2004 they got the 3.5 Liters. To be honest with you, I did not know this car was a G35X chassis until I started to look at the parts at the Nissan dealer(past month or two, since seeking new tires), and using pictures here on this site. I just needed transportation and $850.00 seemed like the cheapest I could do. Otherwise listening to Mongo Bongo tourist music on the Bouncy Bus Mini Van taxi service was going to dislodge another tooth.
The car is really a winter car, with heated everything(not seats in mine), and selected skid control/snow locker, etc. 5 Speed, which Nissan was slow to want to evolve to, so they chose the ZF transmissions for these. It is a long gear ratio, and this backwards island has no use for it, since powerband is sweet at 3500 or higher for torque and HP. The gas mileage is bad enough on the sand and silica enriched regular grade only gasoline. It is too complicated for them to offer different grades of fuel, and the British that conquered the island do not think they deserve premium gasoline, since the first slaves were Irish and they lived without it. That answer confused them and held them at bay for the past 20 years, when gas was first introduced for tourist fires and dancing with flames.
I did put some 318 SUV West Lakes on 215-60-17 recently(almost lost the car just having tires changed, again), since the roads and the speeds do not warrant lower profile anything. Stop-Go-Stop-Go, and air horn on semi-truck beeps/blasts to say hello, not for any other reason. He seems to be the happiest guy on the island. Out of three optional brake lights working, every 2-days I am behind someone with none working(zero), since it saves money not thinking beyond the immediate. Many have one working and I tried telling them and they apparently think it is better to wait until you need all three of them. There is a roundy 2 blocks away that you can go around and come back out in the opposite direction, but instead they stop and initiate a Y-Turn while everyone waits, since that would have used extra gas in their minds using the roundy slightly down the road. Nothing makes them happier than being in someones elses way or gumming up the works. Hearing is optional and yelling is mandatory. I guess if they did not have a television they would not have any job. When I leave I plan to go to a quiet desert and drink my own urine just to get my head right again. But, don't hold me to that, since it may not work.
In August 2004 the range was modified:
4 new tires put on. 35 lbs in fronts. <20 in left rear; >50lbs right rear. Then they set the toe in the rear with uneven pressures. Before that spin balanced with who knows how much air, but not any specific amount before spinning.
Got Mogul upper A-Arm put on today, only cuz a friend brought it back in his suitcase for his job. The new control arm is the same as the old, so Mogul tolerances are good, and they did send the cone with it, but parts geek did not say that, so still own an extra cone.
So, A-Arm was fine, now likely lower ball joints, but which one and I have to source them which is not going to be easy. No squeek in the inner bushings in front on either side, and the inner pivot point bushings are not distorted, so Camber from both of the lower control arm ball joints is possible.
I found a better mechanic, so he put the A-arm on in less than an hour, an knows what he is doing.
12-11-2016, 01:44 PM
