I need to ask this question before I tear into both my G35s. I am getting ready to replace front lower control arms on both my cars as the inner bushings are gone. Some sites state that the 03-04s are different than the 05-07 coupes and Ive seen different part numbers. Can someone please tell me if the front lower control arms are different between the years or the same. this way I know which way to go when ordering them. I have both an 04 and 05 G35 coupe.

thanks
Robert

 

To my knowledge, they are the same dimensions.
As I understand, the knuckle is different between 03/04 vs 05/06(7c), as the ball joints have different part numbers. I am yet to see online where different bushings are called out for any of the control arms (unless maybe if it has RAS?)
From what I have seen, when a companies change part numbers for the same part, it can be b/c of 3 things: change in design, change in material(s), and/or change/switch vendors. I would guess change in material, as its very common for the Z/G to eat LCA bushings, so maybe they updated/changed the rubber compound used.

 

2003-2004 came with the ball joint pre-installed in the LCA, 2005-2006 sedan and 2005-2007 coupe did not, thus the difference in part number.

The LCA itself is exactly 100% the same part and completely interchangeable.

 

I'm currently going through the same issue and having to completely rebuild the entire front suspension. I told the guy towing my car twice to not tie the chain around my damn sway bar twice. He then wrapped it around the control arm. The last minute when I wasn't looking went ahead and did the same thing I told him not to ****ing do! There was no wrench on the trailer and I'm missing my tow hook. There are 4 of us and we couldn't get up up on the ramp at all. So the guy said he'd pull it onto the trailer. Well when he did I heard a loud *** popping noise coming from the drivers side. I immediately frieeaked out! When he went to pull on the sway bar it through the entire front suspension out of alignments. I hope I can fix it, there was already one screw up. And I was pissed but not mad at here for the help she provided. She managed to not have a single clue how to tow. I attempted to explain the concept to her. How I was going to slow her down and at keep the tow rope as tout as possible. Lo and behold it was a complete failure. She made a 90 degree turn almost immediately and it ripped the like through my bumper causing the damn handle to the ratchet to become lodged between the sway bar and the oil filter. I was completely livid, but immediately calmed msyself. She was only trying to help. So later on I had two guys help get the car up on a tow trailer. It won't start and no way we could of pushed it up the incline by ourselves. Again I reiterated to this guy to absolutely not tie the chain around the sway bar and what does he do, you gue#ed it! As it was being pulled slowly up onto the trailer I heard this loud pop. I freaked out and hit my breakers and signaled for him to stop but he kept on going so I has no choice but to continue the process. As I assessed the damage I noticed the driver side wheel is no maybe 2½-3 inches from the rest tire well. So something is definitely not right! I've been meaning to replace the endtired suspension anyways but not for this. Anyway, I'm about to get underneath it and take the sway bar odd and hopefully I'll be able to get the oil filter off and I'm hoping that nothing major happened. Hopefully I'll just need to replace the busings I had already intended on doing. The car was driving perfect before this incident. I'm going to be so pissed if I can't fix this and there's fram damage which I'm suspecting there to be a bit on top of the body where it meets the tire well. I noticed a small crease so the body did flex a bit. 9nve I get underneath and remove the sway bar to get that damn ratchet handle out between the sway bar and oil filter. Then I can top off the oil, throw in the new battery and hope for the best. Which is another issue entirely that started this whole viasco! Anyways then I can get underneath and access's the situation. I made to replace the entire front suspension. The caster on the driver's side is pretty negative. A lot in fact and I can see if running against the fender if I turn. I have no clue what would cause the caster to become so negative in the first place. so now I'm going to have to trouble shoot this whole ordeal that could of very well been avoided in the first place. My main issue is getting the car actually started again, then I'll go from there. Since it's a damn 04 G35X parts are a pain in the *** to get. I'm willing to just go all out. Order a new set of struts all around, gets some G35 Coupe springs up front and a set of Nismo 350z springs from the back. Then get some new tie rods, sway links, sway bar bushings, a set front forward LCA, and a set of rearward LCAs, a set of upper control arms for the awd model. Now as far as the rear is concerned I can use pretty much any set up. So I'm going to beg some adjustable control arms, sway linksz and upper control arms. Then get an alignment and hope for the best. I have to get this car fixed asap. I absolutely can't afford to scrap it. But I have exactly 2 months until my lease is up and I'm moving to Houston. So I have to get the ball rolling asap.

Oh just future reference for any G35X guys out there. Yeah they claim they make ball joints specifically for the AWD. But they aren't much different than the ones that go on the RWD 350z and G35s. They are a whole lot cheaper as well, same goes for the tie rods, and honestly you could use rwd upper control arms. I just wouldn't because the ones that come with the awd G35X are made sturdier and are thicker for the added stress on the drivetrain. If I can't fix this **** then I'm catching it on fire and saying to hell with it. I'm aaibimg up for a G37 coupe anyways or maybe an Infiniti M56S. But I'm extremely attached to this G35. I've had it for a minute and it still has plenty of life I'm it. Would hate to see it go to waste. I'm determined to get this thing back on the road. I'm confident that I can do this too! If anyone has any input please feel free to ahold me some advice. Because any help would be appreciated. It'd mean the world to me,I'm stumped as of now and just hope I can get her back on the road soon. I have two months to do it starting tomorrow. So we'll see

 

All that damage over a missing $15 part.

Should be pretty obvious what's broken when you get the car up in the air, sounds like something was pulled completely out of it's bushing.

Who the hell pulls a car from the sway bar... There's NOTHING substantial bolting a sway bar on... wouldn't surprise me if it is pulled entirely off it's brackets.

For the future you can EASILY remove the front bumper on the side of the road with two screwdrivers and a 10mm socket, takes less than 5 minutes. Then you can wrap something around the actual metal crash bumper to pull the car and not worry about wrecking everything.