Amazing, I had the same problem with the passenger side. I tried pb blaster and torching it off but it wouldn't budge. I finally cut the rubber flat on two sides and was able to get a pipe wrench on it and move it like an 1/8th of an inch down. This was enough to get a tie rod end puller on the metal collar that supports the rubber bushing, from there it was easy. The drivers side was a snap and that was the one that failed. I don't think you can check it until you try to remove it. Like I said there is a metal collar ontop of the rubber that mounts to body and this somehow gets fused to the "spindle".

 

You use a long pry bar to check the play in the ball joint

 

I thought he was refering to the other end of the compression rod. Replacing the bushing on the rod would have no effect on the upper or steering knuckel ball joint.

 

He is. The big rubber bushing. But what's the point of replacing that if the ball joint on the other end is bad? If the big pry bar thing works, that would be great. Especially if you can check while the thing is still installed

 

Man, you poor bastards that have to salt your roads....

 

FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY
Revision: 2005 July 2005 G35 Sedan
FRONT SUSPENSION ASSEMBLY PFP:54010
On-Vehicle Inspection and Service AES000SC
Make sure the mounting conditions (looseness, back lash) of each component and component statues (wear,
damage) are normal.
INSPECTION OF TRANSVERSE LINK BALL JOINT END PLAY
1. Set front wheels in a straight-ahead position. Do not depress brake pedal.
2. Check ball joint axial end play of each link.
CAUTION:
Be careful not to damage ball joint boot.
Upper Link Ball Joint
Measure axial end play by installing and moving up/down with an
iron pry bar or something similar between upper link and steering
knuckle.
Steering Knuckle Lower Ball Joint
Measure axial end play by installing and moving up/down with an
iron pry bar or something similar between steering knuckle and
wheel.
Compression Rod Ball Joint
Measure axial end play by installing and moving up/down with an
iron pry bar or something similar between compression rod and
transverse link.

 

The pry bar test will confirm if you have a bad compression rod, but it will not confirm if the compression rod will be easily removed from the body mount. The ball joint end is easily separated from the steering knuckle with a ball joint separator. The bushing on the other end if bad (torn) can separate from the compresion rod leaving it on the body mount spindle. If your lucky you won't have this problem. By the way after reading other posts on this topic I ordered new seats for the ball joint end.

 

For those who have changed there rods on a sedan, do you the part numbers? I found some online but the "sedan" one are like 40bucks more.....

 

what is the worst case scenario if you don't change your bushings?

my car has 157k miles on it, the bushings have been squeaking for a LONG time

if i go take it to a place to replace the bushings, im kind of worried that ball joint or passenger side compression rod will need to be fully replaced

 

I had to do this too, but I didn't torch it. I drilled through the rubber bushing and removed it by pulling it out with a needle nose plier, cutting through it with a flat head screw driver and tearing it apart by prying down the rod. Like nemises, I had to cut the sleeve, but I just cut one side as far up as I could. I used a chisel and separated the sleeve from the bolt. Then I used a bearing puller to pull it off. I cut grooves at the bottom of the sleeve first to pull it off, then pulled it from the top of the sleeve when I had enough room. It came out pretty easy with the bearing puller, highly recommend it. Here's some pics.

 

O boy was it a job to get the stuck bushing on my car off

 

I was going to replace both compression rods on my 04 G35 coupe. The driver side was making noise whenever I drove over bumps. Remove the sub frame which went pretty well.

However when I went to remove the compression rod from the stud on the chassis the bushing was frozen to the stud. Try using a puller to pull the rod off the stud, but that only ripped the arm from the rubber bushing, leaving the bushing still on the stud. Finally used an oxy-acetylene torch to burn off the rubber and heat the metal bushing. With a pipe wrench I was able to twist the bushing off the stud. Install the new compression rod, but decided not to do the passenger side compression rod since the gas line is on that side of the car. I can see that once the sub frame is removed, perhaps you can spray PB blast or some other type of penetrating oil into the spindle.

I think that using a bearing puller which I have will be what I will use to remove the passenger side compression rod. Don't want to use a torch since the fuel lines runs on that side of the car.