Hey everyone!

So I decided I needed a new set of tires for my 05 pathy. Found a great deal on some Cooper Discoverer ATWs, $145 each. But I always make sure to get an alignment when I get new tires, and thats where the drama started...

Things they found when they tried to do an alignment:

1. Front Driver side wheel bearing shot - like it was really shot. But not making any noise at all. I had noticed the steering was a little 'squidgy' so not altogether a surprise, but this one definitely got away from me. I've now replaced the front wheel bearing. That'll be on another thread.

2. Rear control arms - All ball joints worn, to the point where an alignment was not possible. So I went shopping. Found the control arms on PartsAvatar.ca (hard to find good online canadian sources of parts, these guys are a gem!). Mevotech Premium lifetime warranted Rear Front Lower and Rear upper control arms for $88 canadian each. A steal! But at 350000km, some of those bolts I knew were very rusted and seized. I decided to give it a shot myself, but didn't want to end up with a half disassembled truck in my shop, and having to figure out a way to get it to a real mechanic. So I found a local guy that is a red seal mechanic that does side work. He said he'd do the job for $500, including installation of my front struts, a transmission seal, and my rear stabilizer links. However the guy called me a couple days later and said he couldn't do the control arms, they were too seized in place and he didn't have the tools to do it properly.

Brought it to a shop that accepts customer supplied parts today, and they got to it. About 4 hours later, its all buttoned up, but the guy snapped the end of one of the camber adjustment bolts off as he was finishing the alignment. Can't get the bolt out of the lower rear control arm, so I need one of those now, its coming in tomorow and they will button it all up.

All the truck needs now is a new exhaust system ,and it will be brand new!

Hoping the labour bill is less than $1000, but I have my doubts... yikes!

Just adding up my expenses:

Front wheel bearing Assy - $85
Upper control arms left and Right - $175
Rear Lower forward control arms - $185
Mevotech Camber bolts - $160 (2 sets)
Extension Housing Seal - $20
KYB Shocks - $120
Stabilizer bushings and links - $50
Bolts from Nissan - $220
Front Sachs Struts - $80
Monroe Top Plates - $40
Strut hardware - $60
Moog Springs - $120
CV boot damaged during control arm removal - $50
Lower rear control arm - $200
Labour for struts, stabilizer links and Transmission seal - $400
Estimated labour and alignment for control arms - $800

Total damage - $2765

PLUS the tires I needed in the first place:
Cooper ATW 265/70/16 - $580
Installation - $140
TPMS Sensor replacements - $120

Total Total cost - $3605!!!

OUCH! Now I'll have to drive it for 9 months ($400 a month) to make it worth it. Hope it works out!

Still needs to be done on my pathy:

Exhaust system - $400
Front Pinion seal leak - $100 (its not a fast leak)
Driver Side door pin replacement - $20
Driver Side door seal repair - $50

But, like a good farmer, always leave something broken... its bad luck to fix everything!

Wow, lot of work...

disallow wrote:...like a good farmer, always leave something broken... its bad luck to fix everything!

That's a funny quote, but I like it.

I had to cut one of the bushings in my left rear spindle and the LCA bolt that went through it out with a reciprocating saw. When they seize it's awful. I put lots of lithium grease in all of them to go with the new ones.

Sounds alot like my nightmare last year with my rear suspension.

Ended up forking out around $3000 all together to get the rear suspension completely rebuilt.

If you want to feel better...spread that over the life and mileage of the car...compared to how much you have spent on it in the past...then the cost per year does not look so bad anymore...

Based on a $500/mo car payment, my expenditure has already paid for itself.

disallow wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 11, 2019 8:32 pm

Just adding up my expenses:

Front wheel bearing Assy - $85
Upper control arms left and Right - $175
Rear Lower forward control arms - $185
Mevotech Camber bolts - $160 (2 sets)
Extension Housing Seal - $20
KYB Shocks - $120
Stabilizer bushings and links - $50
Bolts from Nissan - $220
Front Sachs Struts - $80
Monroe Top Plates - $40
Strut hardware - $60
Moog Springs - $120
CV boot damaged during control arm removal - $50
Lower rear control arm - $200
Labour for struts, stabilizer links and Transmission seal - $400
Estimated labour and alignment for control arms - $800

Total damage - $2765

PLUS the tires I needed in the first place:
Cooper ATW 265/70/16 - $580
Installation - $140
TPMS Sensor replacements - $120

Total Total cost - $3605!!!

OUCH! Now I'll have to drive it for 9 months ($400 a month) to make it worth it. Hope it works out!

Still needs to be done on my pathy:

Exhaust system - $400
Front Pinion seal leak - $100 (its not a fast leak)
Driver Side door pin replacement - $20
Driver Side door seal repair - $50

But, like a good farmer, always leave something broken... its bad luck to fix everything!

Still a LOT cheaper than a new one.
IF you could buy a new mid size body on frame SUV with such a nice engine.
The only thing thats still out there in this size class in body-on-frame is the 4Runner and it does not perform as well as a 10 year old r51 that is in perfect shape.