Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

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palmerwmd
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Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Feb 02, 2021 10:56 am

Today went in to get my new KYB ajust a shocks installed in the rear.
Plus I had a firestone say they cant align car (luckily its not too far off alignment) due it key components being too rusted+ seized.

So I brought it to my local known good independent Shop to install the rear shocks and inspect and to ID which parts need replacing so car can be aligned .

He says he needs new:
- Rear Cradle to include all bolts
Havent been able to find this on Rockauto. :(

- Rear Lower and upper control arms sway bar links and nuts/bolts.
Priced this out on Rock out thats well over $1000 just in parts
Is there an equivalent part to the front end kit for the rear?
Like this front end kit just for the rear?
https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/nis ... +kit,15413

The front is not as bad as the rear but bad enough am ordering the front kit.
Plus front stuts.

This is getting expensive.. :oops:

PS: I am also ordering the complete front end kit plus front struts.


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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby smj999smj » Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:10 pm

Well...you wanted a V8! Just like the front, lower control arm bolts that can seize to the sleeves of the bushings, so is the case with the rear camber and tow adjustment bolts of the rear suspension. I don't believe you'll find a rear suspension "kit," like the front; I'm a little surprised they had one for the front, as Nissans don't always get the benefits of "kits" like many of the domestic trucks do. The rear cradle won't be found on the aftermarket; you'll need to get a new one from a Nissan dealer or a site like NissanPartsDeal.com, or, find a used one from a salvage yard. All those parts do add up, especially if you're getting all new bolts/hardware from Nissan.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Feb 02, 2021 12:43 pm

I sent a message to Nissanpartsdeal.com after I could not locate it on their site.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Feb 02, 2021 1:02 pm

Is this what one might all the rear suspension "cradle"?

https://parts.nissanoflumberton.com/p/N ... googlebase

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Tue Feb 02, 2021 4:34 pm

Found another one. the bolts too : )

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby silverarrow27 » Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:11 am

Yikes! Sounds like you're going through the same thing I just went through. I wonder if "rear cradle" = rear subframe? I also need one myself, but not in a rush to replace it. If it is in fact the rear subframe, should be Nissan part # 55400-ZS60A. Luckily price has dropped on it. When I was looking at it last year around June-July, Nissan still had it priced for almost $900.

For front and/or rear suspension, I just tend to try to get all the control arms from the same manufacturer. With all the control arms, nuts & bolts, it definitely set me back some $$$ too. The amount of money I've put into mine has surpassed what I paid for it. Maybe we'll find out in a few days that the new Pathy will come with rear solid axle...

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Feb 03, 2021 4:52 am

silverarrow27 wrote:
Wed Feb 03, 2021 12:11 am
Yikes! Sounds like you're going through the same thing I just went through. I wonder if "rear cradle" = rear subframe? I also need one myself, but not in a rush to replace it. If it is in fact the rear subframe, should be Nissan part # 55400-ZS60A. Luckily price has dropped on it. When I was looking at it last year around June-July, Nissan still had it priced for almost $900.

For front and/or rear suspension, I just tend to try to get all the control arms from the same manufacturer. With all the control arms, nuts & bolts, it definitely set me back some $$$ too. The amount of money I've put into mine has surpassed what I paid for it. Maybe we'll find out in a few days that the new Pathy will come with rear solid axle...
Yes I found them for under 700 pretax, preshipping,
With all the other parts I am getting its quickly adding up.

Then again its a lot cheaper than buying a new vehicle.

The only other alternative would be a new or newer 4runner (which is less agile due to a lesser engine)
Or a Lexus Gx460 (still less power and a lot less torque)
Or a used GX470 also less agile and a price equivalent one of say 10k would have more miles and likely need some general sorting out of this type as well.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Feb 03, 2021 6:06 am

I see some sanding and lots of this in my future :lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyWHF4NoNVk

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby smj999smj » Wed Feb 03, 2021 9:17 am

I've always found the Forerunners and Tacomas uncomfortable due to the seating position. Seats are low to the floor and your legs stick out straight and often the bottom seat cushion isn't great for long trips. It was the biggest grievance I had about my 2003 Tacoma, which was a great truck, but, just not comfortable for a long ride.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Wed Feb 03, 2021 3:22 pm

Ok I went all out in parts.
Will put the update in my main thread about this purchase.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby TooMuchControl » Wed Feb 03, 2021 8:34 pm

I'm using salvage yards recently for anything compatible with my 2005.

Car-Part.com is saving me hundreds of dollars. They have useful tools for matching up parts easily.
Ironically, I just caught up to some posts today on this, and thought I would mention....

The place I found through Car-Part.com is JS Truckmart.
I'm in Toronto, they are in Estevan. They were amazing to deal with. I think they have a US partner, but they ship to the US. From the photos the parts looks like in excellent shape. They also quality control all parts prior so that you are not getting anything torn or worn.

I've just ordered all four front control arms, from a 2017 Frontier with 11K miles. + they included all the bolts / nuts / attaching hardware.
Arriving Friday. <$400 CAD, shipped to my door.

....something about getting slightly used OEM vs aftermarket in my mind is the trade off, and it's paid off, really...so far. I've made mistakes going to aftermarket to the point I'm willing to get a slightly impregnated OEM part. Just me.

To boot, I ordered rear lower control arms from Courtesy Nissan in Texas.
Up here in Toronto, the dealer charges $400 CAD for each of the rear lower control arms. That's $900 CAD after taxes. That's goddam expensive.

From Texas, these guys arrived for $300 CAD with shipping and taxes.

Up in Canada we are getting completely bludgeoned by the dealers for parts.
What costs you USA folks $1000, would be the equivalent of me throwing my truck away here, going to the dealer for a few parts. It's beyond nut butter.

To think.
Literally - for the the cost of new bolts and nuts from the dealer - I've rebuilt my front end with "almost new" OEM control arms and bolts from salvage, from a vehicle that had less than 6 months of operation from new.

It's not for everyone and I understand that. It's good to have new and shiny as well.

Thank goodness for trade agreements - and this forum!

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Thu Feb 04, 2021 6:29 am

TooMuchControl wrote:
Wed Feb 03, 2021 8:34 pm
I'm using salvage yards recently for anything compatible with my 2005.

Car-Part.com is saving me hundreds of dollars. They have useful tools for matching up parts easily.
Ironically, I just caught up to some posts today on this, and thought I would mention....

The place I found through Car-Part.com is JS Truckmart.
I'm in Toronto, they are in Estevan. They were amazing to deal with. I think they have a US partner, but they ship to the US. From the photos the parts looks like in excellent shape. They also quality control all parts prior so that you are not getting anything torn or worn.

I've just ordered all four front control arms, from a 2017 Frontier with 11K miles. + they included all the bolts / nuts / attaching hardware.
Arriving Friday. <$400 CAD, shipped to my door.

....something about getting slightly used OEM vs aftermarket in my mind is the trade off, and it's paid off, really...so far. I've made mistakes going to aftermarket to the point I'm willing to get a slightly impregnated OEM part. Just me.

To boot, I ordered rear lower control arms from Courtesy Nissan in Texas.
Up here in Toronto, the dealer charges $400 CAD for each of the rear lower control arms. That's $900 CAD after taxes. That's goddam expensive.

From Texas, these guys arrived for $300 CAD with shipping and taxes.

Up in Canada we are getting completely bludgeoned by the dealers for parts.
What costs you USA folks $1000, would be the equivalent of me throwing my truck away here, going to the dealer for a few parts. It's beyond nut butter.

To think.
Literally - for the the cost of new bolts and nuts from the dealer - I've rebuilt my front end with "almost new" OEM control arms and bolts from salvage, from a vehicle that had less than 6 months of operation from new.

It's not for everyone and I understand that. It's good to have new and shiny as well.

Thank goodness for trade agreements - and this forum!
Great points made for sure about used! :)

I needed a lot of individual pieces ,if all from a junkyard ( and I dont know the market enough which ones yo trust) it would have been a lot of legwork.
Especially as the V8 has some components different from the V6 and so used parts would be harder to find for me I think.

But I am definitely open to that nd if I ever need major sub assemblies like engine, transmission or differential Id totally check out used.

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby TooMuchControl » Thu Feb 04, 2021 8:39 pm

Right...the V8. I forgot about it.

I might be a couple of weeks out myself on it - have to get all pumped up - as I'm doing this myself.

It's funny. Doing the repairs on the truck myself is a blessing and a curse.
Blessing if you have the time and space.
Curse as you can never be happy with someone else work. :roll:

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Re: Help! rear suspension too rusted up to install shocks!

Postby palmerwmd » Thu Feb 04, 2021 8:57 pm

TooMuchControl wrote:
Thu Feb 04, 2021 8:39 pm

Curse as you can never be happy with someone else work. :roll:
i have no garage no tools and no skills :oops:
So I have to use a shop.

I try to develop a relationship with a given shop so they humor my specific requests of getting everything done "just so" :lol:


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