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#1 |
UYFBR
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Okanagan Valley - Canada, eh?!
Posts: 1,500
Vehicle: 1994 Hardbody
Thanks: 0
Thanked 205 Times in 147 Posts
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![]() ![]() At 265,000km's, the truck was worn. It felt tired. And Nissan's soft bushings were once again to blame. There is no "Master Kit" for a Hardbody pickup. Instead, you buy the rear leaf spring shackle bushings (7.2103), the front control arm bushings (7.3102) and the front strut rod bushings (7.7106). The sway bar bushing kit (7.5108) was unavailable through my supplier at the time of the writing. Leaf Spring Bushings The rear leaf bushings are very straight forward. So much so that I have no real pictures. The leaf spring bushings took about an hour to change with no unusual tools. This should be a common repair, as the worn shackle bushings cause a weird snap in the back that you can feel through the entire truck when making a turn. ![]() Worn out front bushings are easy to change. ![]() As are the rear shackle bushings Upper Control Arm Bushings I changed the front bushings at the same time as I switched to BellTech spindles. The entire job took about twelve hours, but this included swapping the spindles and re-indexing the torsion bars. ![]() See everything there? ![]() Remove it. The upper control arm is relatively easy. If your truck is fairly rusty, you will want a torch to help loosen the seized sleeves. The bushings come out and install quite easily. ![]() Clamp the control arm in a vice and remove the nuts, lockwashers, and flat washers (save them). ![]() Drill the bushing material out using a 1/4" bit in as many places as you can. ![]() Slide the control arm off the shaft ![]() I ground one section flat until I broke through the sleeve, then pried the sleeve off with a pair of Vice Grips. ![]() I Never-Siezed the old washers and new sleeves, and greased the bushing. Slip the control arm back onto the shaft. ![]() Assembled! Lower Control Arm Bushings I wanted to see if these, too, could be removed without a torch. Yeah, right. I am that masochistic. I drilled them as much as possible, I used X-Acto knives, I used a rasp bit on a drill, I used files, I used a Burnz-O-Matic propane torch. These were not fun. The best way to remove bushings is always a torch. Except the Hardbody bushings are IN the crossmember. This means that the resulting smouldering-rubber flame will burn whatever is above it (your engine), and soot everything up. Or I could just calm down and use less torch flame. The Oxy-Acetylene torch at work was out of Oxygen, and my truck was up on blocks. I scoffed the wee Acetylene Rosebud torch and cranked up the heat. Torch, baby. Don't mess around. ![]() Drill the bushing material out, twist and remove the inner sleeve, then burn what's left keeping an eye on everything else that catches fire - this part is nasty. ![]() Press in the new bushing and sleeve - this part is fun. Radius Rod Bushings This is a no-brainer. You have to remove the rods anyways to get the control arms off. These were no problem at all. I Never-Seized the works. ![]() Disappointingly easy BUT NOTE: If you're bagging your ride, these might not allow enough articulation without fatiguing the radius rod to failure. Best to stick with rubber on this one for the bagged trucks. Conclusion A marginal improvement. The truck is a bit tighter, but nothing to write home about. Left front squeaks. |
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#2 |
Infamous "Hard"body
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Fremont, CA
Age: 41
Posts: 712
Vehicle: 1989 Nissan Hardbody
Thanks: 53
Thanked 33 Times in 33 Posts
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Lol, nice write-up. I installed all the bushings save for the front control arm bushings just because they looked like they'd be a pita. My leaf spring bushings always squeak. Very annoying. But at least the rear doesn't clunk around turns anymore.
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#3 |
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Texas
Posts: 37
Vehicle: 1986 Nissan 720-D
Thanks: 1
Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
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Cool, thanks for the protips & pics - gotta freshen these up on my 720 in the next few weeks and have never done it before.
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#4 |
Infamous Autocrosser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Western NY
Posts: 4,314
Vehicle: 1986.5 4WD Reg Cab/ 1991 2WD Reg Cab(Red)/ 1995 2WD Reg Cab(Green)/ 92 WD21 4WD PathFinder
Thanks: 461
Thanked 665 Times in 541 Posts
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Just got done replacing every bushing on my truck. It does make a difference!
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Nissan Truck Videos (Builds-Racing-Shows-Tech)
https://www.youtube.com/c/NissanTruckguy IG@ rainmaker_d21 |
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Thanked by: | Sheriffjim54 (02-06-2018) |
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#5 |
Administrator
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Spring(Houston), Texas
Age: 48
Posts: 5,911
Vehicle: 1987 Nissan King Cab
Thanks: 28
Thanked 443 Times in 406 Posts
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The key to not having squeaks is using never seize on the bushings or even a water proof grease on all sleeves and bolts that touch each other..
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My stable of Nissan trucks includes:
1987 Nissan King Cab(full frame off Restoration). |
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Thanked by: | xoFiT (03-02-2018) |
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#6 |
TampaBoy813
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Tampa FL USA
Posts: 262
Vehicle: 94 HB
Thanks: 0
Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
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Great info..I hated that with my S10..made me nutz O
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Mini Trucking Since 1991
Miller 211 W/Spoolmate 1994 HB Stock DD 2007 Element SC 5 Speed |
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#7 |
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Philly
Posts: 12
Vehicle: 1994 Hardbody
Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
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Stickeroo? I vote yesssss.
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#8 |
Super Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Houston, TX
Age: 38
Posts: 2,408
Vehicle: 1992 Nissan D21 Extended Cab
Thanks: 33
Thanked 165 Times in 140 Posts
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Great information. Make me want to do mine. I know my leafs and radius rods need new bushings.
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#9 |
Infamous Autocrosser
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Western NY
Posts: 4,314
Vehicle: 1986.5 4WD Reg Cab/ 1991 2WD Reg Cab(Red)/ 1995 2WD Reg Cab(Green)/ 92 WD21 4WD PathFinder
Thanks: 461
Thanked 665 Times in 541 Posts
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Here's how my leaf bushings looked...not very good at all!
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Nissan Truck Videos (Builds-Racing-Shows-Tech)
https://www.youtube.com/c/NissanTruckguy IG@ rainmaker_d21 |
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#10 |
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: gainesville ga
Posts: 76
Vehicle: 90 x-cab hardbody
Thanks: 19
Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts
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I need to put some on mine >>>> did the c clamp take them out ok????
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