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BEVANI Profile
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Date Registered: 04-2014
Location: Snowy Mountains
TOTAL POSTS: 23
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T30 Control arm replacements and how to!


this is a quick write up on T30 front control arms/bush replacement.
Image
its quite an easy job overall and only needs 1-2hrs to replace. these arms were purchased as a pair for around $300 delivered to my door

TOOLS USED:
Jack, jack stands, hammer, large screw driver, pliers, 17,19,22mm spanners
Rattle gun(if you have access to this it makes the whole job 10x easier and faster)
Image

jack up car, place jack stands and make sure car is secure and stable prior to anything! safety first!
front wheels off..? OK lets go!
BALL JOINT
Image
First I went for the ball joint using the pliers and screw driver to remove the split pin. The new arms came with new nut but no pins so if you can salvage/reuse these don't damage them upon removal otherwise its of to the hardware store for you! (both mine snapped so I needed new ones)
22mm open ended spanner and a light tap with a hammer should see the nut loose. Loosen the nut till its almost at the top of the thread and then using a hammer hit the outer case where the ball joint is located. This should loosen the ball joint in its socket. then you can remove the nut.

FRONT BOLT/NUT(new arm)
Image
While you have the 22mm in hand attack the front nut/bolt on the front inner bush. I used the rattle gun on the nut (also22mm) and held the bolt with the closed end of the 22mm spanner.. he he... I love power tools
The swaybar link is a 17mm nut, and with a rattle gun its off faster than a fart leaving a fan factory. but if your on the spanners mine had room for a hex key to slot into the top of the bolt to hold it steady eddy while you use a spanner..

REAR BOLTS
Image
19mm now on the 2 rear bolts holding the large rear bush in place. these are on bloody tight and you may need a breaker bar to get these loose.

a bit of wiggle and the control arm should come out nice and easy!
reverse the process to re install the new control arm and then repeat the process on the other side!
Image

*side note*
the front bush on the drivers side is very close to the rear of the sump so no way are you getting a rattle gun up in there on the 22mm nut

an awesome quick weekend project to liven up the front end of the exy!
the drive feels so much more stable and rigid and I highly recommend to replace the bushes/control arms
Image
Image

Last edited by jalalski, 8/Oct/2016, 9:08 pm


---
"Lexi" the EXY '05 T30 Ti Rollin on 17's lol

QR25DET or bust!... maybe

Member No:X-3636
1/Oct/2016, 6:29 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
Reply | QUOTE
Re: Control arm replacements and how to!


Great minds...I did this last weekend also, along with the front swaybar links and bushes but those will be in another DIY.

No rattle gun and the ball joint nut was too difficult to get off with an open-end spanner, so here are my tips for those using standard tools and also having an Xtrail which has been through lots of water and mud offroad without having these transverse arms replaced in its whole life.

- get a 1/2" breaker bar with a piece of heavy-guage waterpipe to fit over the handle as an extension and some 19mm and 22mm sockets...these will be your best friends
- jack up Xtrail, remove tyre, both sides. Place car stands under the subframe mounts.
Image
- remove disk pads then undo caliper mounting bolts with 22mm socket and tie caliper out of the way and remove the brake disc (this will help later)
Image
- spray wd40 or other penetrant into lower sway bar link nut after brushing off dirt with wire brush
- crack the nut with breaker bar and 17mm socket
- use 17mm ring spanner to undo the nut with a 6mm hex key to hold the knuckle bolt from spinning
Image
- remove lower sway bar link from the transverse arm
- with a 22mm ring spanner holding the nut of the transverse arm front mount, crack bolt with 22 mm socket and breaker bar. Loosen the nut but do not remove yet
Image
- with 19mm socket and breaker bar crack both rear mounting bolts of the transverse arm and remove. You may need to use the extension pipe for these.
Note...there could be a build-up of corrosion and muck in the threads of these bolts which will make them very difficult to undo. Be patient and when things get too difficult, spray in some more penetrating oil into the thread, tighten back up a little to work it into the thread then try to undo a bit more. It could take a few times doing this before they come out cleanly.
Image
- now remove the bolt from the front mount and let the transverse arm lower to the ground supported only by the ball joint attached to the hub
- remove the split-pin from the lower ball joint
- a ring spanner will not fit over the ball joint nut due to lack of space
Image
- ***using a hacksaw, cut off the protruding part of the lower ball joint thread at the top of the nut. This will allow a ring spanner to slip between nut and CV joint without removing front drive shaft from hub and you won't be using it again anyway emoticon
Image
(to help steady the hub when hacksawing, temporarily raise the transverse arm and fix with one bolt into the rear mount)
- crack ball joint nut with a 22mm ring spanner, then use the open-end spanner to completely remove the nut
- remove the bolt from the transverse arm rear mount and lower to the ground again
- remove the ball joint from the hub with either a ball joint remover or hammer and screwdriver (lever screw driver between the CV joint casing and the top of the ball joint thread while hammering the hub where the ball joint is inserted until the transverse arm drops away from the hub)...video clip link for those who don't know how


Fitting the new transverse arm is a reversal of the process
- using the front bolt and nut, fit the transverse arm to the body
- place the ball joint into the hub and fit the nut
- fit both bolts to the rear mount of the transverse arm
- tighten all nuts and bolts but do not torque up...this is done when the Xtrail is back on level grouns with tyres on as recommended by the servise manual
- refit the brake disc, caliper and pads
- refit the tyre, remove the stands and lower the Xtrail to the ground
- roll the Xtrail forward and back a few metres to settle the suspension then torque the front and rear mounting bolts
- tighen the ball joint nut as much as possible with the open-end spanner then fit a new split-pin

Last edited by Revhead Kev, 8/Oct/2016, 5:22 pm


---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
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Date Registered: 04-2014
Location: Snowy Mountains
TOTAL POSTS: 23
Reply | QUOTE
Re:


wow I had no issues with separating my ball joints. the nut cam off withease and it was only a light tap with a hammer on the side of the housing to free them.. must have just got lucky lol

---
"Lexi" the EXY '05 T30 Ti Rollin on 17's lol

QR25DET or bust!... maybe

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22/Oct/2016, 8:28 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
Reply | QUOTE
Re: T30 Control arm replacements and how to!


Maybe yours just hasn't been through as much mud, water, sand and surf as mine has emoticon

---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
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23/Oct/2016, 11:15 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
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Date Registered: 04-2014
Location: Snowy Mountains
TOTAL POSTS: 23
Reply | QUOTE
Re:


yep, much highway driving for me, very minimal off road for now.

has been a few weeks now and the front of the car feels awesome. I have noticed the steering feeling a little slack so it might be time for new rack end and tie rods.. another write up lol

still have to do the rear shocks.. those are coming soon and ill try get something up similar to this also!

---
"Lexi" the EXY '05 T30 Ti Rollin on 17's lol

QR25DET or bust!... maybe

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31/Oct/2016, 9:44 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Wiz Au Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2017
Location: Canberra, ACT
TOTAL POSTS: 185
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Re: Ball joint nut removal


If a normal open end spanner won't crack the ball joint nut and you have access to a "speed wrench", they work pretty well for this application, as the more force you apply, the harder they grip. And if you can get a size of wrench to fit the nut well, you can apply a LOT of force.
Image

There is always the "Double Spanner" trick too with a double open end spanner and a bigger ring spanner;
(sorry I couldn't find an exact picture, but this gives you the idea)
Image

Last edited by Wiz Au, 10/Aug/2017, 1:22 pm


---
2004 T30 series II, Ti (now sold)
JRR50 Pathfinder, QD32ETi Turbo Diesel, with 'lots o fruit'.
2012 Jeep Cherokee KK CRD Limited is current ride.
Will be looking for a white or silver 2011-2013 T31 TL (Diesel) to "pimp out".
10/Aug/2017, 1:20 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
Reply | QUOTE
Re: T30 Control arm replacements and how to!


If you look at my 2nd last pic Wiz, you'll see the ring end of the spanner would not fit between the ball joint thread and the CV joint housing, so only the open-end could grab the nut until I cut off the end o0f the thread to give more clearance.

But thanks for the tip on linking 2 spanners together for more leverage emoticon

---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
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11/Aug/2017, 3:13 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Wiz Au Profile
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Date Registered: 06-2017
Location: Canberra, ACT
TOTAL POSTS: 185
Reply | QUOTE
Re: T30 Control arm replacements and how to!


quote:

Revhead Kev wrote:
If you look at my 2nd last pic Wiz, you'll see the ring end of the spanner would not fit between the ball joint thread and the CV joint housing....



Umm, yeah, saw that, which is why I suggested the speed wrench ...which doesn't need to "go over" like a ring spanner would, and if the open end spanner rounded/made a mess of the nut or still couldn't budge it/not enuf leverage/slips off under load. (??)



---
2004 T30 series II, Ti (now sold)
JRR50 Pathfinder, QD32ETi Turbo Diesel, with 'lots o fruit'.
2012 Jeep Cherokee KK CRD Limited is current ride.
Will be looking for a white or silver 2011-2013 T31 TL (Diesel) to "pimp out".
11/Aug/2017, 3:20 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
HJP Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2013
TOTAL POSTS: 14
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Re: Control arm replacement


Hi guys,

I've been told my front control arm bushes are almost shot on my 2003 X Trail with 200k on the odometer. I can't complain, it's been a brilliant vehicle.

I see a few of you have replaced the entire control arms rather than the bushes alone.

A few questions if that's OK.

1/ Are the bushes very hard to replace on the original arms hence the entire assembly change?

2/ Noting how expensive the OEM arms are, if I replace the complete arms, what brand did you guys buy please?

Nissan want 700 a pair, Burson $556 a pair and Sterling 360 a pair.

Any brands suggested?

Thanks guys.



Last edited by HJP, 11/Oct/2017, 7:20 pm


---
2003 T30 Auto TI X-Trail.
Member No. X-3350
Pete.
11/Oct/2017, 7:16 pm Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 
Revhead Kev Profile
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Date Registered: 10-2006
Location: Mona Vale, Sydney, AUSTRALIA
TOTAL POSTS: 6355
Reply | QUOTE
Re: T30 Control arm replacements and how to!


The old bushes need to be pressed out and new bushes pressed in which is more than the usual home mechanic can do in their driveway or garage. They do not slip out easily as they are usually bonded in.

Replacing the whole arm assembly is the easiest and it also renews the lower ball joint at the same time.

I got my arms from Amayama for $179 each +shipping back in 2015 and were original Nissan OEM parts.

---
Kev X450(c) T30 Guru
03 Titanium Ti T30 Series 1 **MODIFIED**
My Blog
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12/Oct/2017, 9:11 am Link to this post Send Email PM   Send Private Message Blog
 


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