Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Hi Patrolers

My Patrol has quite a violent shake/vibration on the front suspension when I brake on a downhill.
My previous Patrol had a similar problem and a catastrophic failure when the front bushes of an aftermarket suspension fitted by a bunch of crooks in Pretoria disintegrated going down the steep downhill between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
I do not think that the current problem on my new Patrol is the caused by the original bushes as the vehicle has only done 25000km, It stood in the bank's repossession warehouse for months.
Can this problem be caused by the steering damper shock? How do one check this shock absorber?
I would really appreciate some advice and a suggestion of a Patrol suspension specialist in Gauteng.
Kind regards
Kobus Burger

Hallo Kobus
This subject has been disvussed and resolved numerous times .. do a search on it ..
Start with wheel bearings; weel balance; then .. eisjjj, daar is n honderd-en-tien goed wat kan fout wees

Start with this one [it is NOT calle "Daeth Wobble" for fun http://www.patrol4x4.co.za/search.php

The steering damper cannot cause any type of wobble. It can only mask it.

If the problem only happens under braking, then the chances are pretty good the cause is warped front bdake discs.

Play in any of the joints, bearings or bushes can amplify the problem. As can wheel balance issues or bent rims (or rims not bolted down straight).

If you want to bring it around (and if we can find a mutually suitable time) i can have a look, but i am not making any promises.

Hi Peter

Thank you for the information, now you have me worried!
Do you do this type of work?

Kind regards

I have a sneaky suspicion that you have aftermarket mags on and they are not seating properly. With such low mileage the bushes should still be good. The brake discs too should still be good, however they could have gotten warped with heavy breaking and heat build up and rapid cooling ( possibly from going through water seeing as we had so much rain as of late ), but I still have that feeling that there is a mag wheel issue or rim seating issue.

Peter will definitively be able to give you solid advice and input.

kobusb wrote:Hi Peter

Thank you for the information, now you have me worried!
Do you do this type of work?

Kind regards

No Kobus, i am not in the auto industry. But I am a mechanical engineer with a deep interest in suspensions.

If it's only under braking I would first look at the brake discs. Sounds like
Warped discs to me.

Ok, so I'm I need of a suspension guru now - the suspension in my newly purchased
4.8 is absolutely shocking. I didn't know suspension could be so bad in a car - we were in mabalingwe over the weekend, on one of the game drives with friends I was actually embarrassed by the ridiculousness, it bounces like a bouncy ball over bumps, and crashes over harsh bumps - the GnTs were flying all over the car! I can even hear the springs make a 'boiying' sound like a cartoon over bumps.

Apparently graham put in used springs in front the other day, so I need to ask him about that, the shocks are apparently some or other adjustable things, but I don't know anything else on them.
Can any one suggest someone who knows there stuff with suspention? Or alternatively suggest what I should go for to replace this current mess?
Thank you.

Cheers!

Robert Hale - DUNE Off Road .. I know of nobody MORE knowledgeable than him on suspension, especially Nissan [and Isuzu] Hy spesiliseer in CALMINI Suspensions maar vervaardig ook susp[ensie wat hy self ontwikkel het.
bel hom gerus

084 580 8114 - Robert Hale

Hi Kobus.

I had the same problem with my patrol, after many checks of many different parts and locations on my van nothing helped, in the old end I took out all the king pin bearings cleaned and repacked with fresh grease, fitted back with new shim stock until achieved correct Kg pull and blow and behold problem solved and that was in Oct 2014 and still going strong no problem.

If rim incorrectly seated jack up and turn wheel you will see the wobble
Check wheel balancing.
Check shocks.
Check tyres uneven wear.
Check suspension rubbers.
Check ball joints.
Check wheal bearing play.
If brake disc are warped, when driving press lightly on brake pedal and keep your foot on the pedal, if discs are warped or deformed you pedal will jump lightly under your foot.

I hope this will help you.

Cheers Tiny