Control Arm Bushes

[Russ Kellermann]

This is when you need to write to the Magazines to expose the blatant incompetence in certain NSA staff and their knowledge on the very product they happily sell. How could that staff member be this wrong, its the difference between R9000.00 and probably R1000.00, so he almost cost you R8000.00 due to his ignorance on his own product, yet nothing happens to about this, its outrageous. Were it not for the forum or your quest for the correct procedure, you may have been caught out, imagine the many who trust wholeheartedly in their "expertise" and do not question it.

This is not meant to upset any person or organisation who own/ have owned a dealership, it is meant to alert them to this problem that rears its ugly head all too often.

[cullendw]

@Russ - I agree, I am seriously thankful to everyone on this forum since I consider myself a very amateur mechanic and as a result, I am an easy target for this sort of thing

I phoned Nissan's Parts Department and found out some interesting information. Just to be clear on what part I was referring to, it is the leading front suspension arms (Thanks Gerrit for all the info!). For some reason, the mechanics did not not check whether the bushes could be sold separately and just queried about replacing both the arms (maybe the mechanic genuinely thought he could not just replace the bushes - even the parts guy questioned this ). Anyway, after chatting with the Parts Guy, it looks like one can order the bushes separately (as Gerrit mentioned).

Just as an FYI

Right Arm Part # : 54500-VB500
Left Arm Part # : 54501-VB500
Bushes Part # : 54560-01J00 (Gerrit was spot on with this one!)

To replace all 4 bushes @ R350 each works out to R1400 (excluding labor) and this is at Nissan prices. As Gerrit mentioned, maybe Nissan SA only supports the arm as an inseparable unit - I will follow up on this one. I now need to found out which bushes are the problem (might be worthwhile just replacing all of them while I am at it)

Thanks again

[cullendw]

OK, so I phoned the mechanic and he said that the parts department told him that you could only buy the complete unit. He sounded rather annoyed by this and apologized and is heading off to the parts department to sort this out. In short, you can replace the bushes separately!

[Nikolai B]

OK, so I phoned the mechanic and he said that the parts department told him that you could only buy the complete unit. He sounded rather annoyed by this and apologized and is heading off to the parts department to sort this out. In short, you can replace the bushes separately!

That's why WE have so many satisfied customers!!!

[Stefan]

OK, so I phoned the mechanic and he said that the parts department told him that you could only buy the complete unit. He sounded rather annoyed by this and apologized and is heading off to the parts department to sort this out. In short, you can replace the bushes separately!

That's why WE have so many satisfied customers!!!

You must be the 2nd oldest profession then

[tour de frans]

Peter,I found them to fail because they work so good.They allow so mutch movement,that they start ro turn and tear in the steelback-bush.Not only Patrol but LC to.
The car has a swim feel on the road aswel.This is what I expereanced with customer vehicles.Some may differ.
Allso,never have I seen a aftermarket bush that will last 10 years like the OE parts.

A simple example: V-belts or Multigroove belts.Aftermarket one's or not from the agents belt dont last as long as a agent belt.Toyota d4d aftermarket belt make a noise,fit the OE,noise gone.I am off the mark here,but some parts from agents are a must.
Rgds

[Nikolai B]

Peter,I found them to fail because they work so good.They allow so mutch movement,that they start ro turn and tear in the steelback-bush.Not only Patrol but LC to.
The car has a swim feel on the road aswel.This is what I expereanced with customer vehicles.Some may differ.
Allso,never have I seen a aftermarket bush that will last 10 years like the OE parts.

A simple example: V-belts or Multigroove belts.Aftermarket one's or not from the agents belt dont last as long as a agent belt.Toyota d4d aftermarket belt make a noise,fit the OE,noise gone.I am off the mark here,but some parts from agents are a must.
Rgds

I don't completely agree with, times are changing. Sometimes it's exactly the same product, only with Nissan sign at the bag! A example, snorkels: there are "aftermarket" ones made in China and others that are made at the same factory of the Safari ones. The problem is when somebody buys the Chinese one for a relative cheap price and it's no good he will never but them again! of course the difference for wholesalers in price between the 2 can be 400 %.

So it's up to the wholesaler to decide which one he wants to offer the client. No need to ask which one we offer !!!

[tour de frans]

Nikolai B,you're right.But there are a very fine line when a customer want to save money or buy quility parts.
I always try differant supliers and the agents for differant parts.Some things you only want to get from the agents.When a manufacturer has a desighn on the market,he must make/back those parts for 20years.
Time has changed yes,to the extreme that there are so many parts copied and sold,it is hard to keep up with the aftermarket quality.
Rdgs
Frans

[Nikolai B]

Hallo Frans!


Yes, I agree. It"s probally different in Suid Afrika but in Europ you have every time more people who find the way to the good aftermarket parts. Don"t know if you have heard about us, but we are very big thanks to the aftermarket parts. And if we know , after trying before , that they are no good we don't sell it !! Once a bad reputation you can close the shop !! A 4x shop is offering here snorkels for y60 for about 550 zar , how long will they exist !!

Groeten,
Nikolai

[tour de frans]

Hallo Nikolai
Let's start a new thread on this forum.I would like to learn more off what you do/sell.
By doing that we (SA Patrolers) might import.Sometimes we are between a rock and a hard place with Nissan parts.Do you sell parts for any vehicle or Nissan only?
Groete
Frans