Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

I've never left mud on my car for too long (3 weeks +) with any of my vehicles, anyways someone recommended a chassis wash place in Centurion. I took the Pathfinder there once or twice and subsequent to that the suspension starting sounding like a train! Even from inside the car it's horrendous. All the "experts" said a solid axle car will never have such issues... I never suspected the chassis wash place until I took the Patrol. Within a week that same horrible VERY squeaky suspension, on the back nogal.

As it turns out the guys use an engine degreaser on the chassis and suspension! Together with heated jet wash. Does anyone know who can sort this out? I took the Pathfinder to a 4x4 workshop and R1800 less R400 discount and 3 weeks later it's back. The Patrol is getting embarrassingly worse too. I don't know what more to do.

Ja, clearly high pressure/Heat/Degreaser has killed and stripped all the grease from bushes etc. Gonna have to re-grease all moving parts that would normally require grease. Sorry to state the obvious

dieselfan wrote:I've never left mud on my car for too long (3 weeks +) with any of my vehicles, anyways someone recommended a chassis wash place in Centurion. I took the Pathfinder there once or twice and subsequent to that the suspension starting sounding like a train! Even from inside the car it's horrendous. All the "experts" said a solid axle car will never have such issues... I never suspected the chassis wash place until I took the Patrol. Within a week that same horrible VERY squeaky suspension, on the back nogal.

As it turns out the guys use an engine degreaser on the chassis and suspension! Together with heated jet wash. Does anyone know who can sort this out? I took the Pathfinder to a 4x4 workshop and R1800 less R400 discount and 3 weeks later it's back. The Patrol is getting embarrassingly worse too. I don't know what more to do.

Hi Dieselfan,

I guess your car is now "squeaky clean"

I hate it when that happens,

Good luck in finding all the "culprits". I know one can get some grease in a spray can, white lithium grease nogal. Hope it helps.

A long, long time ago, I can still remember (sorry), I worked at a filling station/workshop as a general dogsbody.

We used to spray suspension rubbers etc. with one of those cleaning compressor-driven spray guns (probably like the chassis wash place used) filled with parafine. Worked a treat to stop the squeeks for about three weeks. Then they would return.

It also in the long term degraded the rubbers.

I wonder if this is what the workshop did?

I would recommend red rubber grease if you want to try and lubricate it, however rubber suspension bushes are usually designed to flex rather than slide. I am not sure whether that is the case on the Patrol pickup, but wander whether you shouldn't first check that everything is torqued up properly? Note that all the suspension components should be tightened only when the car is standing on it's suspension, otherwise the bushes will have to twist too far.

Hy bud,

To add: Also just pinch up the U-Bolt nuts tight, as after a while they can also loosen to a tiny degree, allowing the centre alignment nut (look underneath) , to also move about and loosen, these together can cause squeeks and squawks when under load/Tprque, and is generally not good for a leaf sprung vehicle.

Red Rubber grease is a must too for the bushes etc. Available midas etc.