Suspension - Vehicle Pull & Front/Rear Excessive Play
REFERENCE:NTB98-001
CLASSIFICATION:
RA97-002
DATE:
April 1, 1998
TITLE:
PATHFINDER VEHICLE PULL AND FRONT/REAR SUSPENSION EXCESSIVE PLAY
APPLIED VEHICLE:
1996-98 Pathfinder (R50)
APPLIED VIN:
Vehicles built before JN8AR05Y*WW256932
SERVICE INFORMATION
If a 1996-98 Pathfinder exhibits the following conditions, the cause may be from worn bushing(s) in the rear suspension upper and/or lower links.
- Excessive play in the rear axle especially during moderate acceleration or deceleration.
- Vehicle pulling at a constant speed.
- Excessive sway and rocking motion in the front suspension when coming to a stop.
To correct these conditions, use the service procedure.
SERVICE PROCEDURE
1. Test drive the vehicle under the conditions described by the customer to verify the incident.
Figure 1:
2. Inspect the upper and lower rear suspension links (indicated by the arrows in Figure 1) for damaged or worn bushings as follows:
A. Remove a suspension link from the vehicle.
Figure 2:
B. Use a screwdriver to move the inner metal portion of the bushing in all directions while inspecting the rubber portion of the bushing for damage or wear (see Figure 2).
3. Replace the links that have damaged or worn bushings.
4. Tighten the link retaining bolts/nuts to specification.
IMPORTANT: Before tightening the link retaining bolts/nuts, the rear axle must be positioned in its normal ride height. Use one of the two procedures listed below to correctly position the axle before tightening the link retaining bolts/nuts:
- Place the vehicle on the ground.
- With the vehicle on the lift, support the rear axle with jack stands and slowly lower the vehicle lift until the rear lift arm pads just separate from the vehicle. Stop lowering the lift as soon as the gap between the lift arm pads and the vehicle is 1/2 inch.
5. Test drive the vehicle again to ensure the incident is resolved.
PARTS INFORMATION
CLAIMS INFORMATION
When applicable, standard claims coding applies.