Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in the ho

[Homerr]

Car: 1993 Nissan Quest van<br /><br />Problem:<br /><br />1. Tire wear on the inside edges of both front tires. The wear goes in approx. 1" from inside edge.<br /><br />2. The van pulls/drifts to the drivers side.<br /><br />3. The brakes pulsate when you apply them.<br /><br />4. The CV joint boot on the drivers side (at the wheel)is split, and clicks when you turn one way or another. Obviously the joint is bad.<br /><br />One shop said the struts are causing the tire wear. I have never serviced struts, so I am not familiar on how they wear or breakdown. <br />Would struts cause this kind of tire wear?<br />If so, what should I replace? The shocks, springs, everything? What is entailed in a 'strut job' ?<br /><br />The brakes were JUST services a few months ago, so I find it hard to believe they are out-of-round. This is obviously a separate issue that I will be taking up with the shop who did the work.<br /><br />Would a bad CV joint cause any of the above issues?<br />Speaking of a CV joint, I am told to get the bolt-in job, and not bother to rebuild it myself.<br />Has anyone ever tackled this?<br />I think it's called a 'half-shaft' ?<br /><br />The van has been great. IT has approx. 145,000 miles and still runs like a champ. This is the first real problem it's ever had. I'm not surprised it needs a few parts, and I'm willing to fix it.<br /><br />Thanks for your help.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

I am not sure about the Quest, but a strut problem could cause some camber issues. It sounds like it has a mild toe-in issue if you are pulling to either side. The CV shaft is a quick and easy fix. I would say replace CV shafts on each side, get new struts, and get a good front-end alignment and you'll be set. You could do the shafts yourself, the struts could also be done, but they require a lot of care, safety (because of the spring) and a good amount of mechanical knowledge. I had done quite a few shatf and strut jobs, and then taken it down for a proper alignment and it always turns out. Good luck....

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Thanks for the reply Jason...<br /><br />If you don't mind me asking...<br /><br />What is done in a 'strut job' ?<br />What is typically replaced? The shock, the spring? What is it that has gone bad in them?<br />I can't see any obvious wear like a broken seal, leaking oil etc...<br /><br />And the CV joint. Do you think I should buy the rebuild kit, or get the bolt-in? <br />I'm checking prices on both ways right now.<br />I'm just told by some that a CV job can be a real hassle if you rebuild it yourself. They recommend to get the completed unit.<br /><br />I've worked on springs and front ends before.<br />I've done lots of front end parts replacements on my older 4x4 trucks and my other cars, but I've never dealt with a strut type system.<br /><br />I can rebuild engines, transmissions, you name it... On OLDER rigs...These newer cars have me puzzled in some areas! <br /><br />Thanks again for your help.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

IMHO - i have done this. you can do this. well, if you're in the advanced yrs, as in 80+ maybe not. if you use a walker, then no<br /><br />1/2 shafts can be done. i only replaced the full side (at a time) if you're familiar with things like jacks, tools, breaker bars, possibly coil compressors, i say (with caution) do it yourself. get a manual, or ask someone with exp doing this particular vehicular member. the ones i did required pulling the strut/whole bottom "a-frame" assmbly loose. you get one side done, its a snap on the other one. maybe go knock on doors and make side money, you know <br /><br />hopefully, you'll get a good response. after all, if it only cost $200 i'd probably hire it done. don't ask me why i still plan on fixin my jeep myself. <br /><br />i really can't say about the strut job. but my guess would be that the work required to replace them would put you right at a good position to go ahead & replace the cv joints. the cv joint probs i've seen were usually due to a boot problem.<br /><br />the grease stays in there- until the boot is cracked. if you see a cracked/broken/mutilated boot, then you know there will be problems with the ujoint(cv joint)...

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Typically, worn and cracked control arm bushings, front, lower rear, cause negative camber, thus throwing toe out the window. The pulsating is a seperate issue.<br /><br />If your van doesn't have control arms then the track arm bushings are at fault. If the ride hieght is roughly the same as it always has been, struts are generally not a tire wear issue.

 

[Toad2001]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

You would probably be more likely to find a "cupping" wear pattern towards the centre of the tire tread if the struts or shocks were causing a tire wear problem.<br />I would be more inclined to look at tie rod ends as the culprit.<br />Your brake rotors have issues. Did the shop resurface them or replace them? If they replaced them, you have a claim, if they tried to do you a favor by salvaging them and saving you money by resurfacing them, its time to replace them at your expense.

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

The shop that did the brakes are on my "poop" list. They replaced them new AFTER the first brake job they did.<br />One brake pad broke into pieces and demolished one rotor. They re-done an entire brake job in the front. Now I get the pulsating a few months later. <br />I will never have this place work on any of my cars. I may have to eat the cost of new parts, but I'm doing the brakes myself.<br /><br />The tie rods and ball joints appear to be tight, but I haven't did a full "off-the-ground" inspection yet.<br />The tire wear is only on the inside edges of the tires. The wear seems to be about the same on each tire.<br /><br />And like I said...I'm checking the price difference between doing the CV myself or have a shop do it. If a shop can do it within $100 of me, then I'll have them do it.<br /><br />Thanks again for the help.<br /><br />H.

 

[CCrew]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Steering/tire wear issue probably is struts<br /><br />Brake pulsation is more than likely warped rotors. <br /><br />CV joint is a no-brainer. You may find it easier and cheaper to just buy a reman axle and swap. <br /><br />Quest's are nice little vans. We got rid of ours with 140k on the clock and still going strong. The dealer we traded it to gave it to his kids to drive, and we still see it on the road around here. <br /><br />oger

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

The Wife and I sure like the Quest. <br />We looked at several vans, and the Quest was the only one that had what we wanted (at the time)<br /><br />We'll drive this one a few more years before we get a newer one.<br /><br />I'm not a big fan of imports, but the Nissan sure runs good and is reliable. You can literally run them into the ground before they give up.<br /><br />H.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

The struts are very easy to replace. Usually they are bolted to the spindle with two bolts, and the top sets in a cup and is bolted with three or four bolts accessible in the engine compartment. The fun part is you need spring compressors to remove the spring from the strut once you have the strut removed (you can rent theses). You have to compress the spring, then remove the spring retaining plate at the top of the strut. Reassembly is reverse. The two bolts and clamp that holds the strut to the spindle should be marked, as that is generally how the camber is adjusted. That way you get it fairly close at reassembly, the alignment shop can do the rest.<br /><br />Definatly just get the remanufactured Cv shafts. Don't just replace the joint and boot, it is a pain. If you replace the entire shaft on each side, it is just a matter of pulling out the old and popping in the new. While the struts are out, this is a good time to replace the shafts. With the struts out, the spindle is free to move. You have to remove the cotter pin, crown washer, and cv shaft retaining bolt, then the spindle should pull away enough to get the shaft free of the spindle. Then you go to the tranny end of the shaft, and pull vigorously, as it is held in with a detented clip. It will pop out. You may have tranny fluid come out, so have a drain pan just in case. It is not a bad idea to replace the seals in the holes where the shaft comes out of the tranny, as they can sometimes leak after new shafts have been put in. For a few bucks each, it is worth it to just put new ones in, I have learned that lesson in the past. Reassembly is cake. You push the tranny end in smartly to set the detent clip, and guide the spindle over the other end. Now, you need to have the preload torque specs and procedures for the bolt, or you could burn up the spindle bearings if it is too tight or too loose. If you have not bought a decent service manual, now is the time. <br /><br />As for the brakes, did you ever do any long hard braking then splash through any puddles? If hot enough, and enough water gets thrown up on them, the rotors can warp. Is the pulsating steady or does it get slower as the vehicle slows down? Does the vehicle have ABS? Sometimes you can get an ABS malfunction that can cause a pulsating effect at the pedal. You can pull the fuse for the ABS to confirm an ABS problem if the pulsing stops when the ABS is deactivated. Good luck...

 

[DJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Homerr,<br /><br />Problem:<br /><br />Tire wear on the inside edges is indicative of negative camber and/or excess toe out.<br /><br />Solution:<br /><br />The struts need to be serviced. Struts are nothing more than shock absorbers that sit inside an assembly that happens to carry the weight of the vehicle. You are WAY OVERDUE. Struts, typically are shot after no more than 60K. Doesn't matter what kind of vehcle they're in.<br /><br />Have the struts replaced, while they're out, it's a piece of cake to replace the CV joint/shaft. Don't let them double chjarge you for labor.<br /><br />Have the suspension bushings checked too. Most strut assemblies come with new bushings.<br /><br />Check tie rod ends also.<br /><br />Problem: Brake pulsation. <br /><br />The rotors are warped. <br /><br />Solution:<br /><br />If they were "cut" last time, they'll need to be replaced. Also, check the rear self adjusters. If the front brakes are doing all the work, they (ROTORS) will warp fast.<br /><br />Problem: Pulls/Drifts to right.<br /><br />Solution:<br /><br />The van will need to be aligned once the struts are serviced. In your case, it's a simple toe adjustment.

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Thanks again for the help.<br /><br />I dropped the bones down today, and ordered a set of struts and a CV half-shaft for the side making the noise.<br />I know I should replace both shafts at the same time, but I don't have the money right now, and the other side looks fine.<br /><br />The rotors are probably warped. Question is, do I tangle with the shop who did them twice already? I'm half-tempted to have another shop do it, and charge (or sue) the first shop.<br />A set of rotors are only $35 new and pads are around $50 for the ceramics.<br /><br />H.

 

[DJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Homerr,<br /><br />Pop on a new set of rotors.<br /><br />FORGET THE CERAMICS, that's what is eating your rotors.<br /><br />Pads are cheap, use what is called for the vehicle. Long life pads are H#$% on rotors.<br /><br />Check the rear shoes, if they're gone, your fronts are doing all the work. More so on a front driver.

 

[ebbtide176]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

and you may have already found out- each side has a 'full shaft'. the 1/2 shaft is 1/2 of 1 side...

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

The OEM pads are ceramic, and that's what is recommended. I don't use the "el-cheapo" pads anymore because I hate having my wheels turn black from all the dust. I made that mistake on my Ranger. The dust was terrible, and the pads cracked after a few hundred miles.<br /><br />Rotors are cheap for the Quest, so I don't mind using the harder ceramic pads.<br /><br />Well Ebb...whatever it's called!<br />It was $86 for a rebuilt left-side shaft... <br />I told the parts house I needed a left-side rebuilt axle, so maybe it's the whole smash.<br /><br />This CV stuff is new to me... Guess I'll find out when it gets here!<br /><br />H.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Unless I am wrong (and that happened once I think ), Ceramic pads need to be used with rotors designed for ceramic pad use. I do not think those rotors can be cut, I think they are Use Once And Destroy. In fact, there are not a lot of OEM rotors that can even be cut anymore, especially imports. They build them thinner and lighter, so they can't be cut.<br /><br />So either the ceramic specific rotor got cut when it shouldn't have been, or ceramic pads were used when they shouldn't have been. Either way it sounds like those rotors need to be replaced. Again, that is a very easy job that you could do on your own, but you should get a manual and read through it to make sure you have the skills for it.

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

I agree,<br /><br />For the most part, rotors are fairly cheap anymore, so it isn't cost effective to have them machined. Both my 2001 Ranger, and my 1993 van are less than $50/rotor to replace new.<br /><br />I'm not sure about ceramic vs. rotor material. I wouldn't think that would matter.<br /><br />Changing rotors and brakes are like falling off a log for me...Easy!<br /><br />Fule injection, computerized brains, and trasmissions gets a little difficult... <br /><br />H.

 

[Homerr]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

UPDATE:<br /><br />The CV shaft was an easy job. A lot easier than I thought. The shaft was $69 for a rebuild, and the struts were $52 each.<br />Compressing the coil springs was sphincter-tightening, but I managed to get it done with a set of $7.99 coil spring compressors I got at Harbor Freight Tools.<br /><br />I went ahead and replaced both rotors and brake pads, as the pads that were put on by the tire shop earlier this summer were already thrashed.<br />The rotor on the drivers side was a purdy blue color! Obviously burned and warped.<br />I wasn't going to bother taking it back to the morons who did the brake work the first time. They had their chance.<br />New rotors were only $32 and pads were $40.<br /><br />Thanks for all the input!<br /><br />H.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Re: Nissan Quest van: Is there a front-end specialist & alignment guru in th

Good job, told ya it was easy. I have never taken a vehicle of mine to a shop, and I don't plan to. Its not that I don't trust them, I just don't trust them... . I will say that the dealership took care of the better halfs Jeep Grand Cherokee, but it isn't hard to unplug a computer module and put in a new one. It did cost $1200 for that little adveture....