It could affect the ride slightly, but I doubt that you feel it unless the bushings were completely worn out. You would also probably have the feeling of slop from side to side more than anything. I removed my sway bar years ago and threw it in the trash.

 

I myself changed sway-bar bushings due to wear from previous owner, but that is life when you buy used. My Titan has that truck ride to it, not soft like my 2000 F150. I'll take that 2005 Titan ride any day.

ca'jun

 

So my ride got really bad, sounded like the front end suspension was gonna fall apart. I took the sway bar off even though I just replaced the end links and bushings and the banging went away. I used a cheap brand of end links so I am thinking they crapped out quick on me. I am planning on buying the Moog grease fitting ones and put the bar back on and see if that changes things. The ride is nice without the sway bar.


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Any update on this? I'm going through the same scenario with my 07 Armada. I have the Moog end links on order and will pick up the bushings from my local Nissan dealer. Moog still has the split on the flat side that goes up against the frame. I read that Nissan has changed their design and put the split on the side.

 

Yeah I ended up buying a brand that has the split to the side also. I have since had both LCA’s and one UCA replaced as well as passenger CV axle. My ride is still crappy. I used my old springs when I did the 5100 Bilsteins and could kick myself. I’ll probably put new springs on soon. I have now started to get play in my steering wheel and truck goes in for inspection Thursday so I’ll let you know if my rack is bad or if he finds something else. I also want to get it road force balanced as I have a bad feeling either a tire or rim is bad


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What brand control arms did you get? I saw great reviews on Mevotech.

There is also a very good detailed thread going on over on our Armada forum written up by a guy trying to resolve his front end woes: https://www.clubarmada.com/threads/front-ball-joints-and-control-arms.62609/#post-495193

 

I think the upper one is Import direct as it has a grease fitting and a blue rubber at the ball joint. I have to get my bill out of my glove box and see if he wrote that info down.

https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/b/import-direct-chassis-3996/suspension---steering-16778/chassis-16549/control-arm---ball-joint-assembly-12634/685648b3510f/import-direct-chassis-control-arm-and-ball-joint-assembly/4cb80033/4386951/2012/nissan/titan?pos=0

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Yeah sorry they are Mevotech


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That's too bad all that work hasn't fixed your issue. I don't think my issue is as bad as yours. I am just trying to nail down some squeaking and a little bit of clunking over like... speed bumps. I'm hoping the swaybar bushings take care of the bulk of that. This is what they look like right now. They're shot.

Friday I am putting on my Timken wheel hubs, Moog end links and the OEM swaybar bushings.
I've decided to hold off on the control arms. The lower control arms are a bit pricey.
I can confirm that they have moved the slit on the OEM bushings. Picked these up from the dealer today. They also come pre-lubed.

 

Yeah talk about a dumb design as soon as you tighten those they spread apart. The ones I got where pre lubed also and with the side split fir really nice. Between the 5100 Bilsteins and not changing the Springs I’m thinking the Bilsteins might be taking the load and the springs aren’t helping. I guess it’s possible either my inner or outer tie rods are shot. I replaced one outside tie rod months ago. I have thrown 2,500-3,000 at this issue. Engine mounts? Transmission mount? Possible bad tire/s or rim/s. I will get it road force balanced like that said. Two of my tires don’t hold air very well but I am figuring the garage that put the current set on didn’t clean the rim edge good before install. I know the steering rack and pinion can be an issue on these trucks. It really makes me regret getting rid of my 04 or 08.5 I bought both brand new and they rode like a dream. The two used Titans including my current had suspension issues almost from a he get go. My current 12 SL is the first Titan with 20’s so maybe I am really sensitive to the smaller side wall. I hate to even think about trading it in being an SL fully loaded I planned on this being my truck for the next 8 years until kids get through college lol. Plus trade in value on these trucks sucks. Honestly if the steering didn’t start acting up I would probably just put my Magnaflow muffler on I have and call it a day but now it feels unsafe.


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Well today while taking the garbage cans back behind the garage I came back around and when I looked at the front of my Titan it was pretty obvious the issue I have. Front driver side tire is pointing out while passenger looks straight. It’s a little hard to see but trust me it’s really noticeable in person hopefully gets fixed tomorrow

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Front driver side tire is pointing out while passenger looks straight. It’s a little hard to see but trust me it’s really noticeable in person hopefully gets fixed tomorrow

Yeah, hard to see in the pic, but I believe you. So did you get an alignment after putting on the new control arms?

I replaced my shot bushing because of the massive amount of vibration I was getting. eliminated 85% of the issue, still trying to find the other 15%.

Yeah that's another aspect I am hoping to cure. My freeway cruising speed is 72-75 mph and of course that is the exact range where I get an annoying shimmy in the steering wheel. Wheel balancing and alignments never seem to get rid of it.

 

I replaced my shot bushing because of the massive amount of vibration I was getting. eliminated 85% of the issue, still trying to find the other 15%. Likely the shocks/struts, but the first owner couldn't recall if they have ever been replaced while he had it. I know they haven't been replaced since I've had it. That means there is a minimum for 45K miles on the shocks/struts...all the way up to 205k miles.
Right now I don't have the cash to throw down to buy the parts so I am stuck for now.

 

Right now I don't have the cash to throw down to buy the parts so I am stuck for now.

Sad panda....
After all the work and money i threw into my truck last year to make it pass inspection. the downtime of it not running let the meh frame rot into a not okay frame.

So i am out all that time, all that money (entire new exhaust manifolds and all, complete coils, plugs, a/f, o2 sensors, new oil/tranny pans, new ball joints, new wheel bearing assemblies, new CV axle, sway bar bushings, sway bar links, rear schocks)....**** me, that is 2500 in parts and god knows how much time and it is all for naught...all of the above has less than 2k miles on it

so screwed.

 

Installed the Timekn hubs, Moog end links and the OEM bushings yesterday. Took just under 2 hours.
Bushings were shot. End links still had a bit of life to them but I ripped the boots open to inspect and saw they had very little grease left in them. Driver's side hub was OK but the passenger side was pretty stiff to turn and you could also feel it "catching" several times in even just a quarter turn by hand, so I am glad I replaced those.

It definitely tightened up the loose feeling in the front end. Steering wheel feels like it should now. I was only able to get about 5 miles on it but I didn't hear any clunking. I don't think it got rid of my squeak though. Going to have to track that down a little more.

 

I don't think it got rid of my squeak though. Going to have to track that down a little more.

Finally found the squeak that has been driving me nuts for the past year. I have an Injen CAI that I installed 9 years ago.
When I installed it, I put one of those felt pads (for furniture legs) between the body of the Injen airbox and adhered to the top of the fender. It didn't wear through the pad, but it made it "smooth" to where it was squeaking. Today I added another strip of felt pad adhered to the airbox so it is now pad against pad. Squeak be gone!

How did your Monday install go, Noel?

 

The before and afters...

 

Man those bushings where dry rotted


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yeah even mine weren't that bad

 

Okay just got Truck inspected passed no issues but my left front LCA ball joint is loose which proves I wasn’t seeing things the that tire was towing out the other day. I just had brand new LCA’s put on the front. I don’t understand 100% why just the ball joint would be loose it was all one unit replaced no just the ball joint. I’ll be calling my mechanic either today or Thursday to see what he wants to do and what may have gone wrong. I’m driving my daughter to Maryland for a bowling tnmt. (3.5 hour drive) and want to be sure we will be safe. Anyone give me some knowledge on how this happened? Didn’t press hard enough, faulty part etc...


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Check the torque on all the control arm fasteners.

 

Thanks will do


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I don't have an answer for you but... you say they were Mevotech, right?

I'd be sending it back to them for a refund and ask them to do an inspection and explain how it went bad so quickly.
Maybe Mevotech isn't all cracked up to be what they claim.

 

I am not 100% on the mevotech except the look like that part. That was the upper not sure but would suspect the lowers are the same brand. I thought he said an S word for the parts he uses suppose to be the best. I’ll be driving over to see him tomorrow to find out what brand and if it failed Thanks for the advice


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I have to replace my captains side lower control arm due to worn bushings. One bushing is gone and it's starting to make a metal grinding noise. How hard are they to get out? Anyone out there ever replace one?

 

I think without a proper press it might be hard to get right.

How-To Install a Bushing Without a Press | Suspension.com

How do you install a suspension bushing without a press? DST shows you how with an in-depth article showing you how to install a bushing with basic tools.

www.suspension.com

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Well it looks like in my case the sway bar bushings DO affect ride quality, noticeably. I have a 2010 4x4. The bushings were the last piece in my front suspension restoration, after replacing every single part that you guys mentioned in this thread. I wasn't in any hurry to replace them but there was a slight clunk up front when turning and some small noises when going over speed humps. I thought it was the new skid plate I put on. I installed the newer, greased style with the diagonal cut a couple days ago and no more noises and the steering firmed up noticeably.

I have the Mevotech upper/lower control arms from Ebay via RockAuto, the greaseable ones. They were cheap and OK but the only thing is one of the upper control arm grease boots won't hold much grease. It's weird, you put the grease in and it doesn't puff out like the other boot. Some does leak out also. I know there's some grease in there but it just looks funny. Not worth the trouble of replacing it again so I'll just keep an eye on it.

 

Well it looks like in my case the sway bar bushings DO affect ride quality, noticeably... I installed the newer, greased style with the diagonal cut a couple days ago and no more noises and the steering firmed up noticeably.

That's awesome. Yeah, I noticed right away that my steering tightened up nicely also. IMO, the swaybar bushings (OEM) are the best $12 you can spend on this thing if you are north of 50k miles. Especially if you have the old style with the slit on the flat. I think they changed that (OEM) design in 2012 or so. Interesting that Moog still has the slit on the flat, at least going by the pictures on sites that I looked at.

 

Truck definitely drives better no more fighting the steering wheel and not as clunky but still not what I know a Titan can be. At this point it may just be the 5100’s and 20” tires because I had three SE’s before with OEM shocks and 18” tires


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Noel, do you happen to have LT tires? LT tires are know to have a stiffer side wall and a stiffer ride when compared to the P-metric style tires that our trucks come with. You can find it on the sidewall, normally it will be with the tire size, i.e. LT275/60-20