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Rear Differential Bushings

15K views 9 replies 6 participants last post by  F4N4EVR 
#1 ·
I have a 2012 Armada Platinum with 30k on it. I would say about 5 k pulling a 5,000 lb trailer. I get a clunk when I coast then reapply the gas (very noticeable at highway speeds). Attached are pictures of the upper diff bushings. It looks like there are slots molded in above and below the bolts, but one seems to have a tear near the bottom. Could this be the cause? I appreciate the help.



 

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#2 ·
I think that is probably the cause of the clunk.
 
#3 ·
Easy fix. Get a tube of 3m window weld and fill the gaps. My older Subaru had this problem and 3m solved it years ago. Permanent fix.
 
#4 ·
Nissan has always used crap bushings. See if you can get PU replacements.
 
#5 ·
Interestingly enough, the dealer replaced the tranmission and drive shaft and the problem was still there. I pointed out the bushing, they took the car back in, agreed it needed new bushings. I got a phone call saying the problem was still there and Nissan is supposed to send someone out. What confused me is that the warranty invoice I signed said:
rpl suspension member. 65 WP 5.50
2 55470-7S000 Member compl differential mounting
FC: ZE32
Part #554707S000
The cost to Nissan was about $800

The same bushings are still there. I asked the dealer what they actually did and they said they replaced the part, it did not fix the problem, and Nissan had them take the part back out.

They said they are following up with Nissan and Nissan is supposed to send someone out.

That part number seems to be the bushing itself, so I can't see how this possibly could be accurate.

Trying to figure out my next move before the warranty is up
 
#6 ·
So this was interesting, I tried to go to a different dealer and they said they would not touch the car, need to stay with the original dealer, even though they have not been able to fix it and it is 1.5 hours round trip for me. Once I get this sorted out, I think I'm done with Nissans.
 
#7 · (Edited)
Did they even bother checking the transmission mount? U joint(s)?

There is also another pair of rubber bushings & isolators on the front part of the rear differential. These are bolted and are facing upwards towards the subframe assembly.

 
#8 ·
They replaced the differential. Still not the bushings, but for the most part I think the sound is gone.

Not sure what made me think to do this, but I have the entire diagnosis on my dash cam including the parts where they speak not so nicely about me and they wonder if Nissan will figure out the misdiagnosis of the transmission.

I have to admit, as much as I like this SUV, this is my last Nissan.
 
#9 ·
That's part of the problem. What is causing the clunk is the splines on the cv shafts, where they go into the bearing hub/brake rotor. They do not come with lubricant or anti seize from the factory. Mine started clunking at 20k. I tow a 4500lb boat and trailer frequently. Got to where it clunked when cold, or after underside washing, winter trips, summer Arizona trips, etc. Took it to nissan over 20 times, demonstrated the clunk at will. nissan denied having a clue. I had the bearing hubs replaced at 102k and had the guy goop the splines up with permatex 333 antiseize. All clunks went away. Learned that the bearing hubs from nissan only come with about three drops of lube in them, that nissan does not use antiseize during brake jobs, that nissan does not apply grease or antiseize to the cv shaft splines, and has known about this problem since day two of the mada line. They just lie about it to cause the car to wear it's suspension parts out as fast as possible.
 
#10 ·
Addendum- checked my maintenance logs. Had the rear diff replaced at 65K due to faulty manufacture. When nissan reinstalled the new rear diff they did not install bushings on the front diff mounts that face vertical, leaving a 3/8" gap between the diff mount and the frame mount point. Bought some rubber sheet with fabric in it, cut it with a hole saw for door knobs, took the bolts out, slid in the rubber home made bushings, put bolts back in, much improved solidity. Next phase, get the rear horizontal bushings recaulked. I am going to use 3m 5200 Marine seal and see how that works. It is not affected by oil, grease, or salt water (winter roads) if it doesn't hold up, then I'll try the window weld.
 
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