This Sentra always had a sloppy front end since Inheritance at 227,000KM. The wheel was half cocked sideways, shook violently at highway speeds, and whenever I hit a FILLED crack on the road, it sounded like a damn boulder had collided with the rims. Nonetheless, my experience was garbage. In fact, I once lost total control on a gravel road, due to excessive play in the control arms, sway bar links n' tie rods. While no velocity was lost during the crash, (into a grass ditch, and back out) it did frighten me.
TO ALL B15 OWNERS! Do check your front ends intermittently, say, 5k miles. Why? Due to their rather stiff front end design, all components are subject to excessive wear*. Should you use cheap replacement components*, you will be LUCKY to make it 40,000 KM. When I replaced my lower control arm assemblies, tie rods and sway bar links, with dirty cheap, "quality" parts (all costing about 125USD) at 242,000KM, it wasn't long until the alignment was lost, tires were destroyed, and were back to square one. Save time and earnings! Do the right thing, buy polyurethane bushings, top notch components, and of course...a nice alignment. If you don't like the look of your strut mounts...or the rear end multi-link bushings, change em! Mine are all stock, and still in condition 80% or > after 14 years of service.
Needless to say, Since 284,000KM, I have replaced my front end with top notch components, and there appears to be no wear at all, after 12,000KM.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
This Sentra always had a sloppy front end since Inheritance at 227,000KM. The wheel was half cocked sideways, shook violently at highway speeds, and whenever I hit a FILLED crack on the road, it sounded like a damn boulder had collided with the rims. Nonetheless, my experience was garbage. In fact, I once lost total control on a gravel road, due to excessive play in the control arms, sway bar links n' tie rods. While no velocity was lost during the crash, (into a grass ditch, and back out) it did frighten me.
TO ALL B15 OWNERS! Do check your front ends intermittently, say, 5k miles. Why? Due to their rather stiff front end design, all components are subject to excessive wear*. Should you use cheap replacement components*, you will be LUCKY to make it 40,000 KM. When I replaced my lower control arm assemblies, tie rods and sway bar links, with dirty cheap, "quality" parts (all costing about 125USD) at 242,000KM, it wasn't long until the alignment was lost, tires were destroyed, and were back to square one. Save time and earnings! Do the right thing, buy polyurethane bushings, top notch components, and of course...a nice alignment. If you don't like the look of your strut mounts...or the rear end multi-link bushings, change em! Mine are all stock, and still in condition 80% or > after 14 years of service.
Needless to say, Since 284,000KM, I have replaced my front end with top notch components, and there appears to be no wear at all, after 12,000KM.
- mr.t the carsmith, Calgary, AB, canada