PSA - Beware of Dorman LCAs
09-08-2010, 06:56 PM
#1
PSA - Beware of Dorman LCAs
Two days after replacing both lower control arms (LCAs) due to sloppy ball joints, I heard an unusual metal on metal grinding noise. It only occurred at full right lock. There were no obvious signs of rubbing observed with the car on the ground by poking my head underneath and playing with the steering angle. Eventually I made myself look like an idiot to my neighbors trying to replicate the grinding; full lock, Maxima sized circles in both directions.
With some, but inconsistent, ability to reproduce the sound I lifted the Maxima and found this:
ĦĦĦThe damn driver's side Dorman LCA was rubbing the brake rotor!!!
The astute observers will notice I have the ever-so common 6th gen. BBK, but note the contact occurred well inside the bounds of the OE 5.5 gen rotors.
So I ground some material out of the LCA and can no longer replicate the grinding; but can deepen my neighbors thoughts of my idiocy.
With some, but inconsistent, ability to reproduce the sound I lifted the Maxima and found this:
ĦĦĦThe damn driver's side Dorman LCA was rubbing the brake rotor!!!
The astute observers will notice I have the ever-so common 6th gen. BBK, but note the contact occurred well inside the bounds of the OE 5.5 gen rotors.
So I ground some material out of the LCA and can no longer replicate the grinding; but can deepen my neighbors thoughts of my idiocy.
absolutely amazing...
09-08-2010, 07:55 PM
#4
09-08-2010, 08:38 PM
#6
09-09-2010, 06:55 AM
#8
09-09-2010, 07:02 AM
#9
But - Wouldn't it stand to reason that if he had bearing free play, the prev. LCA would have rubbed as well?!?!/
Dang -- I'm LITERALLY about to order a set of Mevotech's, and just WONDERING if I'll have similar issues. I'd be wrecked if I did!
I want to believe this is a "plug-and-play" repair, hence why I'm not EVEn going to attempt to remove the old bushings/ball-joints.
2slow: did you happen to compare the Dorman LCA with the OEM to see what the differences were???
Was it just the "lip" where the LCA frame was welded together that did the rubbing?!?! Hmpf -- OEM, indEED!
gr
09-09-2010, 05:11 PM
#10
The rubbing was just the lip, which I recontoured with a grinder.
On another note, I purchased these at Advance Auto Parts as a matter of convenience since I didn't plan to replace the LCA's. I just stumbled upon a condition I couldn't ignore.
Last edited by 2slow; 09-09-2010 at 05:16 PM.
09-10-2010, 04:59 AM
#12
Before the DOT starts cascading our Mid-western roads with the metal eating white stuff!
gr
09-10-2010, 05:25 AM
#13
After customizin', I gave the bare metal a quick coat of paint. I should've taken a picture after I 'clearanced' the LCA.
11-28-2010, 08:42 AM
#15
I'm having an odd "clunking" on full lock right turns, and to me - it seems like the Sway-Bar Link is binding some how.
i didn't HAVE this issue UNTIL I replaced my OEM's with the SB links included with the kit.
But to be fair, the old ones WERE shot - and the newer SBL's made a huge improvement in getting rid of 99% of the rattles and clunks.
At this point - i can't tell if it's coming from the LCA's or the SBl's?!
It's CERTAINLY not catastrophic, but makes me sort of wonder what's going-on under there?!?
What sort of issues are you seeing Nexus????
gr
11-28-2010, 12:20 PM
#16
I'll chime-in as well....
I'm having an odd "clunking" on full lock right turns, and to me - it seems like the Sway-Bar Link is binding some how.
i didn't HAVE this issue UNTIL I replaced my OEM's with the SB links included with the kit.
But to be fair, the old ones WERE shot - and the newer SBL's made a huge improvement in getting rid of 99% of the rattles and clunks.
At this point - i can't tell if it's coming from the LCA's or the SBl's?!
It's CERTAINLY not catastrophic, but makes me sort of wonder what's going-on under there?!?
What sort of issues are you seeing Nexus????
gr
I'm having an odd "clunking" on full lock right turns, and to me - it seems like the Sway-Bar Link is binding some how.
i didn't HAVE this issue UNTIL I replaced my OEM's with the SB links included with the kit.
But to be fair, the old ones WERE shot - and the newer SBL's made a huge improvement in getting rid of 99% of the rattles and clunks.
At this point - i can't tell if it's coming from the LCA's or the SBl's?!
It's CERTAINLY not catastrophic, but makes me sort of wonder what's going-on under there?!?
What sort of issues are you seeing Nexus????
gr
I'm getting the same clunking sound (I had clunking sounds a long time ago but I got rid of them w/ the moog endlinks)
I kept my Moog's and didn't use the one's in fcp's kit. The car doesn't drive as well now, it's almost as if I don't have anymore power-steering.
Instead of grinding down the metal I might put my old lca's back in and just press out the bushings and use the bushings from the new lca's
11-29-2010, 12:06 AM
#17
for those with the FCP kit, i had some klunking, and then realized i had some loose bolts, specifically the lower strut mount (where the strut bolts to the spindle), that made a hell of a racket when turning and on bumps, so make sure you do a bolt check. I have installed these on two 5.5 gens, and both rode dramatically better. (when i did mine, i also lowered with progress springs and illuminas, and threw in a progress RSB as well). Another thing to check as far as clunking, is the front sway bar bushings. Also on both of the 5.5's there was no clearance problem with the brakes( mine is stock and the other has the 6 gen bbk).
How are you all who have used the parts in the FCP kit greasing the ball joins and tie rod ends? there are no fittings on the ones i got. Can you simply just drill and tap some zerk fitting in the ends?
How are you all who have used the parts in the FCP kit greasing the ball joins and tie rod ends? there are no fittings on the ones i got. Can you simply just drill and tap some zerk fitting in the ends?
11-29-2010, 05:04 AM
#18
for those with the FCP kit, i had some klunking, and then realized i had some loose bolts, specifically the lower strut mount (where the strut bolts to the spindle), that made a hell of a racket when turning and on bumps, so make sure you do a bolt check. I have installed these on two 5.5 gens, and both rode dramatically better. (when i did mine, i also lowered with progress springs and illuminas, and threw in a progress RSB as well). Another thing to check as far as clunking, is the front sway bar bushings. Also on both of the 5.5's there was no clearance problem with the brakes( mine is stock and the other has the 6 gen bbk).
How are you all who have used the parts in the FCP kit greasing the ball joins and tie rod ends? there are no fittings on the ones i got. Can you simply just drill and tap some zerk fitting in the ends?
How are you all who have used the parts in the FCP kit greasing the ball joins and tie rod ends? there are no fittings on the ones i got. Can you simply just drill and tap some zerk fitting in the ends?
I may need to try and replace my Sway Bar Bushings now, even tho they only have 20k miles on them (oem). If the worn-out OEM Sway Bar links were any indicator of premature wear, then I MUST need new bushings.
As far as the zerk fittings: there AIn'T NONE!!
It's a SEALED unit, just like OEM.
I think MOOG is one of the few that actually HAS the zerks....kind of dying breed on Japanese cars, eh?!
gr
11-29-2010, 10:22 PM
#19
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Colorado Springs
Posts: 497
I read in another forum once that a member there noticed a lot of Dorman parts were made in Turkey of all places. I've used both the much cheaper Chinese LCA's (on my 3rd gen after my wife hit a curb) and the oem Nissan LCA on my '02 after I hit a curb. Honestly I couldn't tell a difference between them. Now I'm not trying to say the oem isn't the superior part, as for the price difference it better be, I'm just saying that the China part did it's job just as well as the Nissan one. Of course if I had a problem like the OP did, I'd be unimpressed to say the least!
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4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
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