Nissan parts costs are insane!

[SC Maintenance]

Replacing the bushings isn't much different than knocking out other bushings or removing ball joints. I'd guess the labor involved is greater for replacing the rear subframe than replacing the bushings alone. In both situations, you still have to pull the differential out to get 2 (or 4??) more bushings but the aftermarket option leaves the subframe in place.

Which bushings? Maybe in the spiders has no affect on anything else, however in most cases replacing anything in the diff's affect either the clearance in the gears or a bearing pre-load?

On the ball joints, the two Nissan's in my sig you can only buy the OEM lower control arm assembly. OEM Nissan MSRP is $142 each Do you really want a tech at $200 an hour driving out ball joints for $142? Also, if your ball joint is shot odds are good your control arm bushings are as well.

Even if you disagree with me, its far from from a Nissan only problem.

 

[Number_35]

Which bushings? Maybe in the spiders has no affect on anything else, however in most cases replacing anything in the diff's affect either the clearance in the gears or a bearing pre-load?

On the ball joints, the two Nissan's in my sig you can only buy the OEM lower control arm assembly. OEM Nissan MSRP is $142 each Do you really want a tech at $200 an hour driving out ball joints for $142? Also, if your ball joint is shot odds are good your control arm bushings are as well.

Even if you disagree with me, its far from from a Nissan only problem.

Agreed, on the Mazda5 I chose to replace the entire LCA, even though I likely could have gotten aftermarket bushings.

On the Kia Sedona it's relatively easy to replace only the ball joints, so I did that instead.

The aluminum upper mounts on the rear shocks on the Mazda5 tend to break. The dealer does not sell the mount separately, so that's one where I use an aftermarket part.

 

[Hall]

And, there's the rear differential bushing that breaks and leaks causing major clunking. Nissan won't sell you the bushing, only the whole rear subframe at a ridiculous cost. Again, thanks to the aftermarket, you can replace just the bushing and upgrade it at the same time.

Which bushings? Maybe in the spiders has no affect on anything else, however in most cases replacing anything in the diff's affect either the clearance in the gears or a bearing pre-load?

The bushing(s) that @Asterix was referring to are not internal or inside the differential. It's primarily this one:

The differential has a "post" that goes into this bushing so that it's not a hard, firm mount for the differential. Once the diff is removed, there's 2-4 bushings mounted horizontally that you might as well replace while you've got it apart. This shows one side and there's bushing on the opposite too:

 

[SC Maintenance]

The bushing(s) that @Asterix was referring to are not internal or inside the differential. It's primarily this one:
View attachment 239567

The differential has a "post" that goes into this bushing so that it's not a hard, firm mount for the differential. Once the diff is removed, there's 2-4 bushings mounted horizontally that you might as well replace while you've got it apart. This shows one side and there's bushing on the opposite too:
View attachment 239568

OK, so its not a diff part, its a mounting part, I get it.

Was same with my steering rack bushings. Not available from Nissan. They are available aftermarket.

This is not a Nissan specific issue by any stretch. There are far worse OEM's for parts availability. Not saying it would not be nice to have 100% of everything available forever, but its a relative measurement in the real world.

 

[Asterix]

None of that is unique to Nissan.

Yeah, I'm sure Nissan isn't unique, but I find Toyota better for selling small parts for the old one I own.

The front upright assemblies on my Z run about $880 for both. They are a fancy machined forging and a pressed-in ball joint. I was easily willing to spend the extra time and $80 replacing the ball joints at 1/10 the cost. With a lift and proper tool, they can both be swapped in under an hour.

But, yes, if the parts were not so very expensive, I'd be way more inclined to replace the assemblies. I get your statement about labor time vs assemblies, but as an individual who wants to repair my own car, I get annoyed by the system.

 

[SC Maintenance]

Yeah, I'm sure Nissan isn't unique, but I find Toyota better for selling small parts for the old one I own.

The front upright assemblies on my Z run about $880 for both. They are a fancy machined forging and a pressed-in ball joint. I was easily willing to spend the extra time and $80 replacing the ball joints at 1/10 the cost. With a lift and proper tool, they can both be swapped in under an hour.

But, yes, if the parts were not so very expensive, I'd be way more inclined to replace the assemblies. I get your statement about labor time vs assemblies, but as an individual who wants to repair my own car, I get annoyed by the system.

The system doesn't care about you. The system is designed to sell you a new Z car.

Toyota is just as bad - at least on the newer stuff. Lots of threads here.