Silvia Club of NSW

Just got the car back from new workshop (asked for general service and diagnose "clunky diff" noises)

Turns out the rear subframe is cracked and giving the clunks. Effed if I know how nissan workshop missed it. The crack probably started about a 18 months ago when some dunce pulled out in front of me on canterbury road and I ran up the curb to avoid totalling both cars. The front steering arm got fuxxored in that event, as well as other general damage to rims tyres etc.

According to the workshop owner, nissan spares said that's fairly common on these cars. Anyone else had this? Can you get enhanced subframes that are stronger? Would I need to?

Finally, without pulling it off to replace, the workshop guy said their may be damage to the rail where it bolts on, and possibly other bits. Anyone know what to expect, maybe in the worst case?

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

What has actualy or where exactly has it cracked?

look on the frame above the rubber bumper attached to the exhaust; less than 1cm left of the large bush with the wire tagged to it.

https://kryten.civica.com.au/subframe/

in case that crap server of mine isn't answering, description follows

Starting from the middle of the subframe just behind the diff, is a pair of big bushes with bolts thru it. The left bolt has a wire tagged to it (ploise exploin! an earth?) That part of the frame is roughly C shaped. Going more outboard on each side, more shaped plate is welded to host various bolts-n-bushes for the control rods etc at the rear. That add-on shaped plate is cracked from the main beam. The split is just inboard of the weld line, and seems to head over the top of the bush hole. (mmmm bush holes...)

Although the picture doesn't show it, at the workshop I saw it quite separate, meaning the crack goes up more than is obviously visible in the pics.

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

hah; found this about "salt states" in USA

Nissan Extends Warranty for Altima and Maxima Subframe Problems

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

that's not a common occurrance. yours is the first I've seen actually,in 10years of being involved with silvias.

you could weld up the crack,but it'd be better to replace the sub frame.
S14 or S15 will suit,and R33 gtst should be the same also.

there aren't aftermarket modified versions out there,as this isn't something that usually happens,even to all-out circuit or drift cars.

worst case,you remove it and have trouble fitting a new one if the floor is twisted from the previous accident.
the subframe is held in by four large studs,which are part of the chassis. if they are damaged,it's not going to be fun to rectify.


Justin...

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STI - Made in Texas,not Japan.

We have actually had two through the workshop that were cracked.

I think one was damaged in an accident and the other was a fully hectic drift car...which no doubt had seen its fair share of kebs and clutch kicks.

Its not something that generally happens by itself though. There are quite a few areas that can be strengthened and braced but i would not bother for a road car.

turns out the accident was 3 (!) years ago now [shit time flies when you're having stress] so if it was from that, it's taken a long time to develop. That implies the orginal bend or crack wasn't that big. Not a proof though!

I probably hit the kerb at 60, give or take 10, and the front took most of the whack.

Thanks for the info about the mounting. I need to make sense of the schematic in the manual and figure out what parts are involved, and what down-stream damage there might be. I think I need a close examination of the links and other bits too.

The upside is, this may be a way to subsume the labor costs of a suspension upgrade under the cost of something that now has to happen.

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

Cool - could you make some informed guesses about what other parts might have been stressed and might be bent, either from the hit or recent looseness? The left rear shockie is now leaking, and I'm guessing that's from stress or damage.

I have the PDF of the service manual so I'll be able to follow whatever you name from the diagrams.

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

apartnly subframe spacer decrease the likely hood of it happening

not sure but that what i heard

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oh yeah? What's that then? where does it go

I'm thinking a Whiteline "Works" kit setup with either of the recommended Touring or Sports alignments is for me. There's an optional subframe lock component (part# KCA349) that they say is "essential for enhanced power applications". Could this be the same or do a similar job? It seems to be 6 poly bushes/spacers from looking at the whiteline online catalog page for KCA349.

I've put all the poo about the Whiteline kit in my web server. The 3 Whiteline jpg's are copies of an article that caught my attention a few years ago, and the .pdf is the parts list and settings of the kit.

Problem here is, Whiteline no longer supply the tailored Koni shocks mentioned, and the guy on the phone didn't have a clue about the "tailor matched" settings of the bump and rebound rates. In fact he didn't know what model shocks they were either; he guessed they where Kyb.

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

Goddamn $1180 out of Nissan. Part no. is 5540085F00 - where can I confirm the phone guy and I are talking about the same thing? Can't find part numbers in the manual.

Is this something you'd have no fear picking up 2nd-hand?

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

PM username THE ASHMAN on NissanSilvia.com - he has Nissan FAST and can confirm the part number is correct.

Thanks, just done that.

Geez you guys are useful and helpful. Let me know your rego's so I don't embarrass you on the streets (he says with a straight face)

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.

the white line things you posted are what i was talking about


i have herd there ment to help prevent subframe cracks in 14/15's ive got a set in mine, there alot better ones out there, but good for the price

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THE ASHMAN has replied quickly, with a picture of what the part no. represents

I was expecting only the rear section of the assembly was replaecable, not the 4-sided unit that picture represents. Explains the $1180 price tag then.

A ring-around of several wreckers in sydney comes up with nothing. Not happy. Nissan rockdale says "around $1400" Bull Shit.

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I like my coffee how I like my women: cold, pale, weak and bitter.