Rochester

iTrader: (8)

Not the swaybar bushings.

Still don't know what's making that noise, but it most definitely is not the rear swaybar bushings. With the bar hanging loose on the end-links, disconnected from the frame, with both bushings removed... still creaks on the up & down.

God. Damn. It.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

I feel your pain Rochester. I thought I finally had my car all sorted and now it decides to creak on the driver's side and passenger's side inside the car randomly. I have been trying to track down either side for about two weeks now with no luck.

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

Well... now I have brand new rear sway bar bushings installed, and packed with fresh pre-lube grease. And now I know how to do this again in the future, because I'll surly be re-packing them next year, and the year after, and so on. Plus, I still have the fronts to work on later this Spring.

However, the old bushings were absolutely fine. Fully ribbed on the inner diameter, and perfectly functional. Just not the cause of my creaking noise.

You know how I can best repeat the noise? With the car on ramps, and me underneath (it was a beautiful sunny day today), if I pull *down* on the rear subframe connecting rod, the noise is loud and repeated and more easily demonstrated than pushing up on the same piece.

Noisy subframe bushings? Is that even freaking possible?

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

Can you disconnect the end links from the bar and recreate?

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

I didn't disconnect the end-links, just the brackets. Once both brackets were off, the bar just dangled there connected to the end-links. And with no brackets, and no bushings, the noise persisted just by rocking the car.

So... the swaybar was a boondoggle. My next action is to go back to the shop I went to last Fall.

Not the upper rear strut mounts.
Not the lower rear strut bushings.
Not the rear swaybar bushings.

Suppose I need something else to throw money at.

Lego_Maniac

iTrader: (3)

Hmmmm, wonder if it’s the Tein dampers? You could always swap the OE shocks back on. It’s only 3 bolts per side

el_donks

Experience leads me to believe the current noise is your sub-frame bushings or possibly tightness to the frame itself. I had a creaking noise and (what felt like) more vertical movement than usual when going over road imperfections, after a mishap with a giant pothole one winter. Basically the rubber was cracked from age and the landing impact did them in.

If this is the case for you, there's no OEM part for the bushings alone FYI. Infiniti only sells them with the sub-frame, you probably don't need a whole new sub-frame though... That leads to aftermarket plastic bushings. At that point, you may as well go plastic happy and replace the rear diff bushing/fluid as well (since it'll be off of the car).

It is not a job that I tackled myself because it involves removing the driveshaft, rear diff, and sub-frame (at the very least). Plus, the bushing and ring remnants need to be torched out once the sub-frame is down. Hopefully, this is not the case for you.

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

I've got Whiteline poly diff bushings, they were installed last year. Changed the diff fluid myself last summer, after the gear swap. It's all good.

If the shop makes the rec for subframe bushings, which feels odd because there's only 38k miles on the car, then perhaps instead of cutting/burning out the OEM rubber, a set of aluminum inserts instead. I've had my eye on Z1's subframe collars anyway.

We'll see sometime in March. I appreciate the comment, donk. Going to get this solved this Spring, I swear.

2GoRNot2G

iTrader: (5)

Could be a bad rear control arm bushing. I've had a front one go bad before, but not a rear. The bad bushing was generating a knocking noise every time I rolled over any kind of surface imperfection. It was especially noticeable at low speed but higher speeds tended to drown out the noise... it was still freaking annoying though. Since the control arm bushings are really hard to see/inspect while they're installed I just had to systematically go through every suspension part on the front end until I found the culprit... not fun.

2GoRNot2G

iTrader: (5)

You may not need it but when I installed the Redline center console cover in my Porsche I had to use some 1/4" neoprene adhesive foam padding to get the fitment nice and tight. You can also form the edges of the Neoprene with a dremel grinding wheel to give the edges a nice contoured look before installing the new cover. Without the extra padding the new leather cover looked like old and saggy skin, so not attractive in any way. Plus, as an added bonus the arm rest if now extra comfy with all that extra padding. Listed below is a link to the Neoprene padding that I used, not too expensive, plus it's Amazon Prime.


Incidentally, I also lined the inside of my center console with some black alcantara fabric that I also got off Amazon.

mdigiorgio35

@rochester, it might be in the last 142 pages but if you dont mind me asking...how much was it to paint match your grille and was a standard body shop able to do it? I am in the market to do the same (graphite shadow).

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

https://www.myg37.com/forums/g37-sed...d-grilles.html

$275 out the door.

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

Got my RedlineGoods leather armrest cover today. If I can get it mounted properly, I'm feeling like this will be a good move.

Here's a pic of the new leather dry-humping the old vinyl.



Safe sex, LOL.

4DRZ

iTrader: (7)

You are a dirty old man

Rochester

iTrader: (8)

I separated the vinyl from the lid, retaining the thin foam padding underneath which is loosely adhered to the lid. The fitment of the new leather cover over the lid seems really good, however...

...not sure how to pull it taut. And I'm hesitant to cut into the corners, and I've zero skills in doing any of this, even though it doesn't seem like rocket science.

Derp.