[OldDog]

I'm getting ready to replace the rear shocks on my ex's Versa Hatchback. It rides like a brick on wheels and if I push down with everything I have, the car barely deflects, never mind springs back or oscillates. Car only has 56k, but still, its about 10 years old.

Thinking those bottom bolts have seen 10 years of New England weather and I'm not expecting the removal to go well. The problem is according to all the online Nissan parts stores I tried, the bolts for the 2014 have been discontinued. Really? Break a bolt and throw away the car? The official part numbers for the hatch seem to be "Nissan 54459-AX01D Bolt " which seems to cross to a non-hyphen version 54459AX01D. Getting the shocks is easy enough, as are the rubber bits, etc. But it looks like if I break a bolt I'm schrod. Anyone else run into that, or know what a replacement bolt would be? I'm guessing I could always put another shoulder bolt throgh there and double nut it, but that's way more Mickey Mouse than I want to do on a car I don't drive.

Shop manual lists them as 91ft-lbs of torque so I'm sure they're in there good and solid.

Anyone out there got any ideas? Any and all suggestions appreciated. I'm assumming the dealership has a workaround but she can't afford their prices.

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ecate]

i

I'm getting ready to replace the rear shocks on my ex's Versa Hatchback. It rides like a brick on wheels and if I push down with everything I have, the car barely deflects, never mind springs back or oscillates. Car only has 56k, but still, its about 10 years old.

Thinking those bottom bolts have seen 10 years of New England weather and I'm not expecting the removal to go well. The problem is according to all the online Nissan parts stores I tried, the bolts for the 2014 have been discontinued. Really? Break a bolt and throw away the car? The official part numbers for the hatch seem to be "Nissan 54459-AX01D Bolt " which seems to cross to a non-hyphen version 54459AX01D. Getting the shocks is easy enough, as are the rubber bits, etc. But it looks like if I break a bolt I'm schrod. Anyone else run into that, or know what a replacement bolt would be? I'm guessing I could always put another shoulder bolt throgh there and double nut it, but that's way more Mickey Mouse than I want to do on a car I don't drive.

Shop manual lists them as 91ft-lbs of torque so I'm sure they're in there good and solid.

Anyone out there got any ideas? Any and all suggestions appreciated. I'm assumming the dealership has a workaround but she can't afford their prices.

Thanks for reading.

it seems that 54459-AX01A is the exact same part. They are cheap, maybe it's worth a try.

 

[dkmura]

Do you have a metric hardware store in your area? While I always try to use a factory part, I will resort to matching OD, thread pitch and length at my local metric bolt dealer. Sometimes they even have a coated bolt that resists corrosion in stock if I bring the OEM bolt in for them to match.

 

[OldDog]

54459-AX01A

Sure looks like it, wish I knew what that suffix letter was, "A" vs "D"

 

[OldDog]

Do you have a metric hardware store in your area?....

There in lie the rub - if it comes out in pieces, or via a drill, I won't have anything for them 2 compare it to. Current plan is several blows with a hammer followed by map torch on threads.

 

[dkmura]

There in lie the rub - if it comes out in pieces, or via a drill, I won't have anything for them 2 compare it to. Current plan is several blows with a hammer followed by map torch on threads.

Try soaking it overnight in WD-40 or some other type of thread lubricant first.

 

[OldDog]

Just a follow-up. Thanks to those who responded. I soaked the bolts with penetrating oil over about a week. Still took a 2 foot breaker bar, but at least the bolts were fine and I didn't strip the attached nut's threads. Replaced the original factory shocks with a set of KYB's. Also replaced the bellows/bump-stop and used new hardware on the tops. Took about an hour all told. Can't say I'm a fan of that type of suspension, drop both shocks and you can lose the coil springs.

The old shocks were indeed dead. Compressed them and they stayed compressed for a very long time.

Replaced the front struts with a pair of KYB pre-built units. No air tools, which would have been nice. Only problem was the 14mm nut on the stabilizer link. Barely got off the driver's side, ended up destroying the one on the passenger's side. Lucky to have had a spare 14mm collared nut from my Subaru days. Car rides and handles much better. Took it in for a 4-wheel alignment, the only item that was off was the driver's toe-in. I was careful to mark the strut bolts and reinstall them in the same position.

If anyone's wondering - strut bolts, 121 ft lbs, tower bolts 21 ft lbs, stabilizer link 27 ft lbs. Rear shocks 91 ft lbs bottom bolt, 15 ft lbs top nut. - This from the FSM for a 2012 Hatchback

 

[dkmura]

Thanks for the followup. That doesn't happen very much these days after lots of suggestions. Those KYB shocks should last for the rest of your Versa's useful life, and doesn't it feel good to have done it yourself?

 

[OldDog]

Thanks for the followup. That doesn't happen very much these days after lots of suggestions. Those KYB shocks should last for the rest of your Versa's useful life, and doesn't it feel good to have done it yourself?

It's one of my pet peeves, people get a ton of advice sometimes spanning pages, and never let folks know how it went. And yes, at age 67 still nice to know I can wrench on a car.