1987 NISSAN PULSAR ABS

Front Suspension 157


Check the stabilizer bar links for wear and damage.
(3) Incorrect front end alignment: Check and
adjust the alignment as necessary. (4) Defective stabilizer bar mounting rubbers or
worn link ball joints: Renew component as necessary. (5) Weak or broken front coil spring: Renew
both springs as a matching pair. (6) Broken or weak rear coil spring: Renew both
springs as matching pair. (7) Drive shaft bent or distorted: Check and
renew as necessary. (8) Tie rod end worn or damaged: Check and
renew as necessary.
(9) Control arm ball joint worn or damaged:
Check and renew as necessary.
(10) Control arm mounting bolts loose: Tighten
the control arm bolts. (11) Wheel hub bearing worn: Check and renew
as necessary. NOTE: As a quick guide to suspension unit
condition, bounce the front of the vehicle up
and down (one side at a time), the vehicle
should come to rest in a single movement. If
it bounces two or three times before stop-
ping, the suspension unit should be renewed.
If the from of the vehicle is tower on one
side than the other, remove the coil spring
and check its free length against a new
spring. If the spring is found to be unservice-
able it is good practice to install two new
springs as a matching pair. This also applies
to the springs on the rear of the vehicle.

2. DESCRIPTION
The front suspension is an independent type
comprising two Macpherson strut suspension units
mounted vertically on each side of the vehicle. The
lower end of the suspension unit is bolted to the
steering knuckle, which in turn houses the front hub
bearings. The steering knuckle pivots on the control
arm by means of a ball joint.

The control arm pivots at its inner ends on rubber
bushes.

A stabilizer bar is attached to both ends of the
control arms using ball joint links. The stabilizer bar
is attached to the front underbody by brackets and
mounting rubbers.

Each front suspension unit assembly comprises a
tubular shock absorber type suspension unit, sur-
rounded at the upper end by a coil spring. On top of
the coil spring is the upper mounting which attaches
to the underside of the inner mudguard panel. The
piston rod of the suspensi on unit is attached to the
centre of the upper mounting by a rubber mounted
bearing.

When a suspension unit is found to be defective it
is recommended that both suspension units be re-
newed as a pair.

Camber is adjusted by means of a cam on the
upper steering knuckle to suspension unit mounting
bolt.

The kingpin inclination and caster are set in
production and cannot be adjusted. Any variation in
these angles will be caused by worn or damaged
components.

3. STEERING KNUCKLE
Special Equipment Required:
To Renew Wheel Bearing — Press and press plates
and suitable tubes and mandrels
To Check Hub End Float — Dial gauge
TO REMOVE AND INSTAL
(1) Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands. Remove the front wheel.


Checking the control arm bolts for security.

164
REAR SUSPENSION
SPECIFICATIONS
Type........................... Independent MacPherson strut
Shock absorber.................... Oil filled, non-repairable
Maximum hub bearing end float ................. 0.05 mm
Rear wheel alignment:
Toe out ........................................3 mm ± 2 mm
Camber ............................................. - 1 ° ± 4 5 '
TORQUE WRENCH SETTINGS
Hub retaining nut ......................................... 255 Nm
Suspension unit retaining nuts ....................... 29 Nm
Upper mounting retaining nut ........................ 72 Nm
Suspension unit to knuckle nuts .................. 118 Nm
Control arms to knuckle nut ........................ 118 Nm
Control arms to crossmember nut ............... 118 Nm
Stabiliser bar mounting bracket bolts .......... 108 Nm
Stabiliser bar retaining nut.............................. 83 Nm
Backing plate bolts........................................... 45 Nm
1. REAR SUSPENSION TROUBLE SHOOTING
REAR END NOISE
( 1 ) Defective suspension unit or mounting: Re-
new the faulty components.

(2) Loose or worn control arm bushes or pivot
bolts: Check and tighten or renew the worn compo-
nents. (3) Broken coil spring: Renew the coil spring,
preferably in matching pairs. (4) Worn rear hub bearing: Check and renew the
hub bearing as necessary. (5) Loose or worn stabilizer bar bushes: Check
and tighten or renew the worn components.
NOTE: As a quick guide to suspension unit
condition, bounce the vehicle up and down
(one side at a time) and observe if the vehicle
comes to rest in a single movement If the
vehicle bounces two or three times before
coming to rest the susp ension unit is suspect.
If suspect, remove the suspension unit and
check for fractures and leaks. If the
suspension unit is found to be unserviceable,
it is good practice to install two new
suspension units as a matching pair.

To check the control arm bushes or pivot
bolts, insert a lever between the suspect unit
and its mounting and lever the unit back
and forth checking for excessive movement.

Check the coil springs visually for breaks.
If the spring is found to be unserviceable, it
is good practice to install two new coil
springs as a matching pair.

Rear hub bearing noise can be diagnosed
by raising and supporting the rear of the
vehicle, spinning one wheel at a time and
listening for a rumbling noise.

POOR OR ERRATIC ROAD HOLDING ABILITY
(1) Low or uneven tire pressure: Inflate to the
recommended pressures.
(2) Incorrect rear wheel alignment: Check and
adjust the rear wheel alignment as necessary.
(3) Defective suspension unit: Renew the faulty
suspension unit, preferably in pairs. (4) Loose or broken stabilizer bar: Check and
tighten or renew the faulty components.
Check the stabilizer bar bushes and mounting rubbers
for wear and deterioration.

Rear Suspension 165


Checking the rear control arm outer pivot bolt for security.
(5) Loose or worn control arm bushes or pivot
bolts: Check and tighten or renew the worn compo-
nents.

NOTE: Check the service ability of the sus-
pension units, control arm bushes and pivot
bolts as previously described.

If incorrect rear wheel alignment is sus-
pected, it is recommended that the vehicle be
taken to a wheel alignment specialist or a
Nissan dealer to be checked and if necessary
adjusted.

Visually inspect the stabilizer bar for
damage.

2. DESCRIPTION
The independent type rear suspension consists of
a suspension unit, a knuckle assembly which incorpo-
rates the stub axle, inboard control arms and a
stabilizer bar.

The suspension unit consists of a sealed, oil filled
shock absorber, enclosed at the upper end by a coil
spring on which an upper mounting assembly is
located and attached to the body.

The shock absorber piston rod is attached to the
centre of the suspension unit upper mounting assem-
bly.

The lower end of the suspension unit is attached
to the knuckle assembly to which the brake caliper
and/or the brake backing plate is mounted.

The control arms are attached to the knuckle
assembly at the outer end, and the crossmember at the
inner end.

The stabilizer bar is attached to the knuckle
assembly and mounted to the underbody. As well as
reducing body roll when cornering it also secures the
knuckle assembly, preventing fore and aft movement.

Adjustment of the toe out is provided by a
graduated cam mounted on the rear control arm inner
pivot bolt. Each graduation on the cam is equivalent
to 2 mm adjustment.

Camber is set in production and cannot be
adjusted. If the camber is not within Specifications,
inspect the suspension components and renew the
damaged or worn components as necessary.


Installed view of the rear suspension.

Brakes 175
A pressure proportioning valve is incorporated in
each circuit to prevent premature locking of the rear
wheels during severe braking.

The four wheel hydraulically operated brakes
utilize disc brakes on each front wheel and disc brakes
or leading and trailing drum brake shoes on each rear
wheel.

The front disc brakes comprise a disc attached to
the hub assembly and a caliper bolted to the steering
knuckle.

The rear disc brakes comprise a disc and hub
assembly attached to the rear stub axle and a caliper
and anchor plate bolted to the backing plate.

The front and rear calipers are of the sliding type.
As pad wear takes place, the caliper piston is allowed
to slide outwards through the seal to take up a new
position in the caliper bore. Elastic deformation of the
seal takes place when the brakes are applied, which
returns the piston slightly when the brakes are re-
leased. Thus a constant clearance is maintained
between the pads and the disc when the brakes are in
the off position.

The disc brakes do not require periodical adjust-
ment in service to compensate for pad wear as they
are self adjusting.

The leading and trailing shoe drum brakes on the
rear wheels use a double ended wheel cylinder to
operate both brake shoes at the top. The lower end of
each brake shoe abuts a fixed anchor point. The brake
shoes are automatically adju sted when the brakes are
operated.

The handbrake operates the rear brakes via a
cable arrangement.

3. MASTER CYLINDER
Special Equipment Required:
To Install New Seals — Suitable machined drift
TO REMOVE
(1) Depress the brake pedal several times to
deplete the vacuum from the system.

(2) Raise the bonnet and install covers to
both
the front mudguards. Cover the areas of paintwork
beneath the master cylinder with absorbent cloth.
(3) Disconnect the wiring from the pressure
sensing switch. (4) Disconnect the brake pipes from the master
cylinder and plug the outlets and pipes to prevent the
loss of fluid and the ingress of dirt.
(5) Remove the nuts retaining the master cylin-
der to the brake servo unit and remove the master
cylinder from the vehicle.
TO DISMANTLE

(1) Remove the master cylinder as previously
described. (2) Remove the reservoir cap and diaphragm,
drain and discard the brake fluid from the reservoir. (3) Carefully remove the reservoir from the
master cylinder by pulling it from the reservoir
retainers by hand. Remove and discard the retainers
from the master cylinder. (4) Using internal snap ring pliers, remove the
snap ring from the primary reservoir port. (5) Remove the fast fill valve assembly and the
O ring from the port. Remove and discard the valve
washer from the fast fill valve.
(6) Remove the proportioning valve plugs and
the O rings. Discard the O rings. Withdraw the springs
and valve plungers from the master cylinder. Remove
and discard the seals from the valve plungers. (7) Remove the pressure sensing switch and
lever assembly from the master cylinder. {8) Remove the cylinder end plug from the
master cylinder. Remove and discard the O ring from
the plug.

(9) Carefully tap the front of the master cylinder
vertically on a block of wo od and remove the pressure
differential pistons from the master cylinder. Remove
and discard the O rings from the pistons. (10) Push the primary piston forward in the
cylinder with a blunt rod and while holding the
pressure, remove the stop pin from the master cylin-
der.
(11) The primary piston may now be withdrawn
from the cylinder bore. The secondary piston, retainer
and spring can also be withdrawn by carefully tapping
the master cylinder on a block of wood. (12) Prise the legs of the seal retainer upwards
and remove it from the primary piston. Remove the
seal and guide. Discard the seal and retainer.
NOTE: The secondary piston must no! be
dismantled by removing the screw. This
assembly has a factory p reset length and the
screw must not be altered in service.

(13) Remove the main seal and the guide from
the front of the secondary piston. Stretch the rear seal
from the groove and remove it from the piston. Take

Installed view of the master cylinder and servo unit. Air
duct removed for clarity. 1.8 liter model.