1987 NISSAN PULSAR suspension

146 Steering — Part 1

STEERING PULLS TO ONE SIDE
(1) Uneven tire wear or pressures: Check the
condition of the tires and inflate to the recommended
pressures.
(2) Incorrect front wheel alignment: Check and
align the front end.
(3) Dragging brakes: Check each wheel for drag-
ging brakes. Overhaul the brakes as necessary. (4) Damaged suspension or crossmember: In-
spect and renew the damaged components. (5) Faulty power steering gear assembly: Re-
move the power steering gear for overhaul.
FRONT WHEEL WOBBLE OR SHIMMY

(1) Uneven tire wear or incorrect tire pressures;
Check the condition of the tires and inflate to the
recommended pressures. (2) Tire or wheel imbalance: Check and balance
as necessary (3) Worn or badly adjusted hub bearings: Check
the condition and adjust the front hub bearings.
(4) Faulty or worn suspension, units: Check and
overhaul or renew as a pair.
NOTE: Check the steering linkage as previ-
ously described. Raise the front of the vehi-
cle and check the adjustment of the hub
bearings by moving the road wheel in and
out at the top and bottom. No movement in
the bearings should be felt. Check the sus-
pension units as outlined in the Front Sus-
pension section.

STEERING ERRATIC OR WANDERING
(1) Incorrect or uneven wheel alignment setting:
Check and adjust th e steering geometry.

(2) Smooth front tires: Check and renew the
tires as necessary.

Checking the steering gear mounting bolts for security.
(3) Steering gear assembly loose on the cross-
member: Inspect for damage and tighten the steering
gear mounting bolts.
(4) Wear in the tie rod ball housing: Renew the
worn t i e rod and ball housing. (5) Wear in the rack and pinion: Remove the
steering gear assembly for overhaul. (6) Loose or incorrectly adjusted hub bearings:
Check and adjust the front hub bearings.
FAILURE OF POWER ASSISTANCE

(1) Loose or broken pump drive belt: Renew or
adjust the pump drive belt.
(2) Low fluid level in the power steering reser-
voir: Check for leakage, repair or renew the faulty
components. Top up the fluid level. (3) Insufficient power steering pump pressure:
Check the delivery pressure, renew the pump if
defective. (4) Faulty power steering gear assembly: Re-
move the power steering gear assembly for overhaul.

150 Steering — Part 2

View of the steering gear and associated components removed from the vehicle.
mark the universal coupling joint in relation to the
steering gear pinion as an aid to installation.

(2) Remove the bolt retaining the universal
coupling joint to the steering gear pinion. (3) Raise the front of the vehicle, support it on
chassis stands at the jack ing points and remove the
front wheels. Refer to the Wheel and Tires section.
(4) Remove the split pins and castellated nuts
from the tie rod end studs and disconnect the tie rod
ends from the steering arms.
NOTE: Disconnect each tie rod end by
placing a suitable dolly or hammer against
one side of the steer ing arm eye and striking
the opposite side with a hammer.

(5) Remove the bolts from the steering gear
mounting brackets. (6) Separate the steering gear pinion from the
universal coupling joint and maneuver the steering
gear from the vehicle. Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:

(1) Ensure that the steering gear mounting
bracket rubbers are in good condition. Renew if
necessary.
(2) Renew the split pins on the tie rod castel-
lated nuts.
(3) Check and if necessary adjust the front wheel
toe in. Refer to the Front Suspension section for the
correct procedure.
TO OVERHAUL

To overhaul the steering gear a range of special
tools is required. If the steering gear has a fault
which requires the removal of the rack or pinion it
is recommended that the necessary repairs be car-
ried out by an authorized dealer.

TO RENEW TIE ROD BALL HOUSINGS
(1) Remove the steering gear from the vehicle as
previously described.
(2) Note or mark the installed position of the
mounting rubbers as an aid to assembly and remove
the rubbers from the steering gear.
(3) Thoroughly clean the exterior of the steering
gear in a suitable cleaning solvent.
(4) Secure the steering gear in a soft jawed vice
and centralize the rack in the steering gear. (5) Loosen both the ti e rod end locknuts and
unscrew the tie rod ends from the tie rods, noting the
number of turns required to do so. Remove the
locknuts from the tie rods. (6) Remove the tie rod rubber boot retaining
clamps, detach the boot s from the steering gear
housing and slide them from the tie rods. Take care to
position a container to catch the oil contained in the
steering gear assembly. (7) Where the tie rod ball housing is retained by
staking, drill the staking away from the rack and t i e
rod using a 4.0 mm drill. Do not drill into the rack
more than is necessary to drill out the staking.
Where the tie rod ball housing is retained by a
lock pin, drill out the lock pin from the ball housing
and tie rod using a 4.0 mm drill. Do not exceed a
drilling depth of 10.0 mm.

Using a 4.0 mm drill to remove the staking from the tie
rod ball housing.

Steering — Part 2 151
(8) Slide the rack out of the housing slightly so
that an adjustable spanner can be used to hold the
rack. (9) Using a Stillsons wrench, unscrew the ball
housings in turn using care not to allow the rack to
rotate. Keep all the tie rod parts in order. (10) Inspect the rack boots for cracks and deteri-
oration and renew as necessary. (11) Inspect the tie rod ends for wear and damage
and renew as necessary.

Dismantled view of the tie rod ball housing and the tie
rod end assemblies removed from the steering gear.

Assembly is a reversal of the dismantling proce-
dure with attention to the following points:

(1) Using large Stillsons and a large adjustable
spanner, install the tie rod and ball housing
assemblies
to the rack. Tighten the ball housings to the specified
torque.

NOTE: To avoid damage to the rack or
pinion the adjustable spanner must be
firmly tightened over the rack teeth and the
rack must not be allowed to rotate when
installing the ball housings.

(2) Measure a point 9 mm in from the rear face
of the ball housing of the rack and at 90 deg to the
rack teeth. Centre punch this point.
(3) At this point drill a 4 mm hole, 10 mm deep
through the rack and into the ball housing thread.
(4) Place a locking pin above the hole and drive
it into position.
(5) Lubricate the rack, rack teeth and t i e rod
boot groove with suitable EPL 1 grease. (6) Install the rack boots and secure with the
clamps. Renew the clamps if necessary. (7) Install the tie rod end locknuts and then the
tie rod ends, ensuring that they are screwed on the
same number of turns as was necessary to remove
them.
(8) Tighten the locknuts to the specified torque.
(9) Install the mounting rubbers and brackets
to
the steering gear as noted on removal. (10) Install the steering gear assembly to
the
vehicle as previously described. (11) Check and if necessary adjust the front wheel toe in as described in the Front Suspension section
under the appropriate heading.

TO RENEW TIE ROD END
(1)
Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands. (2) Remove the relevant front wheel.
(3) Loosen the tie rod end locknut and remove
the tie rod end castellated nut. Disconnect the tie rod
from the steering arm by plac ing a suitable dolly or
hammer against one side of the steering arm eye and
striking the opposite side with a hammer. (4) Unscrew the tie rod end from the tie rod,
noting the number of turns necessary to remove it.
(5) Screw the new tie rod end onto the t i e rod
the same number of turn s noted during removal.
(6) Connect the t i e rod to the steering arm and
install the castellated nut. Tighten the nut to the
specified torque and secure it with a new split pin.
(7) Install the front wheel and lower the vehicle
to the ground. (8) Check and if necessary, adjust the front
wheel toe in as described in the Front Suspension
section. Ensure that the rubber boots are not distorted
or twisted on the tie rod when the adjustment is
completed.
TO RENEW RUBBER BOOT

(1) Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands. (2) Remove the relevant t i e rod end as previ-
ously described. (3) Release the clamps securi ng the boot to the
tie rod and steering gear housing. (4) Unscrew and remove the locknut from the
tie rod. (5) Remove the rubber boot together with the
outer retaining clamp from the t i e rod. (6) Sparingly lubricate th e tie rod boot groove
with EPL 1 grease, install the new boot to the t i e
rod
and push it onto the steering gear rack housing. Install
and secure the inner and outer retaining clamps.
(7) Install the tie rod end locknut and screw
the
tie rod end onto the tie ro d the same number of turns
noted during removal. (8) Connect the tie rod to the steering arm and
install the castellated nut. Tighten the nut to the
specified torque and secure it with a new split pin. (9) Install the wheel and lower the vehicle to the
ground. (10) Check and if necessary, adjust the front
wheel toe in as described in the Front Suspension
section. Ensure that the rubber boots are not distorted
or twisted when the adjustment is completed.

154 Steering —
(2) Remove the air inlet duct from the air
cleaner and throttle body. (3) Position a container or a piece of cloth
beneath the steering pump reservoir and disconnect
the fluid return and power steering pump supply hose
from the reservoir.
(4) Loosen the steering pump drive belt as
described in the Engi ne Tune-up section.
(5) Loosen the return hose clamp and the supply
union and disconnect the hoses from the power
steering pump. Plug the hoses to prevent the loss of
fluid.
(6) Loosen the retaining bolts and withdraw the
pump. (7) Thoroughly clean the exterior of the steering
pump and inspect it for cracks, damage and signs of
leakage.
Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:

(1) Install the pump and retaining bolts.
(2) Install the drive belt and adjust it as de-
scribed in the Engine Tune-up section. (3) Install the hoses to the power steering pump
and tighten securely. (4) Top up the pump reservoir and purge the
power steering system of air as previously described.
TO OVERHAUL

As specialist knowledge and equipment arc re-
quired to overhaul the power steering pump, it is
recommended that this operation be performed by an
authorized dealer or steering specialist.

6. POWER STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY
Special Equipment Required:
To Renew Tie Rod Ball Housings — Large Still-
sons
TO REMOVE AND INSTAL
The procedures for removing and installing the
power steering gear are similar to those carried out in
the Manual Steering section under the Steering Gear
Assembly heading except fo r the following differences.

(1) Place a container under the pressure and
return pipes that are conn ected to the steering gear
valve housing. Remove the pipes and allow the fluid
to drain into the container. (2) Suitably seal the pipes and the steering gear
to prevent the entry of di rt whilst the pipes are
removed.
(3) Upon removal of the power steering gear,
thoroughly clean the steering gear except the tie rod
ends in a suitable solvent. Be careful not to allow the
solvent to enter the apertu res where the pressure and
return pipes were removed. (4) Check the pipes and co nnections for cracks,
damage or obstructions and renew as necessary.

Installed view of the power steering gear with the
engine removed.
Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:

(1) Install the pressure and return pipes to the
steering gear valve housing and tighten securely. (2) Fill the power steering reservoir to the cor-
rect level and bleed the system as described previously
under the heading In Car Adjustments. Checks and
Minor Repairs. (3) Check all power steering pipe connections
for leaks and repair as necessary. (4) Check, and if necessary, adjust the front
wheel toe in as described in the Front Suspension
section. After adjustment ensure that the rubber boots
are not distorted or twisted and the rubber boot
clamps and clips are facing downward.
TO OVERHAUL

As specialist knowledge and equipment are re-
quired to overhaul the power steering gear, it is rec-
ommended that this opera tion be performed by an
authorized dealer or steering specialist.

TO RENEW TIE ROD BALL HOUSINGS
TRW Steering Gear
The renewal of the tie rod ball housings is the
same as for the manual steering gear. Refer to Part 2.
Manual Steering section.

PR24SA Steering Gear
(1) Remove the power steering gear assembly
from the vehicle as previously described.
(2) Carefully mount the power steering gear in a
vice equipped with soft jaws. Loosen the tie rod end
locknuts without disturbing the location of the tie rod
ends and unscrew the tie rod ends, taking note of the
number of turns required to remove them. Unscrew
and remove the locknuts from the tie rod. (3) Remove the clamps from the rubber boots
and remove the boots.

156
FRONT SUSPENSION
SPECIFICATIONS
Type.................. Independent MacPherson strut with
coil springs and control arms
Shock absorber .................. Hydraulic, non-repairable
Hub bearing end float (maximum) ............. 0.05 mm
Ball joint axial play (maximum) ....................0.7 mm
Ball joint turning torque (used)...............0.5-4.9 Nm
Wheel alignment:
Toe in ..................................................... 0-2 mm
Camber ........................................- 0 ° 1 0 ' ± 4 5 '
Caster ..............................................1 ° 1 0 ' ± 4 5 '
King pin inclination..................... 1 3 ° 5 5 ' ± 4 5 '
TORQUE WRENCH SETTINGS
Hub bearing nut..................................... 196-235 Nm
Suspension unit to steering knuckle nut ...... 118 Nm
Suspension unit to body nuts ......................... 29 Nm
Piston rod nut .................................................. 72 Nm
Brake caliper to steering knuckle bolts ........... 52 Nm
Ball joint to steering knuckle bolt ................... 86 Nm
Control arm bracket bolts ............................... 98 Nm
Control arm pivot bolt ................................ 118 Nm
Stabiliser bar link nuts..................................... 44 Nm
Stabiliser bar bracket bolts .............................. 21 Nm
1. FRONT SUSPENSION TROUBLE
SHOOTING

FRONT END NOISE
(1) Loose upper suspension mounting or piston
rod: Tighten the mounting or piston rod nuts. (2) Loose or worn suspension unit lower ball
joint: Tighten or renew the lower ball joint.
(3) Noise in the suspension unit: Renew the
faulty suspension unit, preferably in pairs.
(4) Worn or loose steering gear: Overhaul the
steering gear assembly. (5) Worn front hub bearings: Renew the hub
bearings:
(6) Loose or defective stab ilizer bar, control arm
or mountings: Check, tighten or renew the mounting
rubbers.

Check the ball joints for wear and deterioration.
(7) Worn stabilizer bar link ball joints: Renew
the stabilizer bar links.
(8) Drive shafts worn or insufficiently lubri-
cated: Check the lubricant and the dust boots and
renew as necessary. (9) Drive shaft splines in the hub or the
differential worn or dama ged: Check and renew as
necessary.

NOTE: To check the front suspension com-
ponents for wear, raise the front of the
vehicle, support it on chassis stands and
allow both front wheel to hang free. With an
assistant pushing and pulling the front
wheels in and out at the top and then at the
bottom, check for excessive looseness at the
front hub bearings and lower control arm
inner pivot bushes. Noise or vibration in the
front end can also be caused by excessive
tire or wheel unbalance. Drive shaft joint
noise is usually more pronounced when
moving slowly with the steering on full lock.

POOR OR ERRATIC ROAD HOLDING
ABILITY

(1) Low or uneven tire pressures: Inflate the
tires to the recommended pressures.

(2) Defective suspension unit: Renew the faulty
unit, preferably in pairs.

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.

158 Front Suspension


Installed view of the front suspension. When using a floor jack locate the head of the jack on the crossmember.
(2) Remove the cap, split pin, castellated re-
tainer and with the aid of an assistant applying the
brakes, loosen and remove the hub nut.
(3) Remove the split pin and the castellated nut
retaining the tie rod end to the steering knuckle. (4) Disconnect the tie rod end from the steering
knuckle using a suitable puller. Alternatively place a
suitable dolly or hammer against one side of the
steering knuckle eye and strike the opposite side with
a hammer.
(5) Remove the brake caliper anchor plate bolts,
withdraw the caliper from the disc and support it with
a piece of wire inside the inner mudguard. Ensure that
the brake hose is not twisted.
(6) Withdraw the brake disc from the hub.
(7) Loosely install the hub nut and tap on the nut
with a soft faced hammer to separate the drive shaft
from the hub. (8) Place a mark on the suspension unit to
steering knuckle cam head bolt to ensure correct wheel
alignment on assembly. (9) Remove the steering knuckle to suspension
unit nuts and bolts. (10) Remove the split pin and the castellated nut
retaining the lower ball joint stud to the steering
knuckle. (11) Disconnect the ball joint stud from the steering knuckle using a suitable puller or alternatively
place a suitable dolly or hammer against one side of
the steering knuckle eye and strike the opposite side
with a hammer.

(12)
Withdraw the steering knuckle from the
vehicle taking care not to drop the drive shaft or
damage its boot. (13) Clean and check the steering knuckle for
wear, cracks and damage. (14) If necessary, dismantle the hub and check
the bearing assembly using the dismantling procedure
described later in this section. Installation is a reversal of the removal procedure
with attention to the following points:

(1) Install the steering knuckle and hub assembly
over the drive shaft and loosely install the ball joint
stud nut and the suspension unit to knuckle bolts and
nuts.
(2) Ensure that the suspension unit to steering
knuckle cam head bolt mark s are aligned and tighten
the retaining nuts to the specified torque.
NOTE: If the cam head bolt is not installed
in its original position, a wheel alignment
should be performed.

(3) Tighten the ball joint to steering knuckle stud
bolt to the specified torque.

Front Suspension 159
(4) Install the tie rod end to the steering knuckle
and tighten the castellated nut securely. Install a
new
split pin.
(5) Install the brake disc to the hub.
(6) Install the brake caliper to the steering
knuckle and tighten the retaining bolts to the specified
torque. (7) Install the hub nut and washer to the
drive
shaft and with the aid of an assistant applying the
brakes, tighten the hub nut to the specified torque. (8) Install the hub nut retainer and a new
split
pin to the drive shaft. (9) Check the hub end float as described later in
this section. (10) Install the fron t wheel and lower the vehicle
to the ground.
TO DISMANTLE

NOTE: The front wheel bearing assembly is
non-serviceable. If the wheel bearing is dis-
mantled for any reason it should be re-
newed.

(1) Remove the steering knuckle from the vehi-
cle as previously described. (2) Hold the steering knuckle assembly in a vice
with soft jaw guards. (3) Using a hammer and a suitable pipe or tube
that pushes on the inside of the hub, drive out the
wheel hub and outside inner race from the steering
knuckle assembly. (4) Using snap ring pliers, remove the snap ring
that retains the outer bearing race from the wheel side
of the steering knuckle. (5) Using a suitable press and press plates,
support the steering knuckle with the outside face
downwards. To aid in dismantling, position the inside
inner race in the bearing and press the assembly from
the steering knuckle. Discard the bearing assembly. (6) Using a bearing puller and a press, remove
the inner race from the hub assembly. If the inner race cannot be removed from the hub
in this manner, it may be necessary to grind the race

using an angle grinder and split the race using a cold
chisel.

(7) Thoroughly clean and dry the steering
knuckle and hub in a suitable solvent. (8) Inspect all the components for wear, damage
and cracks and renew if necessary.
TO ASSEMBLE

Assembly is a reversal of the dismantling proce-
dure with attention to the following points:

(1) Apply grease to the oil seal lips of the new
bearing assembly.

NOTE: Ensure that (he inside of the outer
race of the bearing is precoated with wheel
bearing grease. If necessary, pack the outer
race of the wheel bearing with wheel bearing
grease after it is installed to the steering
knuckle.

(2) Using the press and press plates, support the
steering knuckle with the outside face uppermost.
Using a suitable diameter steel tube that contacts on
the outer race only, press the outer race full into the
steering knuckle.
(3) Install the snap ring to the groove in the
steering knuckle.
(4) Install the inner races to the steering
knuckle
and support the inner race on the press using a
suitable tube or mandrel. (5) Using the press and a suitable tube press the
hub assembly into the steerin g knuckle. When using
the press ensure that the pressing force does not
exceed 29 kN. (6) With the press exerting a force of 44.1 kN
rotate the steering knuckle from side to side several
turns to ensure that the wh eel bearings are operating
smoothly.
(7) Install the steering knuckle to the vehicle
as
previously described.
TO CHECK HUB END FLOAT

(1) Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands. Remove the front wheel.
(2) Mount the dial gauge on the steering knuckle
so that the dial gauge plunger is against the wheel hub.
(3) Zero the dial gauge and attempt to move the
hub in and out. Total hub e nd float should not exceed
0.05 mm. (4) Renew the wheel bearing as previously de-
scribed if necessary.
4. SUSPENSION UNIT

Special Equipment Required:
To Dismantle — Spring compressor
TO REMOVE AND DISMANTLE
(1) Raise the front of the vehicle and support it
on chassis stands. Remove the front wheels.
Dismantled view of the steering knuckle and hub
components.