Oops - Ripped Hicas Out Of Rear Subframe

[xRHETTx]

Hey all,

Well after being very disappointed with the handling of my RS4-S stagea for a while, I took it into a workshop to have the suspension looked at. It felt like it was getting looser and looser in the rear, wobbling around quite a bit. They diagnosed the problem being worn/soft rear shocks, plus a few worn bushes. It took a while to order in the shocks (Bilsteins from SydneyKid) and bushes from Whiteline.

I then broke the cardinal rule of car ownership, and took my car to a workshop on my birthday...

Got a phone call 30 mins later from the workshop, they had the car up on the hoist and noticed that the hicas system was hanging loose. I went down there and they were right, one of the two bolts holding it on had ripped through the subframe, and the other one was bent and starting to break. You could wobble it around and watch the rear wheels wobble in and out. My rear Federal 595SS tyres are completely stuffed now too, after only 1000 kms.

I've borrowed this pic from the hicas fitting thread, but the bolt in the middle-right is the one thats ripped out.

This "may" have happened when I went to my friends wedding at a farm and "may" have bottomed out going very slowly over a cattle grate.

The suspension place said they didnt do fabrication/welding work so could only buy a new subframe and replace the whole thing. The only one they could find was in WA (I'm in Melbourne) and was going to cost about $1500 fitted plus whatever postage to get it here.

So this brings me to my three questions:

1. Does anyone know if the Series 2 RS4-S subframe is the same as any other Nissan? I guess its the same as the RS260, is it the same as the R33 GTR as well? Is it the same as the auto Stageas (even though they dont have Hicas?)

2. Anyone have one in Melbourne?

3. Should I get it repaired instead of replacing it? It would really only be welding on 2 little plates with bolt holes so the hicas bar could mount back on. and I guess anyone know anywhere who would do it for me?

I'm a bit annoyed now because I think I may not have needed the new shocks after all

Cheers,

Rhett

[chef_stagea]

see the forsale section. theres a 260 being wrecked in adealide... may be ur only option.

[KiwiRS4T]

If it were mine i would be taking this as a sign to get rid of the hicas but if you want to retain the hicas I would be looking to get it repaired. there may be a mobile service in your town or it should be cheaper to transport the car to the welder and back than pay $1500 for a secondhand subframe.

Still worthwhile to get the Bilsteins though.

[_Ryan_]

Yeah, i took the 32 too a shop on my birthday, found a cracked rim

Defiantly do bilsteins/bushes/swaybars!

A fabricator should be able to fix up the subframe, or you could organize one from a Stagea that never had hicas!

[M I K E]

1. Does anyone know if the Series 2 RS4-S subframe is the same as any other Nissan? I guess its the same as the RS260, is it the same as the R33 GTR as well? Is it the same as the auto Stageas (even though they dont have Hicas?)

the rs4-s rear end is the same as 260rs as far as i know, which is different to that of an auto stagea (~50mm wider than the manual version). i have a feeling that s14/15 subframes will be very close to your current one - might be an avenue to persue as you can pick them up for next to nothing

*disclaimer* do your own research, don't take suggestions as gospel

[wolverine]

given the price, repair it.....

.....or like Rob says time to remove it. i imagine you will only need to buy a lock bar and and a few workshop supplies to get it sorted.

[xRHETTx]

Thanks for your comments, yeah maybe I should get a hicas lock bar..

I'll call a few places and see if I can get someone to weld it up where it was ripped the bolts through and install a lock bar at the same time.

definitely still going to get all the suspension bits installed, just have to fix this first, then get the suspension sorted, then get new tyres. expensive week.

[BensDR30]

If you like, post up your chassis number & we can x-reference the sub-frame part to see what other cars use the same part.

[QWK32]

whats actually pulled, has it taken a whole chunk out of the subframe or just pulled the thred out of the bolt hole, if its just pulled the thred its an easy fix. but either way you will need to get it fixed as a HICAS lock bar uses the same mounting holes as the HICAS. there are plenty of mobile welding guys out there, if the workshop you took it to cant sort it out then asks them to call one of these guys in to do the welding for them.

Edited August 10, 2009 by QWK32

[lachlanw]

nah they rip the whole welded in bolts out of the subframe . mine did . not fully just half . while your at it swap in a r33 gts25t hicas rack . works exactly the same but is waaaay up out of the way . like 4 inches higher than the diff as opposed to 2 inches below it

[xRHETTx]

Yeah thats what I did. One bolt has fully ripped out, pulling the nut welded on the other side of the subframe through the metal. the other side almost ripped out.

Taking it to a proper workshop on Wed to get it checked out, over the phone they said it was possible but wanted to look at it on the hoist before definitely saying yes.

Ben - I'll post up the chassis no when I get home from work tonight, it would be great if someone can fast it. I've heard it may be the same as the S14 subframe (from the Stagea part number thread). Itd be nice if its the same as R33 GTR though, prob more around the place.

Lachlan - yeah I noticed how low the hicas unit sits compared to skylines. seems ridiculous to have a little electric motor sitting facing downwards as the lowest part of the underside of the car.

[xRHETTx]

If you like, post up your chassis number & we can x-reference the sub-frame part to see what other cars use the same part.

ok drum roll....

chassis number is WGNC34127902

it would be a great help if you could fast this for me, and cross reference the subframe part no...

[xRHETTx]

okay so this is my rear subframe, you can see where the hicas bolt has pulled the nut through the subframe metal, and is now sitting at say 30 degrees rotated from where its meant to be. man it was hard fitting my head under there. you can see the other bolt in the background, which is rotated as well, but not pulled all the way through (yet).

[Duncan]

fark.

I'm probably reading these threads in the wrong order....but that subframe needs some serious repair. Isn't that a crack running from the bolt hole to the top of the subframe? I guess the subframe crack came first then the bolt pulled out as everything flopped around.

either major welding job (think 300-500) or 2nd hand subframe. Probably the latter because it looks like there's a fair bit of other rust.

I'd get the workshop to trial fit a couple of subframes, but I thought 260rs used 33 gtr (same as 34 GTR).

[xRHETTx]

Hi Duncan,

I dont think it is a crack. If you look at the first pic I posted in the original post, I think the dark area is just the shadow from the flash over the folded bit on the subframe.

but it'll all be a bit clearer on wed when the car is on the hoist. its a bit dirty under there but I'm pretty confident its not rusty - the car is yellow so maybe it just the colour reflecting on the metal etc... i think maybe I'm being a bit optimistic.

[xRHETTx]

Hi Duncan,

I dont think it is a crack. If you look at the first pic I posted in the original post, I think the dark area is just the shadow from the flash over the folded bit on the subframe.

but it'll all be a bit clearer on wed when the car is on the hoist. its a bit dirty under there but I'm pretty confident its not rusty - the car is yellow so maybe it just the colour reflecting on the metal etc... i think maybe I'm being a bit optimistic.

[BensDR30]

ok drum roll....

chassis number is WGNC34127902

it would be a great help if you could fast this for me, and cross reference the subframe part no...

Righto, here's the deal with the subframe assembly:

(Member Assy-Rear Suspension)

The S1 RSFV (as per my car) uses part 55400-0V000, which it common for a whole heap of WC34 models, including the 2WD turbo S2

The S2 RSFS (as per your car) uses part 55400-0V700, which is common for nothing else...

R33 (1997 onwards) & S1 R34 2.5t manuals use the same part - 55400-21U01

®S13 turbo's (both CA & SR) use 55400-52F01

So that didn't help much

BUT...

I can't see why you can't weld some reinforcing plates in & fix you frame. Tearing the welded nuts off isn't a new problem - the 240Z was (in)famous for breaking front sway-bar mount welds if you upgraded the bar too much!

[xRHETTx]

So the subframe is RS4-S specific? Not even the same as RS260 or R33 GTR? So I'm in for a world of pain unless i can get it repaired.

Thanks for your help.

[chef_stagea]

any idea what happened :S... something smashed into it? loosly done up?

[QWK32]

So the subframe is RS4-S specific? Not even the same as RS260 or R33 GTR? So I'm in for a world of pain unless i can get it repaired.

Thanks for your help.

just to add a little to what Ben has already posted,

- none of the R32, R33 or R34 range shares the same part number.

- none of the S13, S14 or S15 range shares the same part number.

- A31 cefiro is also no good.

- Z32 300ZX no good either.

- autech stagea rear cradle number is 55400 - 0V600

i also check a few of the other jap nissans, like C34, C33, A32, Y34, Y33 etc and got no joy there either.