Hey, My name is Tyler Loewens and i live in Omaha Nebraska.

My cars sense today:
-87 Honda Civic DX Hatch..beginner car 5 speed SOLD
-89 240SX Hatch...first project car SOLD
-90 Maxima 5 speed...current daily driver
-87 Turbo II RX-7...current project car.

I like to do all the work to my cars myself, and sometimes enjoy routine maintenence(sp). My maxima has 241,000 miles on the original Engine and tranny, and just recently my drivers side cv joint has started to click...im going to replace the half-shafts very soon. Im good friends with ZFreak...or Scott Hibbeler, and have alot of his old parts from his Maxima on mine.

ANYHOO, just thought id drop in and say hi...im sure ill be here to curse the half-shafts in a few weeks .

Tyler

 

Welcome. We can always use another good DIY mechanic in heres

 

Any "friend" of Scott is not welcome here. He's a dork.

Welcome!
And tell him I said hi. He still in Omaha, or did he get smart and move to a decent town?

 

haha, he actually moved to Texas....Tyler Texas to be exact.


Hey, i actually have a question...im pretty sure my drivers side cv joint is going bad, but the boots are not torn...at all. I can have the car up on jacks and turn the wheel all the way both ways without the joint making a sound. Is there anything else this could be? The noise comes on at moderate right hand turns, or at speeds above 55 or so.
Thanks
Tyler

 

it could be a zillion things.. usually CV joints make noise at low speeds and hard turns first.. after a while, then they start to make other noises more often.

sounds like your problem may be wheel bearings, but I'd have to see/drive it to say much more.

 

sounds like your problem may be wheel bearings, but I'd have to see/drive it to say much more.[/QUOTE]

Matt,
I don't have my Chilton's on me right now... but do our year Maxes have inner and outer wheel bearings? I know its time to replace mine. Also, how important is it to have the bellow boots for the rack replaced? Also the rack and pinion bushing? I don't notice a problem with steering... just the droning from the wheel bearings. Thanks.

 

Welcome to .org Tyler.

Enjoy your stay.

 

alright guys,
i got some advice today and will test the car further tomorow....that is after i get the new tires put on my 7. Autocross this Sunday! WOoot!

 

Front wheel bearings should be replaced as a complete unit - you'll need a press to remove them from the hub & to fit new ones (quicker than trying to hammer them out using a deep reach socket).
If your steering rack boots are torn, replace them asap - dirt & grit can work it's way past rack seals leading to an expensive rack rebuild / replace. Also, if your rack seals are seeping or even fail at highway speed, the boots help contain fluid loss, thereby allowing you to keep steering control. May also be a safety inspection requirement not to have torn boots (it is in New Zealand). Unusual to replace rack & pinion bushing.
Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the info.

 

could this be a steering rack noise then? My Drivers side steerign rack boot is torn... I never got around to testing the car yet...been too busy with the Mazda.

 

Doesn't sound like the steering rack although you haven't said what the noise actually is. You'd expect rack noises to be more noticeable at lower speeds - not moderate speeds. If steering rack boot is torn, replace it & see if noise goes away - could simply be wind noise, or torn segments rubbing on chassis.

 

I went ahead and did the test that another knowledgable guy told me to do to check the cv joints...they seem fine. The sound is a ticking sound, and it occurs when i turn right at moderate speeds, or when i am driving above 60 mph...like on the interstate.

 

Yeah, you can only hear cv joints clicking at low speeds & on full lock.
You can do a few things:

1) Swap your front wheels & see if noise goes to left hand side to eliminate the wheel itself.
2) Check all r/h brake & shock components are tight, the shock dust cover isn't loose or torn and that the pads are not loose in the caliper. Also check rotor splash shield is not close to the rotor in any particular spot.
3) Put your car on axle stands & get someone to run the car in gear until the noise shows up. You should be able to find the problem at this point.

Good luck & let us know what you find

 

Thanks, i appreciate the suggestions! I havent had time to work in it, as my mazda decided to kill an Injector and throw fuel everywhere .

 

Well, i had my dad, who used to be a mechanic, drive the car around. The sound is most definatly a CV joint on the drivers side. IT is not in real bad condition yet, but i went ahead and ordered the driversside halfshaft from advanced auto parts. Im planning on doing the install this Friday. If i get real motivated i may even take pics
Tyler

 

be sure to get a new axle seal for it too.
buy ONLY from the dealer. the parts stores have about 6 listed in their computers, and they always get it wrong.

 

i thought the axle seal was only on the passenger side? Hmm, i will look into this. Oh, and one quick question. When i get my replacement halfshaft, do i need to pack the cvjoints, or are they alreay packed?
Tyler

 

The halfshaft should come ready to install ( already packed , booted etc)

 

Yep, that's the beauty of buying the whole halfshaft- all the nasty grease-packing work is already done, and the cost is about the same as just the joint itself.

 

nope. it's got seals on both sides. you should replace them whenever you replace the axles. otherwise, you're just asking for it to leak.

and yes.. the axle will come all together, packed with grease and everything. just drain tranny fluid, pull the old one out, change the seal, put the new one in and you're done. 1 hr job.

 

thanks for the info guys! I might even spoil the max and use redline tranny fluid . Spoiled beater i tell ya

 

my brother just got an 87 RX7 turbo II. low miles fast car its nice ! his is white. with blue cloth interior.

 

Heres the halfshaft i picked up tonight...let me know what ya think!




RX7:

 

Looks like an axle... except it's missing the seal cover thingies. pretty common for reman parts. be sure to remove the old ones from your axles when you do the swap. it keeps dirt and gunk out of the seals.

 

? Ill make sure and compare both of the axles and swap what i need. I still have yet to purchase the halfshaft seal to tranny.

 

yup.. it's a small metal ring just in from the ends on the axle. it fits right up against the tranny and wheel bearings. you'll see 'em when you tear it apart.

 

went ahead and bought the axle seal today. $6.95 . Not too bad.

 

alright, i just woke up, and am about to do the drivers side axle today. I will try and take some pics and let everyone know how it went! Wish me luck!