Decided to grab my d-side front wheel. There is some free play like a little "clunk" type movement. NONE from the other side. So what do you think it is? Kinda sounds like the axle is moving in/out of the tranny. Which it might be but I don't have a tranny leak there (from what I notice anyway)

Wheel bearing?

 

probably

edit:

watch the axle when you shake it

you said you were planning on doing ball joints/tie rods aswell at one point.

 

U tell me: I suspect shock internal failure in my car as nothin can be found in my max. Small up/down which may make this. No actual problem, but the clack...

 

So, i assume you hear "clunk" when you had the wheel up in the air and rotate the tire forward and backward, right? I "think" that is normal, right?
Or did you hear it when you shake the wheel sideways?

 

yeah, thats normal, to a degree

 

Car on ground. I crouch in front of the wheel and grab it with two hands. Then attempt to push/pull. I can feel a movement of about 1/8" to 1/4".

 

what about in the air?

 

How about when just after farting 3 times?? How do I know?? It might also be a loose axle nut but I don't think so. I won't be able to jack it up until tomorrow night.

 

Has a similar problem. When turning pass side would clunk. Replaced the front struts and all is well.

 

Lug nuts tight?

 

loose nut behind the wheel?

seriously, jeff you know the drill. check evrything once, then check it again , find the problem and go DOH!!

I need to do my control arm bushing again dang blasted oil leak. It ate the bushing of course this is after I fixed the leak.

Anyone wanna buy an A/T VE?

 

upper strut mount/bearing?

 

I do think it's something near the wheel. ie.. bearing or maybe the lower ball joint is toasted beyond belief. Can't be too many things letting the wheel move directly in/out like that. If I'm lucky, the axle nut might be loose. But there's supposed to be a pin preventing the nut from backing out.

 

plus the torque on that nut is like 200lbs isnt it.

 

Or whatever torque I can get on it using a 3/4" drive breaker bar and a 3ft cheater.

 

how much do you weigh?

 

left and right movement i would say inner/outer tie rod, up and down movement would be the wheel bearing im sure (this is from my experience with car in the air)

 

e-mail me your phone# if you need help. I will be jome from work at around 6 tonight and will call if you want to find a solution right away. Jeff, ive worked alot with my tranny. Ive removed my wheels and the whole assembly 4 times over on two maximas. I had a problem with my tranny seal and was leaking. I fixed it, but my brother who assisted me in fixing did not put the axle all the way into the tranny to allow the ring on the axle to snap into place. This caused the tranny to tear the axle teeth to bare nothing. Switched out the axle for a new one, it fixed the problem. Also there is a rod that stablizes the wheel from moving left and right. This rod has a bushing with one nut on the bottom. I would check to see if that is loose or not tightened. Then look UNDER and behind the wheel hub, you will see 3 nuts holding on the support for the wheel to bounce up and down with the shocks and springs to keep the wheels strait up and down. Check them to see if they are not loose. Also take the small cap off the wheel hub and take the pin out. Grab your 36mm socket and loosen then tighten it again, not too tight or you will put too much pressure on the bearings. ++++++Your wheel assembly will not be able to move the axle out of the tranny, dont worry about that. That will only be the situation if someone put the axle in the tranny wrong, or you may have hit something hard enough on the road to cause the ring on the axle to pop out of place and then your axle will be loose and not working properly. But this wont cause your wheel assembly wobble when u shake it. You wanna check to make sure your suspension is not loose. (I WOULD JUST TAKE THE WHOLE ****ING THING APART AND PUT IT BACK TOGETHER, ITS NOT HARD AND WOULD HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE FRONT WHEEL ASSEMBLY ALOT BETTER) Its not hard to work on these cars, they are simple and reliable cars. If anyone needs help ive worked on these babies since i was 15 and a half, so send an e-mail if you got a question, i usually check my e-mail every night. I can give step by step directions, ive taken apart front, rear wheel assemblys, tranny, interior, trunk, **** anything i have done accept rebuild an engine. These cars are simple and if you have any questions Jeff. e-mail me and lemme know whats going on with your maxima if these things dont work. But for sertain its not your axle loose from the tranny that is making it wobble, and most likely ISNT your axle being loose to the hub assembly (the axle being loose from the hub assembly would only allow you to remove the axle, but the whole wheel assembly will still be sturdy, there fore the axle has nothing to do with keeping the whell stable, just to turn the wheels round and round). Check all the stablizers that attach to the assembly and find your problem. If you tried it all, gimme an e-mail and we can see whats up. If you got the car up and wheels off and check the site and see my post e-mail me your phone# ive got free long distance and will try and explain the best i can to help u find a solution. You will need to get a breaker bar or anything metal and hollow to loosen the 36mm nut.

 

Hehe. Thanks for the assistance. Good explaination! I think I have "basic" knowledge of our suspension systems. Since I've done 4-5 suspensions before. ie.. Eibachs/Tokicos/Konis, sway bars, etc.... I've also done 4-5 tranny swaps and 3 engine swaps. Not to mention the numerous other things.

Just wanted to see if someone has experienced this exact same thing or if I have to diagnosis this crap myself like it always seems to be.

Looking at the autozone online real quick. You gotta press out a few things to get at the bearings (if that's the case) I do think I have an extra wheel/hub assembly but I forget what side it's from. I think I sold the right side to Donald when he screwed up his right side.

 

Just trying to help. Im new to the forums and dont know how much people know thier cars. To get the bearings all you need to do is take the cap off the hub, remove pin, and take the 36mm nut off. Then you can pull off the hub from there and take the bearings out and so forth. Im pretty sure thats it.

 

You need a press to get the race and bearings out. But thanks.

 

Found it. Finally jacked up the front end (while doing the LCA/PS hose etc..). One of the lower strut housing bolts/nuts were loose! Odd!

 

new strut tower brace and no loctite?

 

Never had to use loctite on those lower strut bolts/nuts. Maybe I should now.

 

Doh, I read upper.
the lower may have come loose with the last alignment

 

Tightenin is this way:

┌→ ┐
↑ ↓
└ ←┘

 

you know me, I never really bothered with loctite on anything except internal engine and flywheel stuff.


After tearing the car down apart again, I've started putting loctite on everything

 

Why?....................

 

negitive

 

most of the bolts were nice and tight, but there were a few that were fairly easy to take off (not to mention those rear mount bolts that backed off)

cheap insurance and peace of mind

 

vibrations > your tightening