When driving on the freeway, I hear a whirring sound up front. I thought it was my passenger side axle which was oging, but I replaced it today, and it's still there. I can feel the car vibrate ever so slightly also.

The "whirring" gets louder and faster with speed. It's not very loud, and I have to make people listen to hear it, but it annoys the heck out of me!

In tune with this "whirring" is when hitting the brakes, the whole car vibrates even moreso - I really feel it in the pedal.

New rotors in front, and both axles are brand new, along with tires.
Rims have been checked for bends, tires balanced 3 times since I got them.

Any ideas?

 

you got turbo and u forgot ...check your pullies and alternator belt

 

I check my belt and pullies at least once a month because of the SC - it's not that.

Besides, what would that have to do with speed and brake vibration?
That would be far more RPM dependant, not speed dependant.

 

When your car is still,try to shake your wheel up and down on the front pass side to see if your wheel moving.And you can also jack that side up,with the car in neutral(don't forget to pull your parking)and try to spin the wheel and see if there is any grinding noise from the bearing.Sound like the wheel bearing to me.

 

That's just what I was gonna say 96_ ! I had the same problem. Did the eaxact same thing- got louder under braking and kinda hummed and grinded while driving. The wheel shake and noise diagnosis(Car parked, shaking the wheel) only worked when IO had driven them past the well-gouged point - Then it gets obvious what it is! I replaced the left and 2 mnths later replaced the right due the same noise - I recomend if you replace one, replace both. Just my $.02 - Tucker

 

OK - how much in parts to replace, and how difficult is the work?

IanS

 

Well, I let them both go way too far and had to replace the hubs as well -I decided to use all OEM. I bought it all from a local dealer and they got me good- Think I paid around $250 for both sides combined (Hubs and bearings with bearing seals)- Now labor was not fun - Tried the first one myself - Only to find I needed an industrial press to get the bearing on and off the hub-(Cost $30 for just that! _ got ripped!) - I had a shop do the second for me, about 1 1/2 hrs labor, think total came to 100 or so then an alignment, another $30 - My labor was rediculous, I know. Parts would almost certainly be cheaper through courtesy nissan. Try them - Oh yeah, I used a haynes manual for the first one.

Be sure to check have the hubs checked for gouging and scoring, if they are damaged, it will happen again even quicker -

Hope this helps some - Tucker

 

Ack - I am so sick of working on my car - 3 axles in 3 months, new springs, which turned out to be the wrong springs, so I had to do it twice, and now this!



It's fun working on the car when I'm making go faster, but this maintenance is starting to tick me off.

 

I feel your pain man, but look at what others have to do with their cars - I've had to replace 2 wheel bearings and 1 cv boot, aside from other normal maint in the last 70k miles! I love my max, my friends 96 TA with 80k is in the shop weekly for this and that, it sucks to work on that ride. - Tucker


Fix her, she keeps you happy don't she? Well make her happy!

 

Yeah - I'll install a smaller pulley at the same time....that'll make me happier!!!

 

I didn't know you had a whining noise Ian... I had a left wheel bearing that needed to be replaced on my last max, just didn't get around to it before the accident...

 

Mtrai, Thanks man - your sig with the support our troops sig means a lot. As an AF member currently deployed, sitting in a tent with no return date, it means a lot. I've been told sentiment toward the troops in the states is getting bad, we don't get CNN and my fox news and CNN web sights are blocked- I thank you for showing me there is at least one smart Maxima driver! Thanks again-

-Tucker, USAF - Gulf region, sand in my keyboard, camel spider under my foot! (Yes, the AF has it better than most, my computer is a plus, but being away from family and stuck in the desert for 4 months all ready with no return date given, it still sucks!)

Not one to do it myself, but a poll of supporters would be cool for all us military!



http://www.myvidtodvd.com/mysmilies/...igator/usa.gif
Support Our Troops!

 

Your "whirring" sound sure sounds like a wheel bearing on it's way out.

The vibration that you spicifically say you "feel" in the brake pedal can only be caused by your rotors. You say you replaced them, but there is a chance they came new with an uneven surface on them. A worn or lose wheel bearing will cause some vibrations in the steering wheel, but you wount feel it in your brake pedal. A pulsation felt in your brake pedal clearly indicates an uneven rotor surface.

 

No problem, I spent a year over there myself in the USMC. Ah Camel Spiders! I have never seen a spider so big or so ugly, they were all over jordan, biggest on I saw stretched out to over a foot wide! Good luck over there, I may be headed soon...

 

do you all know where to get FLAT wheel bearing caps? i ordered a set of motegie (sp?) wheels and they wont fit with the stock domed caps. i need flat ones in order to protect the bearing and have the wheel on. banging the surface flat doesnt work and the manufacturer of the wheels doesnt make them.. someone please help, thanks.

 

Dumb question - All 4 wheels have bearings, right?

 

No,only 4x4 has it.j/k then again we drive 4x4

 

Now I just need to figure out which wheel it is.....

 

Since you said you hear the noise coming from your front pass side,i would start there first.HEHE.So are you going to put a smaller pully to make you fill a little better.

 

Yep, and maybe a 5spd.....

 

Hey Ian, I'll come by this weekend and help ya take a listen, we'll drive your car down the street and I'll stand on the outside and help you locate it... then you can help me install my hella supertones...

 

with LSD right?

 

Heh - nah - I got a deal on a non-LSD with everything needed for converison (Except th clutch) for $700......

 

You said you replaced the rotors. Are they slotted? If they are there is your "whirring" sound

 

Bearing whine is a pretty easy sound to point out for someone that has heard it before... as is differential whine...

If you can get someone that has heard it a few times before, they will probably be able to tell right away.

Pressing bearings isn't that damn hard... I haven't done Maxima bearings, but I have done plenty of others. The last time I had to take a bearing somewhere, I just called a machine shop, and they did it for 15 bucks. I did have a bearing replaced in my Max as a part of some repairs - and they charged me like 25 bucks for the press labor (they had to take it somewhere) - so it shouldn't be that bad.

 

Yes, they are slotted!!

Slotted rotors cause sound?

Entropy:
Thanks, I'll look into that.

 

Yup. Slotted rotor will make a whirring sound that will get louder when you brake. I have slotted rotors with Axxis MM pads on my Z and they make the whirring sound. I called Brembo and was advised that this is normal on slotted rotors.

 

The sound doesn't get any louder when braking.....just the same.

Now I don't know what to think - maybe I'll swap rotors with a buddy's car for a day and see if it goes away.

If it doesn't, I guess I'm replacing some bearings.

 

I never had noise from my slotted rotors, certainly not a whiring noise...