I get this noise like something loose from the drivers side front wheel only when I hit speed bumps or pot-holes is it bad strut mount or cv joint?
-Thanks

 

thats your bearings

 

Check your ball joint.I had noise from potholes and bumps and found my ball joint to be shot.Replaced and noise gone.So check that also.

 

When the upper strut mount goes bad, the center nut usually falls off center in the mount. The part that goes bad on the mount is the rubber mid section. When that starts to come apart, the rubber section moves around and the top of the strut (center nut) usually moves around and becomes off centered. You can have somebody turn the steering wheel and watch the center nut, It's supposed to remain in place as your steering turns. If you see it moving loosley (sp?) around, the mount is bad. Remember you can purchase the rubber mid section only from Nissan, you don't need the whole mount assembly. The black metal frame never wears out!

 

No I think that really is the strut mount, because both of my strut mounts broke and thats exactly what it sounded like when I went over bumps.

 

hmmmmm curious .........is there link for cheap strut mounts with metal frame???

 

strut and mounts are a given especially after 100,00 miles.a bearing is not mistakable as the car rolls it sounds like metal on metal and the noise gets faster as the rpms go up. more times than not you will change the struts and still get a banging noise over bumps.. an important part of the way a car hits bumps are the sway bar links and bushings. you can tell if ball joint is bad by lifting the car take off the wheel and turn the steering wheel all the way you'll notice the control arm moving if the joint is bad. start with sway bar lnks they are cheap and with some instruction anyone can do them at home and they make a huge difference over bumps!

 

if you replace the mounts and still get rattles over bumps. change the sway bar links. cheap to buy and about 150 to install

 

I get the metal on metal sound, so it could be the strut mount. Bearings and cross arm already changed, so the sound is less but not all gone.

You say only change the rubber inside? this requires a complete removal of the strut/spring?

Well my 98 max still has originals at 280,000 km or $174,000 mi and I expect to keep it some time.

Best to change the whole strut assembly even though my bounce test indicated 1 occillation at most?

 

I used the Monroe Quickstruts all the way around on mine and am very happy with them. Easy to do and it replaces all the parts that go bad at once.

 

be more specific, do some tests on the side that you suspect: jack the car up and wiggle the wheel up, down, side to side. bounce the car on that side as well, and listen to any noise.

 

Only one oscillation, so the strut seems fine, especially for an original, shook the wheel, no play, couldn't even move the mounting assembly. Rubber ring looks intact, though a little warped on front driver side.

After I changed control arm, most noise is gone, but get metal sounding noise and a noise sounding like a pile of loose wood rattling when over bumps.

Maybe only a strut mount change?