Max Atlanta

I'm driving around this past weekend and I start to hear a slight rubbing/grinding sound from the drivers side wheel. Didn't do anything about it because it was a very small noise and I have a really busy week. I thought I would address it this coming weekend. Well, as the week progressed so did the noise. Last night on the way home I thought the wheel was coming off it was so loud. This morning I jacked the car and wiggled the tire. Sure enough there was play. I thought it was a ball joint or tie rod....no big. Pulled the wheel off and to my surprise the 1 1/2 nut that holds the the axle had unscrewed to the cotter pin. I took a wrench and tightened it up. I also checked the tie rod (fine) and ball joint (also fine). All that was loose was where the axle went into the knuckle. I re-installed the tire but no change in the amount of play in the wheel. I decided I was out of my depth of knowledge and took it to a local shop. They just called me and said the wheel bearing had come apart and disintegrated. Looks like I'm in for a new bearing, race and who knows what else.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? I checked the passenger side and it was tight. I am still amazed that the nut worked its way out to the cotter pin. Thank God for the cotter pin....my wheel would have come off without it.

Moral of the story......if you hear the slighted rubbing or grinding sound coming from your front wheels, check it out sooner rather then later.

sonicrunch

Mine is dying slowly. I am not looking forward to replacing it because it is pressed in there.
It's not easy like the hub style wheel bearings are.

It's drying up in there. I got some wheel grease in there and that made it quiet, but I am sure it won't last.

Max Atlanta

Update......when the bearing died it also took the spindle with it. Yes folks...the stealership is the only local place that stocks the correct parts. $180.00 for the spindle from Nissan. The shop has taken pity on me and is not marking up the parts. They will pass along their cost and the regular labor charge.

Oh well. I'll have a new spindle and bearing that should last for another 172,000 miles.

maxS

dead bearing CAN NOT take anything... the shop just did not bother (or did not know how) to pull the inner part off of the spindle, so they went the easy way and got new part, because then it's easy... just compress all new pcs together. If you know the trick - your spindle is free of old bearing in about 5 minutes.

docj

I was changing my oil and noticed that my cv boot was torn, grease all over the inside of my wheel. Haynes says that if you don't know how long the boot has been torn, to just replace the whole axle. I haven't noticed any clicking or vibrating, do you think I could get away with just replacing the boot and cleaning the race and bearings?

maxS

torn cv boot and wheel bearing don't have ANY connection... cv boot is on axle, bearing is in the hub. If you lived in california you might just get rid of the boot and drive without it Not really, get a new cv boot and put it on, cheaper then the whole axle, but most likely yore cv joint is heading toward its end anyway, so if it was me i would get a new cv joint with a new boot and replace them together. See, replacement of the boot reqirs knocking off the cv joint off the axle. Really messy and dirty job. The joint would not want to get off too if it's the first time you do it. The easy way is to replace the whole axle. But i'd guess more money too.

Max Atlanta

I'm not surprised the shop took the easy way out. Our society is one of disposable stuff. Don't fix it..toss it and buy new. Anyway, I got my Max back and she runs like new. Now should I change out the passenger side bearing just to be safe or leave it alone!

maxS

if it's not making any noise and there is no excessive free play why change it...

Max Atlanta

There is no play at all...so I guess I'll leave well enough alone and keep an ear open.