My passenger side axle nut is constantly becoming loose. I keep tightening it, but it always comes loose again. Anyone know what it could be?

 

Well how tight you torquing it?

 

is the cotter pin still in it?

 

Exactly what it says in the FSM.

 

Yep, I even went and bought a new one thinking my old one was bad.

 

your wheel bearing may be shot now. You may need a new hub. Happened to me when I let a gut change my clutch. The ******* didn't retighten the axlenut, and despit me retightening it, it came loose again twice, and i found my wheel bearing was shot. I wound up just replacing the whole steering knuckle with one from a junk yard. (avoid having to press out the bearing and hub... etc...)

 

the bearing got shot because of the axle.... now to the OP

u are torquing it to 220 LBS right? and make sure have the pin in there... if not just stick a nail in it...

 

if you need to, get some removable Loctite and just put a drop on there. It will harden and hold the threads to prevent it from coming loose.

 

Try a new axel nut. The FSM says to use a new axel nut everytime.

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Im going to try the loctite first and then the new axle nut. If niether work, I'll move on to the hub.

 

Do you have the castellated adjusting cap in place on the
nut and secured by the cotter pin ??

 

I just have a cotter pin. Should there be a cap?

 

yes there is a cap (fsm refers to it as adjusting cap) which fits over
the nut and has a castle head on it which the cotter pin goes through.
Cotter secures cap - cap secures nut.

 

There is no such cap on the front. There is a cap on the rear. The front just consists of the hub, axle, washer, nut, and cotter pin.

 

Thats what I was thinking being that my front axles don't have the cap and the rear do.

 

You need a wheel bearing lock nut, as Nissan calls it. Here's a picture, I highlighted in red the best I could.

 

Thanks man...that helps a lot.

 

its kinda weird i don't have those castle "nuts" on either of my axles, i should probably pick some up for safety reasons

 

My '95 GLE came with the castle caps, but my '99 ES didn't. I wonder if it was something with different models, or maybe different years.

 

hey same here...

on my 97 there was a castle nut, and on my 99 it's just the nuts..

 

Well I have a 97, maybe I should have some castle nuts on there.

 

the caps are available at www.rockauto.com under the
brake/wheel hub -subsection -axle spindle nut. Theres a nice
clear photo . Under $2.00 for a pack of two.

 

glad I was reading through some old threads, I have a 97 and I just realized I forgot to put my castle nuts back on....org saves the day again.

 

About what did you pay for this? I have a right front bearing that keeps making vibrations even after trying 3 different bearings in succession. It must be the hub or knuckle out of round causing it to vibrate...

 

Nissan was saving $0.25 by not installing the axel nut cap. Mine (98) does not have it, either. If you install the cap, I think there is a piece of rubber inside the cap so it won't vibrate and make noise.

 

ah, I think I am missing that "rubber" since the cap/nut whatever it's called, I have it, but only the passenger side makes noise ( cling clicng sound) when I drive..

could that be it?

 

try some locktight form autozone

 

wouldn't that prevent me from removing it in the future? isn't lock tight permanent?