I'll start by saying i have had this problem for over a year now....completly sucks... I have replaced my drivers side cv axle 3 times in a years time and theres no end to the clicking sound in site. The first 2 were remans, 1st lasting maybe a month, 2nd lasting not even 3 days, so i figured my problem was in the reman. parts quality so i shell out the extra money and grab a raxles axle from marty and guess what..... pulling out of my mechanics driveway i notice the same clicking as if nuthing was even touched???WTF??? 3 different axles...2 different mechanics...and a year and my clicking is as strong as ever!! My question is, is there any kind of suspension or drivetrain issue that can mimic a bad cv axle? i cant have this bad of luck can i? keep in mind the car is lowered 2" on spring techs i believe and had a front collision accident in the time frame between the first 2 axles. clicking also ONLY happens during acceleration turning left and low speeds going straight. Please someone help me solve this problem, its driving me crazy!!

 

How is your alignment? Something could be bent causing the axle to bind.

 

have you had the C.A. checked out, inner outer tie rods? you said that there might have been a front collision accident before the install of the axels.

like fanaticrockford said i would get an alignment done (if one hasn't been done already) and see if that might be the problem.....if not than i would look into seeing if the frame itself is bent, other than that they only thing that comes to mind would be to check the tranny mount and side engine mount for excessive play. i know im just throwing out things that may or might not be related to your problem.....but IMO i would try starting from there.

 

well at the moment the alignment feels like its a little off but after the 1st 2 axles were installed it was checked and aligned if need be, the c.a.? control arms? havent had anything else looked at, i would have to take it to somebody to look at bc i wouldnt know if they were bad or good by just looking. could a bad motor or tranny mount really cause a sound like that?? and as far as the frame being bent goes i wouldnt think it would be but i didnt do the work on it so i couldnt be positive. the damage was a 100% body, from the radiator support to the bumber everything was screwed but even the radiator survived if that helps any. thanks for the help so far also!

 

i just started having this problem myself. i lower'd my 99 last wednesday with ksports (approx. 2"). looks like imma have to take a look..

 

it sound like a bad axle too? anybody else experienced this problem with lowered max's? could it be like a strut mount or something fooling me into thinking its an axle? i am completely in the dark with suspension components..

 

-well i just look'd and here is what i found..
a) 3 studs starting to strip/bind, and
b) when i tug on the dr's axle/cv there is 1/8-1/4" of movement, yet the axle is still secured in the tranny and the hub.

-now i had 3400 in work done by nissan, and those axles were suppose to be replaced. i was charged but i dont know if they were done. my reason for saying that is i didn't drive my max at all this winter (work done on 12/5/07 - now 5/25/08... with NE winter in mind that is less than 3 months total driving time). and i have rust covering the shafts(?)
-i'm hopping my noise problem is just the studs...

 

i guess im goin to have to take it to dealership and get raped myself u know how aggrevating that sound is after a year and 4 or 500 bucks worth of axles? lol

 

rust can form without snow/salt... if it ever got wet and it jsut sits.. when you car jsut sits it always rusts cause there is moisture and some degree of salts and other chemicals will get to it..

I.E. i had wheels in garage for 6 months untouched/ washed dried.. but found small rust spot where teh clear coat was fading off...

also the sound... it is a CLICKINg or clunking.. you have to be VERY descriptive and where the sound is comming from while your driving.. Also another good idea is to get 1 of your friends.. and have them drive your car in a LOT not on ROAD empty lot and try to isolate the sound location.

AS FOR STRUTS... CHECK YOUR strut MoUNT.. THE BEARING OR BUSHING ON TOP
That causes a sound mostly while turning the steering..

Also do you have spring isolators? if not then you need to get some (OEMs go bad on lowered cars) you can wrap a hose cut in the candycane pattern...

if this all makes no sense PM me.. as for now Im done with work 4pm FREEEDOM....

 

dont think its rusted, i know its a possibility but i live in alabama and it hasnt snowed here but once in my lifetime and that was about 10 years ago haha. and couldnt see it having set for along time with 126k miles. Do not know about the isolators, the suspension set-up was done b4 i bought the car.

 

my maxima makes is the same..but only went i turn to the right or make a slow right turn it grinds super loud and a loud clicking sound very embarrassing. and i got my axles changed 2x same ****!

 

well if u figure it out let me know haha

 

Im on the same boat had axle changed in the pass also torn boot replaced and just changed out upper spring mount(it was worn out). The noise hasn't gone away, noise happens when I turn to the right or take hard right turns. When I turn left no noise. My mechanic said I may need lower control arms but I saw him check them in the pass (stuck a crow bar near the rubber bushing and saw no play) and they were fine. I don't want to go through a guessing game changing out parts that don't need to be changed. If you guys find anything out please let me know.

 

Hi
Please check your front wheel bearings, as they may have some slight damage done to them when the axels were installed (specially near the hub seats). This can cause the clicking noise as well.

 

Ok now, just an idea. Since we have two cases of weird clicking noise on cars that are lowered, and it's NOT the axles.... My best guess would be that it's the Strut bearing plates. When you lowered your cars, did you get those replaced? I have never heard how bad strut bearings sound like, but I think it's also a clicking noise (although if you keep the steering wheel in the same position it should stop I suppose ?). Maybe go to an empty parking lot and check if your clicking noise continues as you are going around a tight circle...

 

^^+1

Strut bearing failures cause a clicking noise, especially when you are at slow speeds.

Usually it occurs in a parking lot when you're turning in and then steer in the opposite direction. This is a really easy fix, rent a strut spring compressor from autozone and pick up the part from the dealer or wherever.

I would also check your control arm bushings.

 

went to the dealership today and the guy told me the culprit was my suspension....he said something about the springs not being right on the car and it was binding the axle? this sound feasable?

 

How old is your suspension? is your car properly aligned? have you ever been in a front end accident. Sounds kind of strange to me IMO. I still haven't taken mine to my mechanic yet because I done drive much, Im do for and oil change soon and I'll have him look it to my front end noise and post back he finds. So far I had sway end links, axles and cv joints , and recently upper strut mount on passenger side all replaced and noise still there.

 

not exactly sure how old bc the set up was on it when i bought the car about a year ago(spring techs i think). alignments fine and i was in a front end collision about 3 weeks after buying the car. thats wat i was thinkin caused it but the nissan tech told me otherwise. just wanted to get some input from the org b4 i dropped 6 or 700 bucks on a new suspension setup.

 

This guy i believe has the right idea few months after my car was lowered i had to replace whole upper strut mount with bearing the bearings were crushed to pieces and its used to clunk/click when id turn the wheels while parked or moving slowly. would def check it remove to shock bolts remove 3 on top holding into strut tower. once you get the shock out put a spring compressor on the springs so they dont fly off and then take off center bolt once you get it apart youll see the little plastic bearing. There pretty cheesy setup if you ask me.

Now someone help me lol replaced axles with brand new not reman OEM axles from canada w/ 70,000 mile warranty and now the steering wheel shakes like mad when i punch it in 1st and 2nd still there at high speeds but very mild seems as though if it was an axle defect would b worse at high speeds??

Anyway suspecting just severely bad alignment possible??

 

Well be careful, some people try to rip you off, so unless you trust this dealership I wouldn't do it with out getting an other opinion.
Alignment issues can definitely play a role. Get it checked ASAP. Then go from there.

 

guy at the dealership knew from the start if there was something up with the struts or springs i was going aftermarket again and was going to install myself.....but i guess it still could happen knowin people round here

 

dealer lied! this strut bearing was it!

 

Is that the upper strut bearing? Had mine replaced and the noise is still there. Tomorrow I will finally have my mechanic at Nissan put it on the lift to inspect everything under there. I'll fill you guys in.

 

That is one f***ed strut bearing.

 

That strut bearing looks fine to me. If anything just put some WD 40 on it and it should be just fine.

 

yea, it sounded exactly like a cv axle,but was the passenger side upper strut bearing. I bought the whole mounting kits for both sides at autozone and my clicking disappeared. it was always when on the gas,when turning left and eventually even going straight.

 

haha yea, still got little gibblets of it all over my driveway

 

I only replaced my passenger side, driver side looked o.k. but we"ll see. I doubt its my shocks because going over bumps normal bumps ie, bumps that don't make the car rattle like lets say highway smooth bumps I wont hear the noise but going over an old cobble stone road that would make the car shake makes an awful sound (metal rattling) and also turning hard to the right. Some times It sounds like a bell clunking against metal but with your hand holding it so it doesn't vibrate. So annoying

 

The dealer didn't lie, they just don't know what the heck they're talking about. They're like monkies and just want to rip parts off until they problem goes away.

 

update checked under the car found inner tie rod boot torn and lower control arm bushing shot. Im not sure if these where causing the noise I was having but I couldn't find anything else. In any event they need to be replaced. At least I know for fact they are shot and Im not just changing parts. I'll update again when these parts are replaced and If the sound goes away.