tcaughey

iTrader: (6)

Alright, 98 Maxima SE 5-Speed, with full Illumina suspension (struts and springs). Original axles, boots are NOT split.

Now, based off of past threads of the bad wheel bearing, and past experiences with bad wheel bearings in other cars, I have a sound that I have never heard before.

First off, I noticed this sound last summer. A sound coming from my right front wheel/axle area. The only way I can describe it is: tire rubbing/squeeking. So, I jacked the car up, and with the wheel turned to the right (so I could get a good look and spin the wheel at the same time), I spun the wheel in reverse and forward. Now, this sound appeared to come from the CV joint/wheel bearing area. When I would spin the wheel in REVERSE, there was NO sounds of rubbing/squeeking whatsoever. But, when I spun the wheel FORWARD, I managed to replicate the squeeking/rubbing sound.

As I did this, I had a look around, and nothing appeared to be rubbing. No wheel rub, no wheel well splash guards, no lines, no rotor guard rubbing.

So, I took the wheel off, and spun just the rotor, and still managed to reproduce the sound while spinning the wheel forward. To me, it sounds more like an extremely rapid clicking when I listen closer to the hub. Almost as if you were to place a very hard, plastic card in a wheel with a million spokes. It's ALMOST intermittent, but not quite. As with every rotation of the wheel, there is a point where the sound is louder, and a point where it is slightly softer.

Again, this sound is NOT present while spinning the wheel in reverse. Strange?

It does not necessarily get louder as speed increases, and I can only hear the sound when moving about 25 mph or less. While inside the car, it really sounds like my tire is rubbing. In fact, we now know that is not the case because I can produce the sound with car jacked up and wheel off.

Any experiences with something like this?
It could very well be a bad wheel bearing, but it does not sound like your typical "grinding/drone/humming/increasing-with-speed" bad wheel bearing sound...

QNO_A32

iTrader: (7)

i dont think its the bearing, it would be screaming at 60 mph ya know. check the axle nut. than take the rotor off and check if if it makes the noise. you could check for play in the hub bearing too. worst comes to worst buy a new axle...

mbhang

There is a disk/plate like cover on the inside of brake rotor - it practically covers the whole of the disc. It is possible that this is rubbing against the rotor.

Loosen your lugs, jack up the car - if it is the front, keep in neutral and make sure you have chocked/secured remaining wheels - remove wheel, put 2 lugs in to secure rotor to hub, and then spin the rotor. If it is the dust cover, the noise will be obvious. The cover is pretty thin material, and you can distort it away from rotor. Try doing that, and see if that makes a difference.

Good luck.

maxgtr2000

iTrader: (29)

I had the same exact symptoms, I had to have another org memeber help me figure it out. I couldn't tell if it was rubber rubbing or metal squeaking, it would happen going forward at low speed only, disappear in reverse, it was the wheel bearing. When we seperated the axle from the kncukle there was alot of rust dust, so it was indeed the bearing in my case. I did not experience any humming, and my wheel did not have any play like people always state.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (10)

Remove the rotor and make sure there isn't a stone stuck behind it. I had that once and the noise was really really annoying. Just by chance I found it.

tcaughey

iTrader: (6)

Thanks. I also am debating between rubber rubbing or metal squeaking. I'll just probably go ahead and change the wheel bearing.

Also, from the post above. It is not the dust shield. I'm 2000% sure on that because I bent it as far back as it would allow me, without taking it off. Thanks for the help though! I'll update with my findings.

and ^^^ I'll definitely check for rocks too. Who knows what I could find.