i have a 95 max with 115k on it. the problem is that randomly i will hear a metal scraping noise coming from my right front wheel when i accelerate only. it eventually goes away and only happens sporadically. i have checked the following:

brake caliper - piston looks ok (not great though), is not dragging. wheel is free when i jack up the car and spin
dust sheid - is not rubbing on rotor
greased the guide pins on the caliper
new brake pads in front
rotors are not warped

the rotor is a little loose compared to the other side if that makes a diffrence

i was told it was the axle and it was replaced, still happens. that wheel has a newer bearing on it as well, new suspension, bushings, everything is pretty much within 2 years old. i have no idea what it could be and it doesnt do it consistently. when i lifted the car up last and spun the wheel the caliper does drag on the rotor a little bit, but nothing crazy enough to affect steering or anything like that. i can lightly hear it. any ideas guys? its driving me crazy and its only getting colder!

 

"the rotor is a little loose compared to the other side"

If this is when the tire and rim are off, that's normal as it is the tire and rim that holds the rotors in place.

How is the axle on that side? Is the boot ripped? But I would suggest checking out the wheel bearing very thoroughly.

 

yah thats what i thought so i didnt really chase after the rotor issue. im trying to remember if i had a new bearing done on that side, i remember one was changed a few years back... also the axle is brand spankin new, no cracks or rips in the boot. what does a bad bearing look/act like?

 

Take WD-40, and sprits a little of it on the brake pad shim, and around the edges of where the caliper forks over the pad. Let me know if it stops.

 

Realitycheck: you think the shims are sticking to something?

 

My opinion is first check the rotor's dust cover .. Sometimes they end up scratching the rotors on turns mostly.. Push em in with a crow bar

 

Yes. One of my rear brakes had an issue like this. At a certain point of slowly and gently braking, the rotor would make a grinding sound. After a week of trying to figure it out, the shim wasn't sliding at all when making contact with the caliper assembly that clamps over the pad. I spoke to a guy who sold me the brake parts I bought online and said himself out of 30 years of doing brakes he never heard of that problem. All other 3 brakes are completely fine. When the caliper fork doesn't slide easy against the shim, it will cause the pad to hit the rotor unevenly, causing the sound. You would think it's metal because of the horrendous sound it makes.

 

I had the exact same problem out of my back brakes the first time I replaced the pads. I did not get new hardware, shims/clips, whatever it is they have. I replaced the old hardware with new ones and the scraping sound disappeared.

 

sounds like a plan, ill try to spray them tonight and update everyone if it stopped.

 

Typically rotors builds up rust/debri on the inside. Take a hammer and lightly hammer around the core of the rotor.

 

Mine does this on turns, and has for years, I push them (usually left, and happens on right turns) and it goes away, but comes back....

 

ok so i tapped the covers to see if rust came out, a little did but not much and the car still makes the noise whether its turning left, right or going straight. the only consistant thing is that it starts when i accelerate only. as soon as i take my foot off the gas it stops. a NEW development in this is that now it does it fairly consistantly at certain points on my commute home and yesterday while accelerating going straight it did it again, so i put the car in neutral and hit the gas to see, and IT MADE THE NOISE. does this mean its transmission related now???

 

If the car is in neutral the transmission isn't doing anything

 

the car was in neutral and i was coasting down the street and hit the gas. so im assuming then the grinding noise is from my transmission?!?!?!?!?!?!

 

Once again... If the car is in neutral, the transmission ISN'T...DOING...ANYTHING

In other words. If the transmission o
Is disengaged and you give fuel to the.......... Making more sense now?

 

okay okay i got it. so then how do i begin chasing down the problem with the engine?

 

Have you looked all around for something rubbing against the drive belt?

 

yes it is clear all around, i recently changed the belt but it was making the noise before i was in there. nothing looked out of the ordinary. definitely sounds like metal on metal scraping.

 

Get a buddy and a ratchet extension, have your buddy replicate the noise and start searching for the source

 

Im having the same problem out of both my Maxima's.. Both 96, one with 174k auto and the other 606k 5spd..keep us posted! Only, both of mine do it just with driving or rolling to a stop. It sounds awful and doesn't feel like a wheel bearing..

 

606k miles? Damn, that's some mileage you put on that Maxima!

 

Remove your center caps on your front rims, check torque on your axle nuts they should 175-215 lb ft if those are kosher i would investigate sway bar links and such... of its only on accel then you can narrow that down to one lateral movement (car leaning back) that should narrow it down extremely

 

WRONG your trans is always moving, nuetral just means your main shaft isn't in contact with your aux.. one side has to turn with your wheels and one side has to turn with your engine AT ALL TIMES!! Also dont coast in nuetral eapecially at hi way speeds its very hard on your trans

 

30 yrs and nvr seen that?! Unbelievable...

 

I think it's the backing plate. But honestly, I don't see how they touch the rotors on turning. My problem was on the left side, when turning right. I monkeyed around with pushing the plate away from the rotor. Now the sound is straight, and turning left, and only slightly turning right. Not kidding.

Can someone explain how/why the backing plate would touch at any given point? And why on turns? Obviously this never happened when the vehicle was new....