I have a 2000 maxima. While I know our cars are notorious for wheel bearing going out I want to make sure I have a good idea of what is going on.

When I am making a sharp left handed turn my car makes a horrorible noise coming from the passanger side. It is a clicking/popping noise. If I take it really slow and dont turn the wheel to much it doesnt happen. However, if I give it gas in the turn and turn the wheel more sharply the sound really escalates. Also, I think it might be important to note the sound **does not** occur when I go over speed bumps etc. I was wondering is this perhaps a cv axle or joint problem? What are some indicators or things to look for if I take the car apart?

 

see if the CV boot is torn. if that is the case, you may have gotten a lot of grit and dirt in to the joint which makes a nasty noise when you're turning (clicking..etc). you can replace the cv axle fairly easily.

 

your cv axle sounds like the problem. Use his ^^ advice.

 

How hard is a cv axle removal/install?

 

You Should Find Out If They Have Any Recalls For That Because I Know They Had To Replace The Control Arm For Some Of The 02-03 Maxima

 

That's the CV joint. Not too hard to replace. Just follow the directions in the shop manual. It does require a big socket for the shaft that goes through the hub. Larger than most people have in their tool sets. I don't remember the size but someone here may know. You can find it anywhere that sells tools.