My 2003 Max has about 60k miles on it and was running smooth. I took it to Sears to get the tires balanced and rotated. When I got it back, I noticed that there was a grinding sound comming from the front wheel/brake area(not sure which side). I notice the sound only at slower speeds(around 10mph). It seems to get louder when I turn(in either direction) or brake at these slower speeds. The sound itself sounds something like a "constant soft grinding" with a "whomp" sound with every rotation of the tire as it moves.

In the meantime I was due to change my front brake pads so I did that but the sound is still there. I did not change the rotors as they looked to be in good condition. I'de love to know what could be causing this noise.

On a side note: my muffler also started sounding like it has hole(s) in it after I got it back from Sears. Haven't had a chance to look under yet. They might have had it in for me because I complained to Sears HQ when they refused to do the balancing and rotation the first time I went in (long story).

Anyway, my question is about the grinding noise.

 

mine too, but when its warmer, it's gone. mine comes and goes... i dunno what the hell is going on

 

To The OP, check the heat/water shield that sit behind the front rotors. It is possible that one or both of these got bent, and now they are rubbing against the back of the rotor.

This happened on my car (Sentra), and I could really only hear it at lower speeds.

 

very common problem. I'd check that before anything else.

 

Could be your wheel bearings and if you're still using your stock exhaust check the flanges in the back. Those break easily.

 

man i hate sears...

 

Thanks, although I do not know exactly what this shield looks like, I'll take a look and try to find it this weekend and see if its the culprit.


Thanks, I'll look for this as well over the weekend. Is the flange something thats inside or outside the exhaust? The sound seems to be coming from the rear but its hard to tell until I jack the car up. The clarify the noise, it sounds like one of those aftermarket exhausts.

 

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hey Sooner, whatsup with the black max in you sig? is that a crash test dummie headed toward a brick wall?

 

huh

yeah, thats what it is

 

If you know where the front rotors are, look directly behind them. You should see a metal sheet behind them, which is the splash shield. Try spinning the rotors/wheel studs while the wheels are in the air to see if you can replicate the sound.

The way I was able to tell that my shield was bent was by pulling the rotor off. Then I was able to see the wear marks from the rotor hitting the shield.

 

Where is the flanges located? and does the whole muffler need to be replaced if the flanges is broken?

 

The flange is where the muffler or rear section connects to the B-pipe (section of exhaust upstream from the muffler). You will see the flange (piece with the bolts going through it), then look at the weld attaching it to the piping. This is where a lot of exhausts will rust through and eventually fail. You can probably just have it re-welded depending on the damage.

Also look for impact damage along the exhaust system and undercarriage in general... I would want to know what the hell Sears did to my car. Wierd for these things to crop up directly after they had your ride.

 

Check your bearings. I've had that happen on both axles and it was bearings dying. If it is, replace them asap before they get bad and damage the wheel hub.

 

^ those front hubs are none too cheap... Although my bet is on the bent shield. I did the same thing when I was fuxing with something in that area.

 

If it turns out to not be the shield behind the rotors (which i think is the cause) or your wheel bearings, it may either be the front stabilizer links or even possibly a bad strut mount. But being that the issue you're having happened AFTER the install from sears, its doubtful. If your nissan dealer is similar to mines, id take it in for an inspection and driven evaluation for $35. You dont wanna go off on a tangent spending money on things that dont need to be replaced. Bend back that shield and see if it goes away. Hope this helps

Myles

 

The muffler pipe had broken off at the flanges. It was probably just cracked when I first posted this but over the weekend the nose got really loud. I got under and saw where the pipe had completly broken off. Had it replaced at the dealers for $620 total. He said welding was not an option.

The grinding noise is still there. The service man said he adjusted the backing plate some but didn't see any cause for the noise. I'll take it back at some point for the driven evaluation. This time I just dropped it off so I wasn't able to show them exactly what I meant.

 

I have a kind of noise when I stop, I just attribute it to the tires and load on them when braking, maybe it's just tread noise. I don't feel it in the steering wheel or pedal, so that's what I wrote it off as. If it's bearings, wouldn't they make the noise all the time?

 

I had the exact same problem on my 2000 SE. Bought it used @ 78k miles. About 83k miles, I started noticing a grinding feeling when turning. Right underneath my feet. Scared the hell out of me. Not so much a grinding noise.

I had the brake pads and rotors replaced a month ago. Even though the mechanic said the pads/rotors had some good life left, this fixed all my problems. Also had pretty bad 'jutter' when braking. Felt like the whole steering colum was about to snap off. this was solved as well.

Not sure if OP has replaced rotors, but think about it. It will solve the grinding I'm pretty sure.

 

i had a terrible jutter when braking caused by a badly/unevenly worn and rusted rotors and worn pads.

replaced the front rotors and pads (Hawk HPS) and the problem is gone.

 

sooner..what do you mean by jutter? Was there some kind of jerking from the wheel, or when you were slowing down did it sound like your car was making a *wooshing* sound that decreased in frequency when you decreased speed?

 

the steering wheel vibrated like....well a vibrator that was from the rotors
i also had the sound which was from the pads

 

I lol'ed....ha..alright...

 

check your bearings man

 

I took the car to a local shop and test drove it w/a tech. He could hear the noise but couldn't really tell what it was. He said it sounded like the brakes/rotor. He didnt' think it was the bearings. He said he didn't think any damage was being done and that the next time I came in for an oil change, he will jack it up and take a closer look.