Hey guys,

I've got a couple things going on on my 02 I35 with just shy of 150k miles.

First off I have a loud wheel bearing type noise coming from the passenger side front of the car. Pretty typical noise that gets louder when I turn RIGHT
and gets quieter when I turn left.


On Right hand turns the noise also can get worse/ turn into a slight grinding..So I'm asssuming its a bad wheel bearing but I dont know which side. One mechanic told me its the drivers side bearing another told me its the passengers side wheel bearing and now I'm confused, but if I went by where it sounds like its coming from, its clearly the passengers side.

I also know from my last inspection that the test doing the inspection poked around my car and said I needed a new ball joint on the drivers side front.

I got the car up in the air the other day and there is no play in the passengers side wheel but the drivers side does have noticible play in it side to side.

I had the wheel bearing replaced on the drivers side about 2 yrs ago. The passengers side is original I believe.


Need some help figuring this out. I am inclined to just replace ball joints on both sides and wheel bearings/ hub assemblies but if I run into something stubborn I'm stuck without a daily driver.

I have a 5ton jaw puller that looks like it would work perfect for the ball joints

Might also be the tie rods too.. Not sure.. and I dont have a ton of time to go through replacing everything.

Other noises are clunking and some loud creaks and squeeks when driving over uneven pavement pavement like crawling through a parking lot especially when turning left.

So I'm assuming there are multiple issues at play here.

 

Clunking and squeeks are pretty normal in this cars (Maxima and I35).

If your going to replace the Ball joints and wheel bearings, replace them in pairs (both sides at same time). Sometimes this parts can be a really PITA (pain in the ***) specially if you're going to use cheap parts... (I learned that by the bad way) Try to use original parts if you can or high quality parts.

 

I can get a whole new spindle from the junkyard for 50$ a side.. this might be worth it.

If I replace the entire spindle with bearing hub ect in it, and replace the lower control arms.. it would be the easiest.

 

So I just called the local junkyard, and they have complete spindles for sale for 50$ a side already pulled and ready to go.

This should avoid all the hassle associated with the wheel bearing job right?

Granted the used parts still have some life on the wheel bearings.

Thats the risk I see because I dont know where those bearings are in their useful life in those used spindles but its cheap and easy.

I can also replace the lower control arms with new ball joints at the same time.


should make life a lot easier

Then I just need to:
Unbolt both axle nuts
un bolt the brake calipers
unbolt the struts
un bolt the tie rods
Unbolt and seperate the ball joint from the spindle
Remove the spindles,
Un bolt the 2 bolts holding the control arms to the subframe and remove them

What am I missing?

 

oh oh oh... Slow down your horses.

Get the spindles from a junkyard doesn't warranty you that the bearings are good to use, it's like a Russian Roulette: you can get a good part or a piece of junk.

Try to get the new bearings, because even when you get that junkyard spindles you maybe can be risking your life because if that part got a critical condition that you can't notice (cracks inside the metal, weakness by environmental conditions like water, fire, accidents, etc.).

It's your only car or you can get another one while yours it's in the shop?

 

I'm aware of the fact that the bearings in these used spindles may be shot but more than likely if I'm unlucky 1 will be bad.. and at the end of the day what has that cost me.. 50$ which is a lot less than it will absolutely cost me in labor press in new bearings.

From a pretty fair shop I got quoted 700$ for a right wheel bearing and left ball joint. Mostly the cost was labor.

I'm willing to risk the 50$ to get my car fixed and not make my life a living hell. I am working in an appartment parking lot with hand tools and I have work on monday.. I dont really have time to **** around with the car more than I need to.

 

$700 for the right wheel bearing and left ball joint (parts + labor) ???

Holy guacamole! I know that the labor job can be expensive but that's ridiculous!

If you buy that junkyard parts just inspect them deeply before you install them.

Greetings.

 

500 is labor. its 6.2 hours of labor for those 2 jobs.

Not a hard job just a huge pain in the a$$.