12Maxima614

Hey everyone! I have read threads where people have this same issue but I don't see many solutions where people have agreed that it was the actual problem once it was fixed. So far I have replaced my wheel bearings and my struts and two different mechanics cant find any issues with any bushings or seals. They both said everything seems to be on tight and in good working order. Does anyone have any idea of what this issue could be? The smallest bump in the road will cause a loud thumping sound from the front right side. Any help would be appreciated.

Qawmuh

Have the tie rods and lower control arm checked. Sway bar bushings and links also..

12Maxima614

Mechanic says all of the above are ok. There may be slight cracking in the control arm thats hidden from view according to other post but other than that the control arm looks and feels fine when tested.

Qawmuh

Ball joints, drive shaft axle, check for bent rims also.

12Maxima614

I do have a bent rim on that side. Mechanic says that it shouldn't cause that loud thumping noise on that side though. I scheduled an appointment to have the rim fixed this Wednesday, so i will be sure to update this once its fixed to see if that was indeed the issue. Drive shaft seems fine and I'm having the ball joints looked at again on Thursday. Thanks for the suggestions

Qawmuh

From my personal experience a bent rim can cause a thumping noise over small potholes... Don't rule it out just yet... I'm pretty sure it's ball joints or bent rim if it's not one of the other parts I've listed... I've had this problem in the past on my 7th gen Maxima...

12Maxima614

I appreciate it. Then hopefully it is just the bent rim and it will be fixed on Wednesday lol

12Maxima614

Quick update! I went out and bought a OEM rim to replace the bent one instead of trying to get it repaired. Unfortunately the thumping is still happening but I did save some money on buying a rim instead of repairing the one I had. Silver lining I guess....

Captive8

My money's on the ball joints being the issue.....assuming there isn't something wrong or missing with the RF strut assembly.

Les7311

Curious as well....

lCA aftermarket installed 2018 (could be culprit)
shocks & struts install 2021.... ( heard AM strut mounts)
new front brake pads 2021 (not)
new outer tie rods 2021 ( not)
Axle/drive shaft inst about 2018, aftermarket (possibly)
end links installed 2020 (moog I dont think so)
inspect sway bar and bushing ( seems ok and firm)

LCA???? Am thinking...

12Maxima614

Hey everyone. I just had a Moog branded lower control arm with new bushings and ball joint installed and the problem is still happening. It does seem to help a bit on smaller bumps but it's still happening on decent size potholes/bumps in the road. Anybody have any other ideas on what it could be?

12Maxima614

So after further research, I'm finding that it could possibly be the front sway bar link. The old strut was bent from hitting a curb so i'm thinking that could be the culprit. What do you guys think? Any mechanics in here have any input on the matter?

Captive8

What do you mean by "research"? In my mind, if I had a noise like yours coming from the right front, "research" would mean jacking up the car, and crawling underneath with a prybar and light source and checking for loose or worn parts causing the noise in the area you've pinpointed.

You can have people on here speculate all you want, but that's not going to get the car fixed. Someone needs to troubleshoot the issue by getting underneath and finding the loose/worn/bent/damaged parts causing the noise. Either take it somewhere and demonstrate the issue for the people at the repair facility, or crawl under yourself and have a look around.

You indicated the LCA has recently been replaced with a Moog unit. That means new ball joints and bushings on that side. But it also means that the sway bar link was at least disconnected and reattached if not replaced.......IF you subsequently find it's the sway bar link, then don't take the car back to the shop that replaced the LCA.

12Maxima614

So when we replaced the LCA we noticed that the OEM parts were not damaged and the mechanic did use a pry bar to check if anything is loose. I had already bought the new part and was paying for the labor anyways so I decided to just go with the new Moog part. So the mechanic and I went back through and tried to isolate the problem but couldn't figure out what the issue is. The OEM strut that was on that side was severely bent before replacing it a month ago which made me think that there may be a bend in the sway bar link. I've been looking on different forums and asking different mechanics what they think the issue may be. Also, prior to taking it in to get the LCA replaced, I went to another (larger) shop to see if they can diagnose the issue. They weren't able to figure it out also and were completely stumped.....stumped so much they didn't feel comfortable charging me for checking it out.

Captive8

You have to isolate things one at a time until you find it, when you're unable to trace the noise precisely.

Disconnect the sway bar by removing the end links on both ends of the bar....they're easy to remove and you just had one set off, besides. Get it back together like this and drive the car slowly....see if the noise is still there or not. The sway bar or links will then either be "the culprit" or be ruled out.

If the noise persists, then remove the RF strut assembly from the car. Inspect and verify the spring, upper and lower spring isolators, and strut upper bearings are intact and viable. Was it a pre-assembled strut assembly or an OEM style replacement where the spring and related components were transferred? Either way, check the upper strut mount for roughness/play, etc. I have a couple new ones for when I replace my dampers, can send you a pic if I can find one.

But I'm not really understanding the order or timeline in which things happened...did I miss it? What happened first? The way I've pieced this together is....you (or wifey, maybe?) bent a strut when hitting a curb that bent the rim and the strut housing? (...that's a pretty good 'poke' by the way...u sure about that?). And it was repaired (strut replaced), but you have this lingering noise when encountering road roughness/bumps, etc.? And so you bought a Moog LCA and went ahead and put it on even though there was nothing apparently wrong with the existing bushings or b-joint, but since you brought it you proceeded with putting it on? And you've still got a noise? Sorry, didn't have much detail initially and it was hard to follow, or else I have a thick skull, which is plausible.

There's also 'sound transfer' that can complicate pinpointing noises......just my random thoughts/musings.

12Maxima614

Thanks man, really appreciate all your help. To start, Your timing is all correct. I foolishly hit a curb pretty hard going like 30-35 and bent the rim (slightly but enough to make the car vibrate a bit), and the strut was pretty bent as well. Enough to position a tire at a slight angle. I changed my struts back around New Years and it was a Monroe pre-assembled part, which comes with new strut mounts already on them. Earlier this week I went out and got a OEM rim from a salvage yard (great condition). Today I went out and got my LCA changed with a moog part that of course replaces all of those bushings and ball joint. Pretty much everything you mentioned after that is correct. That thumping sound I get going over bumps is not only a thump, you kind of feel where its originating from so idk if that rules of any sound transfers.

R.worl

12Maxima614, did you resolve the thumping noise on your maxima? I’m experiencing the same thump on my 11 maxima. Mine started yesterday when I changed the struts. I installed new Monroe struts from rock auto, I thought these would be a good choice. It rides smooth and quieter then it did on the old struts, however when I hit a pot hole or small dip in the road I hear a loud thump from which ever tire it is that hits the dip. Everything is tight and I’m confident the struts are installed correctly. I’m hoping your experience with your maxima can help me on my car.

bebekhijau

could be bad steering rack