Wheel bearing or something making a grinding sound in front driver wheel. Sounds like grooved pavement almost even on smooth pavement mild vibration. No wiggle in the wheel in question 12-6 or 3-9. 167K on the oem bearings.
Had to make evasive maneuvers as a !@#$ !@#$% tried to side swipe me on the interstate a few days ago. Turned my neat trunk into a throw bin. Turned hard right to evade an accident.

 

Could be bearing, or drive shaft or even something lodged between scraping against rotor. You may not have noticed at the time but may have picked up something rubbing against the wheel. Unfortunately, you are going to need to get her up on jack stands and apply some mark-1 eyeballs to the situation.

It will be interesting to see what the issue is.

Glad you are ok and avoided that other "%÷@@$%:"""&??

 

I looked over the the area yesterday and found no smoking gun. I'll make an appt with a shop and go ahead with wheel bearings as they are an achillles heel on these cars. At 167K they don't owe me anything.

 

Dropped it off for wheel bearing.

 

I just had my both front wheel bearings changed at 78k miles. They were howling like bansees!

 

Are they really that loud? Mechanic said my front passenger bearing is worn and wanted to replace the hub but I don't hear anything so I held off for now.

 

Yup confirmed wheel bearing, only lasted 168K miles.

 

Congrats.

 

Yes, they were LOAD from 35mph up!
i held off replacing them, for a bit, since I was in the middle of a home move. But, as soon as the move was completed, I got them done.

 

Wow, I must be the luckiest Maxima driver ever. I'm over 185k miles and have only replaced my left rear wheel bearing at 112k miles in Mar of 2016.

 

I'm trying to diagnose this right now. It does not have any of the usual telltale signs of a failing wheel bearing, but I definitely have a strange noise coming from the drive system, like a 'vroom' (like my radiator fan is going at the same RPM as my wheels (increases and decreases with actual speed). I don't hear it at all at really low speeds.
Nothing about the sound changes except and increase or decrease in vehicle speed. Turning, etc., does not affect the noise and I lifted it last night and tested each wheel with the tugging and spinning and they all seemed ok. I may have heard a brake shield rubbing, but I'm almost positive it was not the wheel bearing.

I'm going to check the CV boots, as soon as it stops raining (in Houston), but what else could it be? Maybe it's the begging of a wheel bearing going bad?

 

Newer hub bearings don't always have the play in them.

 

Dang it, other front bearing is making racket now.

 

Try driving by a solid object, such as a wall or under a bridge with your front windows down. That should help you determine which side the noise is coming from.

 

TO check which wheel bearing is need to replace you should on constant speed turn a little bit left and later right.
If noise increase during turning right - left bearing is replace.When you turning left - right bearing should be replaced.
Front/rear is easy to notice.

If is no difference during this test - probably (like on my case) right drive shaft bearing is needed to replace.
I know that to Maxima only whole shaft is available, but bearing you can buy from Murano - it fit.

 

Strangely tapping cruise control off stopped the racket. Shoulda done both fronts at once.

 

Passenger side bearing in and coolant flush. Fingers crossed this is it for a while. Dealer asked to buy it back yesterday. Had a thought, what would I get? Q50, Mazda 6 turbo or CX-5 turbo?

 

I have to admit to an affinity towards the Lexus ES350 and if I had to choose today, would lean towards that. Having said that I will probably end up with an Audi A8 or Merc S-Class as in my retirement years to come I am quite certain I will find it more and more difficult to exit my Maxima and the ES350 looks to be about the same distance to the ground and in the same class as the Maxima

 

LOL you should try my 280z!

 

I know! I have been working a bit with a neighbor on his 76 280z. It was a lot easier to get in and out if before we replaced the rusted out floor pans! He has it looking and sounding great now. I took it for a short spin around the neighborhood and literally had to crawl out when done. I was surprised that it felt so natural getting back behind the wheel of a 280z after all these years .....While Driving! Getting out...well I dont remember it being an issue in the 70s!

 

Awesome LTLeary! I have a 1975.