Alright, so I just replaced my cv axle since my boot was torn and spewing grease EVERYWHERE. geez. Pretty swap overall, except the axle nut. I had a 2' exhaust pipe + a 25" breaker bar and I swear the thing was about to snap. Ended up goin to sears and buying an electrical impact wrench for 160 dollars. BTW, is it possible I bent a tie-rod or something with all the torque I was applying? That axle nut would NOT budge with hand tools.

On another note: I'M STILL GETTING THIS STUPID HUMMING NOISE AND IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY. Intermittent noise, 60MPH it's LOUD as crap and tapers off as you go faster. Under 60 it's not as noticeable, but it is intermittent depending on speed. Raised my car and tried moving my tire @ 12 and 6 o'clock... no looseness at all, moving it at 3 and 9 o'clock also no play. If i try turning it, I only hear my pads lightly rubbing the rotors and nothing that sounds like a grinding sound.

I'm beginning to think it's my LSD or tranny ...

Anybody have any ideas?

5spd right?

coudl be wheel bearings? does it do it when u put it in neutral and let the revs drop?

Nah, auto w/ LSD. and yeah, tried doing that too and it didn't change anything except the RPM

You need a wheel bearing.

It is the wheel bearing. To check, jack the car up and try to wobble the wheel. If the bearing is bad, there will be some play.

There's no play... and I'm trying to change my wheel bearing now.
Holy crap, this is something you pay a mechanic to do.

So far:
Broke the bolt that holds the abs sensor in soo...that steering knuckle isn't coming off. hammered the hub out, not sure how I'm going to get the outer races out w/o some sort of special tool (Advice anybody???). This really sucks. BTW Do I need to get the bearing pressed into the knuckle or onto the hub?

Do Maximas have press fit rotors?

Well, wheel bearing as been replaced, I ended up unplugging the ABS sensor connector from the brain to get the steering knuckle off. Took it to a shop and paid 58 bux to have them replace the bearing in the hub. And the result: I still have the annoying humming sound.

Did you replace both wheel bearings or just one?

Just one side, doesn't seem like there's any noise coming from my passenger side.

...and at this point, I think it's going to be a few months before I do anything mechanical on my car.