Hi everyone,
I have an issue with my 1996 Maxima that just started yesterday. It seems that from the drivers side front end I am getting a rather loud rotational knocking or banging sound. It started faintly yesterday, but as I drove more miles it seemed to get louder. It also now seems that when you are on the gas, the noise either stops or is drowned out by the engine....as soon as you let off the gas, the sound is back in full force. It is also just starting to make the front end shake a bit. At this point I think if I take it to a shop, I will call AAA to have it flat bedded, I don't want to cause any further damage.
I looked under the car last night, and I didn't see anything that jumped out at me as being broken. The CV joint looks intact, and the boot is not torn.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Zack

 

Could be a bad wheel bearing but I'm leaning towards a bad cv joint. It could be the boot is intact, but something is messed up inside anyway. Have you jacked the car up so that you can spin the tire to see what part is making the sound?

 

I say it's your cv axle. Centrifugal force from accelerating will create a gyro effect taking side load off, and I bet it changes when you are at cruising speed and turn either left or right just like the bearing. Mine got so bad I barely made it to my buddies to replace but but BAM! once that baby was on I was golden. Rain made it especially bad and vibrant

My suggestion? Go to Napa, buy an axle for $65, "rent" a socket kit from autozone (aka lending program) which is basically buying it and returning it...

Use that to take off the Axle nut and from there it's just...3 bolts? Not to mention the brake caliper and mount but that doesn't count. It's hard to remember and kind of a pain to get to with just a small jack but COMPLETELY DTF. Just be sure to add a little gear oil after you're done as some WILL leak out after you pull it out of the tranny. (unless you are low). YOU CAN DO IT!...might take you ALL NIGHT LONG!


At this point it won't cause much damage unless you let it progress a little further.

I believe in you bro. Just make sure you support that **** before you get underneath. Squeeze your insides like toothpaste you torque that car off the jack.

Good luck and keep us posted. Pictures are the ****, did I mention that?

 

Any specific brands of CV joints that are "better" or "best"? I would not want to do this job over again any time soon, so I want a high quality part.


Thanks,
Zack

 

If you're after quality I've only heard good things about raxles, I personally replaced mine with oreilly axles and have had no problems as of yet (8 months and counting). Raxles come with lifetime warranty, as do the oreilly ones I got.

 

cv joint but to be sure if it slows down as you slow down and vise versa def v joint

 

Dont forget to check engine mounts as well as the cross member right under the radiator. These can rust out and can make some pretty bad knocking noises.

 

Bumping this thread for my problem because I do not have 50 posts and can not find help and can not start a thread of my own.

I have very bad scraping and grinding that gets better and worse when I turn and slow down, accelerate, etc... I went through a very deep puddle the other day and it went away completely and was very quiet.

The control arms, inner and outer tie rods, axles, etc... are all new.

I was told it was probably my wheel bearing by my buddy at Belle Tire when I took him for a ride and asked for his opinion, and I am pretty convinced myself that is what it is.

So I was looking online and it is going to cost me 30 for the bearing, about 20 for seals and I need to press it in and out or use a tool to get it in and out.

My friend at Belle said he can order me the entire hub with studs and all for $40. If this includes the bearing it would make more sense to just do this.

Has anybody else done this instead of swapping the bearing?

 

I doubt the hub includes a bearing. It is the outer shell of the bearing that is pressed out/in with most force. The inner two pieces, which attach to the hub, are also pressed out/in but don't take nearly as much force as the outer shell.

Be sure to diagnose the noise properly. Have your buddy put the vehicle on a lift and run the front wheels as if it were driving to try to locate the noise source.

Replacing the front wheel bearings is not a trivial task, you do not want to do it only to find the noise still there.

 

Here is a pic. What's missing?
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/wcs...3_pri_detl.jpg

 

That looks like the rear hub assembly (if you read the description: "REAR; Non-Driven w/o ABS" -- yes I bothered to look up the part just to be sure), not the front as is required?

The front hub doesn't come with a bearing, which is sold separately.

Front hub: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Wheel-Hub-Dorman---OE-Solutions_15050310-P_2589_R|GRPWHELAMS_____
Bearing: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_Front-Wheel-Ball-Bearing-National_3279847-P_184_R|GRPWHELAMS_____

 

Man I didn't even catch that, thanks so much for pointing that out.

So I guess I'll just do the bearing then. My buddy said he'll let me bring it up to the shop to press it in.