a while back i read some posts about some of the maxima's having axle shims that were out of spec, but i really didn't pay much attention to it. but last night i was adding a trans additive and after i drained some fluid to make room, i felt some metal shavings on my hands. at first i thought it could have been from the drain screw since i had some trouble getting it out, but i remembered reading another symptom was loose axles... and of course, i have some play in mine. so does this mean i have the shim problem? is it my fault? i don't know what i could have done to mess up something like this. and, what happens if i let this go for a while? am i going to !@#$ something up bad? i don't have $1100 or so to get it fixed. and my last ? is... is racing now out of the question... i don't want to make matters worse. its just that i am supposed to meet some guys from the NC forum next week to go racing... don't want to miss out. anyway, i really appreciate any suggestions / info anyone has.

 

It's the differential or carrier bearings that fail and cause your excessive axel play. It is possible that they failed due to improper shimming. (to tight) A tare down and rebuild is your only option at this point.

www.motorvate.ca Has A great write up on the bearing failure and the shimming process to correct it.

 

Hmmm, another possible differential carrier bearing problem. Yes your car is exhibiting most the signs. Is there any leak yet?

How many miles and what year car? Mine were bad- but did not leak yet at 60K miles.

I have a feeling we're gonna be seeing more and more of this problem.

 

Welcome to the club. Your bearings are going to fail sooner or later. I think its more of wear and tear than improper shimming, but others can argue otherwise. The bearings on the drivers side on my car failed but on the other side were nearly perfect. I think that the drivers side places too much stress on the bearings while the passenger side doesnt. If you look at it, the axle on the passenger side goes straight in, while on the other bends in. I'm in the process of fixing mine. I suggest that once you have aleak you fix it, b/c if they fail you might break other things inside. Mine totaly failed and loose bearings floated around and damaged the differential gear. The bearings don't cost much, its the labor that will kill you. I paid around 40 bucks for each bearing (2) and 2 seals for 5 bucks. I'm in the process of still fixing it.

 

my tranny started pouring out fluid the other day. We took it to the nissan dealership to let them check it out and they said it's probably just a seal. They called back yesterday and said the transmission was a complete disaster and gave my parents this big speech on how it looks like it has been raced and all this stuff. Said it will be over 3000 dollars to fix.

 

when my tranny went out the dealer didnt say anything bout racing to my mom...but i had only raced a few times...now my car is in the shop due to one cv boot ripping, getting both axles replaced along with all new brakes

 

is this bearing problem realted to all 95-99 maxima 5spds?? or just a few and how much does it cost to fix??

im thinking about getting a maxima but if this happnes im going to back to honda and getting a 5spd accord

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by ericdwong
[B]Hmmm, another possible differential carrier bearing problem. Yes your car is exhibiting most the signs. Is there any leak yet?

How many miles and what year car? Mine were bad- but did not leak yet at 60K miles.

i've got 73k right now. but i went by a transmission shop i've delt with before today and talked to one of the techs. he told me the bearings could be going bad, but to listen carefully for any droning noises... like a bearing going bad... and to check for leaks (none so far). but as far as play in the axle, he said some play is normal. mine isn't too bad... maybe at most an 1/8 inch. but i'm gonna drain my tranny fluid tomorrow and check the rest of it.
anyone have any idea how much time i have b/f my tranny goes kaput?
i'm getting a new clutch soon, and the tech said that would be the best time to tear my tranny apart... would save me like $500. and do driving conditions have anything to do with this? do i need to drive really careful for ... the next couple of months? and, is there anything else i need to look out for? finally, is there a petition for a recall for this problem anyone knows about?

 

They are really jerkin you for 3g. When my auto tranny blew at 36k, they told me it looked like i drove the indy 500. They told me 2500 to fix it. Next day, 2200, then 1800, then 1500. I told them forget it, took it home and did a 5spd swap. Now, unfortunately, I had the bearings fail 4 months after the swap. For 3g I'd make that guy eat the fkin tranny!

 

What happens if you drive for an extended period of time with the bearings slowly withering away into total dysfunction? I would think the other harm done would be in the tranny, and if the tranny has to be taken apart anyways to replace the bearings, any extra costs would just be for parts. What "other things" inside might be effected by prolonged exposure to bad bearings?

 

Once your bearings completely fail, basically you're gonna have alot of hardened steel rollers floating in your transmission that can get into the teeth of gears. I don't think I need to explain it anymore. It happened to me, the bearings floated around and chipped teeth off of the main differential gear, thats costing me a 100 bucks to fix (bearings cost less than this). Once your bearings fail, all the fluid will pour out in a stream. When the bearings fail, you'll have about 3/4 of an inch of play in the axle. Its not pretty.

 

hey... i've got one question. i've heard there is supposed to be play in the axle... but is it in and out play or up and down... i have no up and down play. another thing is, i work @ CrossRoads Ford service in NC... i've talked to a few of the guys here and they don't think i have anything to worry about. they say the play i have is normal... and finding some shavings in the fluid is very normal. what have you guys heard? and i shouldn't worry until i hear a bearing noise or see some sign of leaking... none of which are happening. am i worrying about nothing?

 

I wouldn't really worry about it until you either start seeing some sweating or dripping from the hole. Also I noticed on my car that the play in the cv shaft was increasing slowly. If you have no up and down play on the drivers side, it sounds like there probably isnt anything wrong with your tranny.

 

There should be ZERO play in the transmission axles. While there may be some play where the CV boot is, the part that goes into the transmission should have zero. If you ever seen how precise (shimmed to the thousandth of an inch) and what the tapered bearings look like you'll understand why there shouldnt be any movement.

I've heard different reports from people. Some people experience both carrier bearings going bad. Others only experience one or the other.

What happens if you let it go untreated is you'll develop more play and more bearing parts will flake off and get sent through your transmissions other gears, bearings and synchros. Eventually the seals will not seal anymore and you'll leak transmission fluid. When this happens and still untreated your internal parts start to become unlubricated and things start to break down.

 

I had the bearings start to go on a 5 speed Altima. After 12K of listening to them I finally just traded the car for my Max. They can last quite a while before total failure, but you also play the odds that if they totally let go, your repair bill will be much higher than if you replace them now.