creaking sound when the wheels are turn hard left

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mtbpath
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creaking sound when the wheels are turn hard left

Postby mtbpath » Mon May 28, 2012 6:08 pm

not sure if this is cv boot related.
but when I turn the steering wheel hard left say to park or make a tight turn in parking lot, I hear a creaking sound as it turns.
but when I turn the wheel to the right and try to duplicate the same sound, I don't get it on that side, just on drivers side.
can someone tell me what that sound is and the possible problem can be?
like to get it fixed or know its not a major front axle or cv boot issue.
thanks


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disallow
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Postby disallow » Tue May 29, 2012 1:50 pm

Worn lower ball joint or a dried out tie rod end.

Yes our trucks are getting to that age when these types of components need replacement... :)

t

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Tue May 29, 2012 4:00 pm

I don't remember the R51's having steering stops to grease like the older Pathy's. I'll have to look next time I'm under my truck!

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Tue May 29, 2012 4:23 pm

smj999smj wrote:I don't remember the R51's having steering stops to grease like the older Pathy's. I'll have to look next time I'm under my truck!
What's a steering stop?

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deermjd
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Postby deermjd » Tue May 29, 2012 8:14 pm

smj999smj wrote:I don't remember the R51's having steering stops to grease like the older Pathy's. I'll have to look next time I'm under my truck!
They don't. Everything is non-serviceable.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Tue May 29, 2012 9:56 pm

decided to drop off at dealer.
i have a long trip coming up and have them look at other stuff.
I'll post and findings and results when I pick up path.
thanks guys.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Tue May 29, 2012 11:48 pm

disallow wrote:
smj999smj wrote:I don't remember the R51's having steering stops to grease like the older Pathy's. I'll have to look next time I'm under my truck!
What's a steering stop?
Older Pathy's and Nissan trucks used steering stops to limit the travel of the wheel as you turn it, so it doesn't hit the wheel well or the knuckle hit the control arm. There was a metal bracked welded to the contro arm and a bolt on the knucle with a plastic cap. The bracket would be greased to lubricate it. Sometimes the caps would wear out or fall off and the metal bolt head would contact the stop bracket at full turns and make a nasty grinding noise. As mentioned, they aren't used on the 05 and newer models.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:50 pm

dealer did not find anything broken, loose or replacing. I guess that is a good thing. but they did hear the creaking sound. the advisor describes it as a popping sound.
their explanation was everything looks good. it can be the struts have some sag in it that when the wheel is turned all the way to the left it hits something underneath, I guess I should have asked him to show me.
well, I'm going to look for some upgraded struts.
something better than OEM that will give a better performance.
highways here in and around the Los Angeles area is terrible and i've been taking trips and bumps are pretty bad.
anyways, I'll write another post if I decide to get new struts, etc.
thanks.

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disallow
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Postby disallow » Tue Jun 05, 2012 6:26 am

It totally slipped my mind, but I did have a similar issue on my 05. The suspension links were squeaking/creaking when I turned the wheel and hit a bump at the same time.

Not sure if thats what you are seeing.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:53 pm

disallow wrote:It totally slipped my mind, but I did have a similar issue on my 05. The suspension links were squeaking/creaking when I turned the wheel and hit a bump at the same time.

Not sure if thats what you are seeing.
only when you turn and hit a bump?
could be similar. what and how did you fix it?
mine is more on the drivers side. when I turn the wheels all the way left.
so a sharp u-turn would make the sound.
i'm thinking suspension(struts)

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sat Jun 09, 2012 4:57 am

There are a couple of TSB's for creaking and/or popping noises in early R51's. One has the front diff hitting agains the crossmember and instructs to adjust it so it won't contact it. The other TSB instructs to replace the front sway bar mount bushings with updated parts.

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mtbpath
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Postby mtbpath » Sat Jun 09, 2012 11:33 am

smj999smj wrote:There are a couple of TSB's for creaking and/or popping noises in early R51's. One has the front diff hitting agains the crossmember and instructs to adjust it so it won't contact it. The other TSB instructs to replace the front sway bar mount bushings with updated parts.
if TSB's explains these issues, why didn't my service advisor read or notice it?
is it up to me to find it and tell him.
now I have to make another trip back and explain that the TSB can be related to the issue that I am describing.
sometimes I feel they are avoiding it by explaining it is something else related and not directly a TSB issue.
if you find it can you post it.
thanks.

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smj999smj
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Postby smj999smj » Sun Jun 10, 2012 6:17 am

I doubt that many service writers read technical service bulletins; their job is to listen to the customer concerns, write up the repair order and assign it to a tech who, in turn, diagnosis the concern and tells the writer who works up a quote and talks to the customer. It isn't always exactly like that, but generally how it works. A lot of service writers have little or no background in auto diagnosing and repairs. It's not uncommon to find writers with sales backgrounds. TSB are mainly for the technicians to aid them in diagnosing problems. There are literally hundreds of service bulletins put out by a manufacturer every year and it's hard to keep up on all of them. Some techs just don't know where to look and some just don't take the time. Any shop is only as good as the technician that works on "your" vehicle.

As far as the TSB's (posted is only the header of the TSB, not the bulletins in full):

Classification: PD06-001

Reference: NTB06-056

Date: August 3, 2006
2005 4WD PATHFINDER, FRONTIER, XTERRA;
POP/CLUNK NOISE FROM FRONT OF THE VEHICLE

APPLIED VEHICLES: 2005 Pathfinder (R51), Frontier (D40), Xterra (N50)
4WD Only

APPLIED DATE(S): Vehicles built before February 15, 2005

IF YOU CONFIRM

There is pop/clunk noise from the front of the vehicle:
^ When the vehicle moves from a stop.

Or
^ When making turns in 4WD mode.

ACTION

Adjust the front differential so there is 13 mm clearance between the differential housing and front crossmember.

*********************************************************

Classification: FA10-003A

Reference: NTB10-072A

Date: October 6, 2010

FRONT SUSPENSION NOISE

This bulletin has been amended. The PARTS INFORMATION section has been revised. No other changes have been made. Please discard all previous copies.
APPLIED VEHICLES:
2004-2010 Armada (TA60)
2005-2010 Frontier (D40)
2005-2010 Pathfinder (R51)
2004-2010 Titan (A60)
2005-2010 Xterra (N50)

APPLIED VINS/DATES:
2004-2009 Armada: All
2010 Armada built before: 5N1(*)A(*)N(**)AN 6067281 Oct 23, 2009
2004-2009 Titan: All
2010 Titan built before: 1N6(*)A(****)AN 3037881 Oct 23, 2009
2005-2010 Frontier/Pathfinder/Xterra: All

IF YOU CONFIRM

A noise (clunking, squeaking, popping) can be heard when performing at least one of the following actions:
^ turning the steering wheel left or right

^ driving over speed bumps

^ driving on rough roads

^ accelerating or decelerating

AND

The noise is coming from the front stabilizer bar bushing.

ACTIONS

Replace the front stabilizer bar bushing on both sides (RH & LH) with the part listed in the Parts Information section of this bulletin.

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doctahjones
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Postby doctahjones » Fri Aug 24, 2012 10:06 am

just as something to check for others...

i would get a knock/ping/creak sound whenever doing slow turns, and especially if it was on uneven ground. bushings all looked ok and i saw a post where carl said it was his oem skid plate.

well i checked the bolts on mine and sure enough one was about 1 turn too lose. i tightened it up and -no- more noise. couldn't get it really tightened down since i only had a 13mm socket and not the 12mm that the bolt really is, but i'll hit it again later tonight.

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SilverGhost
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Postby SilverGhost » Mon Oct 22, 2012 3:28 pm

doctahjones wrote:just as something to check for others...

i would get a knock/ping/creak sound whenever doing slow turns, and especially if it was on uneven ground. bushings all looked ok and i saw a post where carl said it was his oem skid plate.

well i checked the bolts on mine and sure enough one was about 1 turn too lose. i tightened it up and -no- more noise. couldn't get it really tightened down since i only had a 13mm socket and not the 12mm that the bolt really is, but i'll hit it again later tonight.
What bolts did you find that were loose? I've had the problem for months, and the stealer can't duplicate the noise, or find anything loose.


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