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Test drove my Pathfinder, found some issues


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I was gifted a 2004 Pathfinder SE.  It had lots of issues, but I worked to get them sorted out  I replaced the front brake calipers and master cylinder, and took it for a test drive today.  I have 2 issues that I can't chase down:  I have not run signals (no hazards).  I checked the fuses for both and they are fine.  The other issue is that I get a vibration starting at about 40mph.  This I suspect to be a bad CV axle (or both).  This is my first Pathfinder and I'm pretty stoked about having it running and driving.  Can some of you knowledgeable guys give me some suggestions about where to start? 

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Is the hazard flasher button plugged in? Non working hazards and turns is also a symptom of broken or non existant hazard flasher button.

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Thank you.  Those were checked when the transfer case was put in.  I they seemed pretty solid so I didn't replace them.  I also noticed that I'm hearing roaring from one of the front wheels.    I also noticed when driving it today that the vibration starts at about 40mph and gets considerably less noticeable after 50mph.  I have ordered new hubs and will see if that fixes my issues.  

Edited by Preacher
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the vibration could be a wheel bearing like said above. had that on my armada and it turned into a squeak after a while when turning. if all fuses are fine and all wires appear to be fine then it would lead to the hazard button itself. when its not plugged in none of them work no clicking no flashing no anything. pull off the trim panel and make sure that it is fully plugged in and the button is functional. i figured that part out when i did a dash light conversion and tried the signals and it didnt work until the trim was plugged in. gave me a heart attack for a minute thinking i fried my dash but in the end just being that massive plug 

Edited by Strato_54
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Thank you guys.  I have to admit to having a senior moment when I installed an Android Auto head unit, put everything back together and forgot to plug in the flashers.  I'm heavily suspecting the wheel bearings.  I had a little extra money so I ordered new hubs.  I'll install them when the arrive on Tuesday.  It's hard to admit that I did something so foolish as forget to plug in the cord for the flashers.

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That's great it was so easy with the flashers.

Do the new hubs come with bearings?

As you replace them you could check the preload before removal to be sure it wasn't too loose, and if the bearings haven't spun the hub, you might be able to just replace the bearings. Though if the hubs are pretty cheap it might be worth replacing anyway.



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If you can drive out of the vibration by adjusting speed I would look at the u joints even if they seem good, they could be too stiff and it is very common on the r50. Also check that the tires are balanced well, rotate them to the back to see if it changes. Last thing is the driveshaft could be bent/out of balance. I had the weight fall off of mine on the back and it caused a vibration.

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6 hours ago, Preacher said:

Thank you guys.  I have to admit to having a senior moment when I installed an Android Auto head unit, put everything back together and forgot to plug in the flashers.  I'm heavily suspecting the wheel bearings.  I had a little extra money so I ordered new hubs.  I'll install them when the arrive on Tuesday.  It's hard to admit that I did something so foolish as forget to plug in the cord for the flashers.

its a good thing its only 2 screws and and a few clips to remove lol. 

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15 hours ago, adamzan said:

If you can drive out of the vibration by adjusting speed I would look at the u joints even if they seem good, they could be too stiff and it is very common on the r50. Also check that the tires are balanced well, rotate them to the back to see if it changes. Last thing is the driveshaft could be bent/out of balance. I had the weight fall off of mine on the back and it caused a vibration.

 

I'll re-check the drive shaft.  The tires are brand new and only have about 20 miles on them.  Even once I drove the vibration out I'm hearing a roaring from one of the front wheels.  That is what made me suspect that a wheel bearing was bad.  U joints are cheap enough that it might be worth replacing them.

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I got the old hubs off as the new ones were being delivered.  Got the delivery and they were the WRONG ones.  I'm was kinda peeved at that.  I sent them back and I'm going to just replace the bearings and races in the ones that are on the truck.  Saw a vid and it didn't seem to hard.  That being said, any advice on replacing the bearings would be appreciated.

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5 hours ago, Preacher said:

I got the old hubs off as the new ones were being delivered.  Got the delivery and they were the WRONG ones.  I'm was kinda peeved at that.  I sent them back and I'm going to just replace the bearings and races in the ones that are on the truck.  Saw a vid and it didn't seem to hard.  That being said, any advice on replacing the bearings would be appreciated.

 My biggest issue for my wheel bearings was that I didn't have the spindle nut socket. I followed some dude's youtube video where he used a screw driver to tap loose the spindle nut that was set to about 5 or 6 foot pounds. When I put everything back together, I found out that I needed that socket to torque it to something like 70 foot pounds or something (pretighten). Somehow in my metro area of like 200k+ no retailer had the socket needed for Nissans so I had to overnight one from Summit. So do yourself a favor and make sure you have one before you start removing stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunex-10202-Wheel-Spindle-Wrench/dp/B002GT454K

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Thank you for that advice and the link.  I just ordered the one in the link and it will be here on Saturday (before the bearings and races).  I can rent the tool to seat the races locally.  This is going to save me money over new hubs anyway.  I also got the springs and shocks for the rear and will be doing those tomorrow.

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An impact screwdriver is a must for removing the tiny Phillips head locking screws that hold the bearing nut lock to the bearing nut. The screws are tight but soft so cam out easily. An impact driver works great to pop them loose without damage. 

You will want to replace the seals as well while you are in there. 

A pair of small external snap-ring pliers makes life easier to get the snap-ring off the axle end to get the drive flange off. 

The drive flanges use cone washers under the nuts. What I do is loosen the nuts out to the ends of the studs, then I wack the side of the flange with a small hammer to pop them loose. When all 6 are loose, then I finish removing the nuts and washers. Then the flange should slide off. 

Other than that, pretty much normal old school wheel bearing replacement. 

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+1 for the snap ring pliers, I've done it without and it's much easier with. And yes, make sure you've got any seals you'll need, and think about the order you're putting stuff together in so you don't put the seal on and then realize the bearing doesn't fit through it. You can use a hammer and a brass drift to pop out the old races. I didn't need the impact screwdriver when I did mine, but the screws were so chewed up already that I replaced them while I was in there.

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Thanks for the advice, guys.  I have snap ring pliers (I had the passenger side off the truck).  I think the only seal is the wheel seal on the rear of the hub.  The phillips head screws came out with no issues (let's hope it's the same for the driver side).  I'll be glad when the bearings come so I can get at it. 

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On 5/17/2020 at 5:31 PM, colinnwn said:

That's great it was so easy with the flashers.

Do the new hubs come with bearings?

As you replace them you could check the preload before removal to be sure it wasn't too loose, and if the bearings haven't spun the hub, you might be able to just replace the bearings. Though if the hubs are pretty cheap it might be worth replacing anyway.



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The hubs I got were the wrong ones (they were supposed to be for an Armada).  I'll check the preload before removing the hub, but I'm really thinking that if I have gone this far, I might as well replace the bearings and the races in the old hubs and be done with it.  To be honest, working on this thing is kinda fun.

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When you were talking about new hubs for your truck, I was a bit mystified, that is what is done on the modern ones, but older ones like yours, the only time you replace the hub is if it gets damaged like it bent, bearing race spins in the hub,  or lug stud hole gets stripped out. With the old design of your truck, it is just the bearings and seals that wear and require service/replacement in normal use. Also usually have to get bearings and seals seperate since the hub is usually just the hub.  

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I came to the same conclusion when I had the hub off and could get a good look at it.  That's why I returned the incorrect hubs and decided to just order bearings and races and go that route.  I have never done this before, but vids make the procedure pretty clear.

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On 5/20/2020 at 7:19 PM, Dbot said:

 My biggest issue for my wheel bearings was that I didn't have the spindle nut socket. I followed some dude's youtube video where he used a screw driver to tap loose the spindle nut that was set to about 5 or 6 foot pounds. When I put everything back together, I found out that I needed that socket to torque it to something like 70 foot pounds or something (pretighten). Somehow in my metro area of like 200k+ no retailer had the socket needed for Nissans so I had to overnight one from Summit. So do yourself a favor and make sure you have one before you start removing stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunex-10202-Wheel-Spindle-Wrench/dp/B002GT454K

 

Got the spindle nut socket this morning and decided to check the hubs.  Each spindle nut was loose enough that I would put the socket on and spin it loose by hand.  I tightened each side to 70 ft-lbs hoping that was my issue.  No such luck.  The outer bearings will be in on Tuesday.  If the come in early enough, I'll be replacing bearings.  I did notice that the front wheels don't spin freely.  It takes quite an effort to turn them.

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Got the spindle nut socket this morning and decided to check the hubs.  Each spindle nut was loose enough that I would put the socket on and spin it loose by hand.  I tightened each side to 70 ft-lbs hoping that was my issue.  No such luck.  The outer bearings will be in on Tuesday.  If the come in early enough, I'll be replacing bearings.  I did notice that the front wheels don't spin freely.  It takes quite an effort to turn them.

You are not supposed to leave the lock nut at 70ftlb. You need to tighten to preload bearing then completely loosen and tighten to 13ftlbs. So basically tighten by hand.


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Thank you.  All of my bearings and races are now here, so tomorrow will be working on it after church.  That information will help keep me from messing things up.

 

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After tightening with the high torque, spin the hub through several rotations in both directions to settle the bearings, turn back the nut until it turns easily then do the final torque to the 13ish ft/lbs. If the holes don't line up for the screws, you can turn the nut either direction to line up. 

 

I personally use a full synthetic wheel bearing grease to pack my bearings, and then I fill the gap between the inner and outer bearings with more grease up to the edges of inner bearing races to give a smaller air gap for water to get into. Has worked well for me for the 21 years I have had my pathy and I don't recall ever having to replace the bearings. I have cleaned and repacked them a few times over the years, but l think less than 6 times. Generally only did it when replacing the brake rotors or had the hubs off for some other reason. I don't Go into the deep mud and water as much as I did the first 8 years I had my truck, so water intrusion is less of a concern than it used to be, but even then never saw any issues there due to using new seals anytime I took it apart and the extra grease packing I did. It is just the way I was taught to do bearings as a kid 40 years ago by my farmer grand parents and other relatives. 

 

 

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