Thread: I'm lost.. CV/Axle??

So as a few of you know, I thought my passenger wheel bearing took a shit again on this 1200 mile trip... So I make it here, and pull the passenger wheel off... Come to find out, the bolt that holds everything together (the big 1.25" one) at the end of the axle wasn't tightened on all the way, and I was able to remove it with my fingers... uh oh. So I tighten it back down and figure all is well.. Well, a few miles later while taking off quickly around a corner, I get the grinding and clicking noise, very violently. Tie rod is good, wheel bearing is good, balls joint is good... What is left that could cause this? I'm thinking CV joint? How do I check my CV joint/axle without actually replacing it? I do know whoever changed it in the past used a NAPA part...uh oh again.

On another note, I thought my 96 transmission was LSD, right? When the tires spin only the drivers side spins??? Could this also be an axle issue? Maybe the wrong one was used, or is it possible that it is THAT bad? Could it have slipped out partially being that bolt wasnt tightened down all the way?

You do know that there is a hole there for a reason right... Your supposed to put a pin in there to lock in the axle nut or else it will loosen up.. Tighten it all the way down and if you don't have anything else you could do it ghetto style and just use a nail and bend it.

You know if your axle is messed up if when you turn you hear it go "click click click click click click" lol make a U turn with the wheel all the way to the side and it'll probably click

If you're noticing the spinning issue on ice or snow, thats a bad test as it has a good chance of not engaging the lsd. The passenger axle can't 'slip out' of the transmission either, as the support bearing on the block holds it in place. Either way, an axle issue won't cause an issue with an LSD gear. Either you don't have it, are judging it poorly, or it's been fried and has locked back to an open diff.

The cotter pin was in, it hadn't moved that much. But with the bolt tight there is no play in the axle, but loose there was a little wiggle in it. I'm talking about the large threaded piece that sticks through the hub, with everything assembled it had some play, I realized the bolt was loose and tightened it and the play stopped.

the clicking/grinding isn't consistent. It only does it at random, usually during a quick launching from stop, especially when launching around a corner quickly (ex quickly pulling out of a parking lot onto the main road) and only lasts a second. It's more of a grinding click than the typical clicks I've heard from a bad CV joint...

Yea... cotter pin should have been there. Plus a lot of people don't know about this either but there is a cotter pin cover that goes on there as well that a lot of people don't put it back on for some reason. But it's not just there because Nissan wanted to add something extra.

I was on dry road. I'm out of the ice/snow region now. Only the drivers side spun.

After the bolt is the ring with the teeth like shit on it, as well as the cotter pin, everything is in place as far as that goes. That bolt coming loose isn't really my issue now, the issue is the grinding at hard acceleration.

Well if it's grinding in general you spindle is FUBAR.

I will bet anything if you pull that knuckle off and pull the axle out... say goodbye to your wheel bearing.

Take in consideration that working on cars is pretty new to me, I'm good with the replacing parts thing, as I'm pretty photographic and am good with the "take it off and put it back together the same way" factor. But what exactly/where-is the spindle? & Can anyone link me to the part?

The spindle is the part that gets pressed into the bearing after the bearing is pressed into the hub.

In other words.. the part that the lug nuts connect to that spin's. If the axle is loose and grinds on the spindle that will result in wear and cause the spindle to fall out once the axle nuts is removed and the axle is pulled out of the knuckle.