Been working on tracking down what sounds like tire hum. Cross rotated tires as I could see some slight outside feathering / cupping (?) on front tires. Could be shocks / alignment / wheel bearing I was told. (though when I bought the car I checked tire pressure and discovered previous owners had been driving with pressure varying between 7 ~ 10 psi ‘lower’ than 26psi depending on tire so that could have caused the wear pattern ?)

Anyways, rotating tires didn’t really get rid of sound nor move it. ‘Sort of’ sounds like big off road truck tires on pavement but even & more mellow. Blends with engine noise.

Just recently, as I slow down, I hear a ’Tuk ka ta tuk it ta tuk’ that also slows down with car. Coming from front left. (it seems).
About a week earlier to new noise I had jacked up both front wheels and did a (tires mounted) wobble/shake test & also listened for any noise (other than pads against rotors) while spinning too. Didn’t discern any bearing looseness or abnormal noise - to me - at that time.

Brakes now occasionally lightly intermittently squeak when cold too. Pads look good though.

My question is, if it is the wheel bearing are there suppliers that sell new rotors with installed bearings & seals ? Only buy Timkin?

I read that the mm minimum thickness of rotors is usually stamped onto the rotor but I think the stud plate is bolted over and covering that part of the rotor from view. Since there’s a slight outside diameter rusted ridge to the rotors my dial calipers might not clear it but I could use some known spacer blocks / washers to measure then subtract that value. I’m not sure if rotors even need to be changed other than I read if they wear too much, besides being dangerous, that the pads can squeak. I think pads just squeak sometimes regardless(?)

Rotor - https://imgur.com/a/0TZiud2

Pads - https://imgur.com/a/xcGr2d7

Rotor full - https://imgur.com/a/TehwTxX

Strut / Rotor - https://imgur.com/a/CVNq6Ok

Looks like a RWD model of the LE because that front hub cap does not look like ones on a drive flange hub on 4WD models. I was thinking noise might be CV joints of front differential but not if this is RWD only. It looks like there is quite a bit of grease weeping out of that hub cap which may be caused by worn bearings getting very hot. That may be your source of noise as well. Doing that bearing grease packing maintenance on an unknown used car condition is always a good idea. Replace them if you have to. Timkin has seen good reviews but the consistency in quality has dropped since much of their manufacturing is now done in China. I prefer OE for this type of part.

The pic of your KYB strut shows the strut bellow is gone and the bumper is wasted away. KYB make a decent strut but their bellow/bumper kit is garbage. I've been using KYB for years. I bought Nissan OE bellow/bumper a few months after installing the KYB junk because it fell apart like what I see in your picture. The OE bellow/bumper is also the only one that will fit properly into the upper spring seat and not fall down, exposing the polished strut rod to road debris.

The rotor minimum thickness limit should be cast on the part. The FSM indicates 26mm is the minimum repair limit. Your rotors look to be in decent shape. The bearings are installed in the wheel hub, which the rotor bolts onto. Unlike my old Ford Mustang, the Pathfinder bearings and rotor do not fit one into the other so they are not sold that way ever, by anyone.

Yes, 2WD (I should have stated that).
Drivers side hub looks like same grease leakage - https://imgur.com/a/2pe7fnH
Can't think of what else it can be but the bearings, especially with the new noise.
I've replaced bearings on American trucks (ez) but I'm considering letting a shop do the work on the Path (with OE bearings).
I see a diagram for the 2 bearings 40215-2S600 / 40210-2S600 at NissanPartsDeal but the 40210-2S600 shows a photo of four parts (?). I guess they include the Grease Seal & Sensor Rotor too? - https://imgur.com/a/JhgCIDt

In a 'how-to' video I saw a 'race' being replaced but don't see a race in the diagram so perhaps the 2WD design is different. (If I don't have to seat a race maybe that's one less tool and I could do it myself.)

It's definitely time to replace struts & shocks as they appear original. It's just a city car for now, but with passengers going over bumps I can occasionally get bottom-out. Rear shock replacement looks simple enough, do rear springs need to be changed at same time to get them to work together correctly or do the springs usually have more life?

I take it that OE front strut Bellows / Bumper you mentioned can be retrofitted at any time without removing strut from tower ?
If I'm just after the stock ride I'm guessing I should just go with whatever the replacement KYB OE equivalent is now - or is there a better choice ?

fixer3 wrote: ↑

Sun Nov 19, 2023 6:39 am

I see a diagram for the 2 bearings 40215-2S600 / 40210-2S600 at NissanPartsDeal but the 40210-2S600 shows a photo of four parts (?). I guess they include the Grease Seal & Sensor Rotor too? - https://imgur.com/a/JhgCIDt

In a 'how-to' video I saw a 'race' being replaced but don't see a race in the diagram so perhaps the 2WD design is different. (If I don't have to seat a race maybe that's one less tool and I could do it myself.)

It's definitely time to replace struts & shocks as they appear original. It's just a city car for now, but with passengers going over bumps I can occasionally get bottom-out. Rear shock replacement looks simple enough, do rear springs need to be changed at same time to get them to work together correctly or do the springs usually have more life?

I take it that OE front strut Bellows / Bumper you mentioned can be retrofitted at any time without removing strut from tower ?
If I'm just after the stock ride I'm guessing I should just go with whatever the replacement KYB OE equivalent is now - or is there a better choice ?

You are confusing yourself with your own edited pictures and NPD's mistake. Your edited image is from the FSM, not Nissan Parts Deal and it clearly shows the bearing races (a.k.a. cups) that get pressed into the hub. NPD confuses things more by wrongly showing an actual picture of 2 different grease seals plus the inner and outer bearing assemblies as if they were all included with 40210-2S600. They are not. One of the grease seals shown is actually for the inner drive shaft of a 4WD model. The FSM shows the bearing assemblies separated. NPD shows the bearing cone and cup together as the one assembly by which they are sold.

How to videos are sometimes great to clarify what is written in service and repair manuals but alone they are often incomplete or misleading. It's like a book is always better than the movie.

If the ride height, left and right, at the front and back, is equal and the body if not sitting lower than it should be, then your springs may be fine. They do tend to last longer than the struts and shocks.

The strut bellows/bumper can only be replaced when the strut assembly is removed from the vehicle and taken apart. KYB is not the original strut.

Thank you. (you guys are great here btw)

I thought something didn't add up with images on NPD. I just want to get OE parts at this point (or high quality) and supply to a shop. I realize there's nothing to it but I'm burnt out right now and want to get out ahead of any potential problems. I'll chat with NPD after Holiday and find out what I need (Seals, Races, Bearings). Iirc- the red Mobil-1 synth grease is still a great choice ?

Good catch on the the struts, spoke to previous owner and they said replacement happened in '09 at 64K. (105k current)

btw - Called stealership today to ask about repair history, conversation got around to front bearings... quoted $2,100.
Local independent shop said - Labor $350 and I supply parts.
Unfortunately I bet either would/will do a mediocre job -('if' I'm lucky).

Conclusion - for anyone with same noise coming from the front - yes it was the bearing. Last person to work on vehicle had overtightened bearing lock nut 'excessively' because it took a breaker bar to remove nut. Most likely they also did not repack bearings or got dirt in the grease. Removing bearing and spinning in my hand (still packed with old grease) it had the feel of gravel in there. Out of curiosity I later washed out grease, and spun the bearing again, the sound wasn't that bad and was fairly smooth.

https://imgur.com/PGsgob7