2011 G25X Squeaking Noise - Front Passenger Side

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Hello, my fellow Nico-nauts!

So, this past Sunday, my recently acquired G25X developed a squeak that has been found to be coming from the front passenger side.
A mechanic friend of mine and I have narrowed it down to it most likely being from the bushing/ball joint on the lower control arm.

It is present when driving down the road and hitting bumps or non-flat surfaces as well as when turning the wheels left or right.

Is this something that is common as I have never owned a car that has developed a sound like this even with over 100k miles.

Also, is it possible to just replace the bushing/ball joint or does the whole control arm need to be replaced?

Here are links to a couple of videos.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ik-8DF ... stedMayhem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL7rZu3 ... stedMayhem


Any help or guidance is appreciated!!


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VStar650CL
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"Clunks" are more common in ball joints and control arms than squeaks. Are you sure it isn't a shifting sway bar? The first thing to evaluate is whether the noise happens over 1-wheel bumps only, 2-wheel bumps only, or both. The bar is only loaded during turns and 1-wheel bumps, so if it happens then, chances are the culprit is the bar or bushings. Over 2-wheel bumps the bar is unloaded, so if it happens then, it pretty much excludes the bar.

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Would the sway bar also sound like that if the vehicle is sitting still and I am turning the steering wheel left or right?

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VStar650CL
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Nope, that's different. Rack bushings?

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VStar650CL wrote:
Tue Jan 26, 2021 3:37 pm
Nope, that's different. Rack bushings?
Based on what my friend was saying also while listening with a stethoscope he believes its the bushing on the lower control arm.

When we had the passenger side jacked up and removed the load from the suspension the sound went away.

As soon as we dropped the car enough to have the tire contact the floor the sound was back, just not as prominent.

It would make sense being the bushing/ball joint on the LCA at the spindle if its doing it during bumps and when turning, wouldn't it?

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VStar650CL
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Yes, ball joints can make noise anytime they're unloaded and then re-loaded, in addition to when they're swiveling. Squeaking noises generally mean they're bone dry and fixing to fall apart, so if that is the source then it probably isn't safe to drive it. If you have the OE rubber control arm bushings, they'll really only make noise when you're stopped if they're bad enough to let the arm shift position. You'd probably see that, they'd need to be way-gone.

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VStar -

Thanks for the input.

The question now is, can the ball joint on the LCA to the spindle be replaced or does the whole control arm need replaced?


Thanks,
- GD

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VStar650CL
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Nissan only sells the whole lower link, although you can probably get the individual ball joint in an aftermarket part. With cast control arms, I've honestly never seen the point in stuffing a new joint into an old arm. The arm assemblies aren't generally pricey even from Nissan, most are in the $200~350 range OTC and as little as half that online.

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VStar650CL wrote:
Thu Jan 28, 2021 6:25 am
Nissan only sells the whole lower link, although you can probably get the individual ball joint in an aftermarket part. With cast control arms, I've honestly never seen the point in stuffing a new joint into an old arm. The arm assemblies aren't generally pricey even from Nissan, most are in the $200~350 range OTC and as little as half that online.
Thanks again!

Based on what I was seeing with some minor searching, that was pretty much what I was figuring.

I'll start looking around for LCAs and hope I can find a good deal on them somewhere.



- GD

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Well, it seems that there aren't may places to find good deals for LCA for the right side of the car.
Found one on Rock Auto for 235 shipped to my house.

It's ordered and should be here Wed or Thurs and then a mad dash to my friend's place on Friday to install it while having beers.

Let's hope this resolves the issue. Will keep you all updated.

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UPDATE:

So, I had to go out on the road for about a week and a half before being able to get the FLCA replaced.

Got back home this past Wednesday then dropped the car off at my friends place on Friday evening.

He started working on it yesterday afternoon but has run into an issue that has him a bit perplexed.
After getting the new control arm on and then getting everything reassembled, he grabbed the spindle assembly to give a tug or two to make sure everything was tight.
He noticed that the axle shaft seems to be moving inside area where the assembly goes into front differential/oil pan, like axial thrust.

In the diagram below, the shaft (red arrow) is moving in/out of the components (yellow arrow) covered by the boot.

This isn't normal, right?
Attachments
G25X Front Axle Breakout.JPG

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VStar650CL
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I don't think that's normal. Not sure about your G25 because I think they use a pipe axle in the front final drive, somebody else here may know better than I do. But Nissan CV's generally have a round outside expansion ring on the end of the splined portion that snaps into place to retain it in the trans or diff. Your guy may have lost the ring, or it may just not be pushed all the way in.

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VStar650CL wrote:
Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:49 am
I don't think that's normal. Not sure about your G25 because I think they use a pipe axle in the front final drive, somebody else here may know better than I do. But Nissan CV's generally have a round outside expansion ring on the end of the splined portion that snaps into place to retain it in the trans or diff. Your guy may have lost the ring, or it may just not be pushed all the way in.
Thanks for the input.

To be safe, I have ordered a new front right shaft in case it's needed.
If it's not needed, I'll take it back for a refund.

Just want my car back. Haven't been able to drive it in over a month...

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VStar650CL
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I feel you, brother, it's no fun having a favorite ride laid up. Hope you're back on the pavement soon. :dblthumb:

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Ok...so after a butt load of issues getting the part from Napa, I have it and am on my way to my buddy's shop to...hopefully...get the G back on the road.

Updates to follow but probably not till tomorrow.

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Well...the saga continues.

Got to my buddies place last night and got the CV shaft swapped out.
Got everything put back together and still had the play in it that I mentioned above.

So, we took the spindle off again and as I am looking at the old control arm and comparing it to the new arm, I notice something...
There is a tapered cone shaped metal piece on the ball joint on the old control arm that wasn't on the new control arm.

So we popped the cone off, placed it in the cup in the spindle and put everything back together and it was solid. No more shaking/wobling.


So, today, I book an appointment for a 4 wheel alignment and a new battery.
Get it in the service center to get the alignment done and about 25 minutes in, the service writer comes up and explains that the tech says there is a high likelihood that my steering knuckle on the front right (same side I just put in a new control arm and CV shaft) is bent. He states this because my camber is currently sitting at -1.8* versus the 0.7* from factory. These also do not have adjustable camber plates, so now...I have to find a knuckle.

Silver lining, but buddy finds one for an RWD G. I do some looking on Infiniti's parts page and the knuckle between the RWD and AWD are the exact same part number.
It's used and is only $50.

So, I'm going to get that part, get it swapped and get back to the service center to get the alignment completed.


Sheesh....

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Ok, so...lemme pick you're brains on this one and help me figure out if there may be more to this.

So, I got to thinking the other night. What are the chances that the lower control arm I received may be just slightly longer than the factory one instead of the steering knuckle/spindle being bent?

I bought the control arm on Rock Auto and have have purchased several different parts for several different cars through them and have never had any issues. This is the first suspension component I've ever purchased so, there is always that chance.

Here's a link to the part I bought.
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... CPwnmY8FJd

When my friend swapped the control arm out, he didn't think to do a side by side comparison of the two parts thinking it would just be a direct swap with no issues.
Well, now we are both questioning if maybe the part is the culprit and the knuckle isn't bent.

Visually, the knuckle looks fine. Now granted, being bent slightly but enough to throw camber out 1* may not be obviously seen, but it doesn't mean this could still be the issue.

What is you're take on it?

The car is drivable and other than the camber being out on the front right, the rest of the specs for the other corners are all good.

Curious to hear your takes.

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Gold Digger wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 11:27 am
Visually, the knuckle looks fine. Now granted, being bent slightly but enough to throw camber out 1* may not be obviously seen, but it doesn't mean this could still be the issue.
I doubt it. Assuming, just for example, 30" from strut tower to ball joint and 9" from control arm bushings to ball joint, to get a full 1 degree difference would mean a control arm almost 1/2" longer. That can't just be production tolerance. Unless you have something bent in the structure, it would have to mean a wrong part. Have you put a tape measure on the arms to compare them?

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Well, strike that, I just looked and your G is double A-arm. With that geometry it would take a lot less difference in the arm length to induce a 1 degree change, probably under a tenth of an inch. That could be production tolerance.


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