squealing noise from rear axle

[Tazman1976]

I believe I am getting lied to by my Nissan Dealer. I have been getting a squealing noise from my rear axle while driving. Rogue is AWD. They said is due to excessive brake dust. Vehicle was in the dealer 1 month prior due to noise in rear axle. They turned the rotors. They stated the brake dust could be up that fast. Not willing to accept this answer. Only owned this vehicle 4 months and already disgusted.

[VStar650CL]

If the noise only happens when you hit the brakes then it's a brake squeal, prima facie. If it happens without hitting the brakes then it's likely something else. The vast majority of squeals in Nissan brakes happen from lack of lubrication on the shoulders of the brake pads.

Pad Shoulders.png (23.52 KiB) Viewed 4106 times

[Tazman1976]

Noise is constantly while car is in motion. Even if brakes are applied, noise persists until the vehicle comes to a complete stop.

[VStar650CL]

There's no way brake dust is causing a constant noise underway, but I'd have to hear it to tell you anything more. Diffs can squeal, U-joints can squeal, CV bearings can squeal, incorrectly-installed brake hardware (primary or parking) can squeal, and on an AWD Rogue, the viscous coupling can squeal. One quick way to exculpate or implicate U-joints and the viscous coupling is to drop the driveshaft and drive the car FWD. If the noise goes away, that limits the suspects to the driveshaft and viscous coupling. If it doesn't, then the noise is someplace between the diff and the wheels.

[TheRogue]

I wish I had read this thread when I started hearing squeaking from underneath our 1st Gen Rogue last year.

For us, it ended up being the front u-joint on the driveshaft.

When I 1st heard the squeaking I noticed that it only happened when our Rogue started moving for the 1st time in the day. By the time we got to the end of the street the squeaking would be gone.

I had 2 garages take a look for what was causing the sound, and both said they thought it was the brakes. I had the brakes replaced, but the squeaking was still there.

Then . . . the front u-joint on the driveshaft buckled and tore itself apart driving around one day.

'had the Rogue flat bedded to the garage and they took out the driveshaft and we drove it around for a bit without the driveshaft until the replacement driveshaft came in.

Driving around without the driveshaft and after the new driveshaft was installed . . . we've never heard the squeaking. (Knock on wood.) So I always assumed that the u-joint was the source of the squeaking I had heard.

QUESTION: The u-joints on the original driveshaft and the replacement driveshaft are sealed. No regular lubrication schedule. But one of the mechanics said to spray the u-joints with WD40 or something similar? Does this make sense?

[VStar650CL]

Yes. There are rubber seals on each of the U-joint caps to keep the grease in. When those seals dry out, the joint will fail. Some periodic WD40 will help keep them pliable. That goes for just about all the rubber underneath the car, too. I treat all the rubber on our two Altimas annually, and I do the same for all my best customers. You'd be amazed how long CV boots can last if you simply spray them once a year.

[TheRogue]

@VStar650CL

Thanks for the reply on the spraying with WD40.

I am totally going to figure out what to do and add that to my maintenance chart for our Rogue and Grand Caravan!

Thanks!

[VStar650CL]