Vibration in the rear - can worn trailing arm cause this?

A forum for the legendary Nissan Pathfinder and Infiniti QX4.
brickbox
Posts: 272
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 6:44 pm
Car: 2011 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4

Post

Like the title says, I have almost constant vibration in the rear of the vehicle - sometimes it gets a little excessive. The rear trailing arms (upper and lower) are all original to car with almost 192k miles.

It does have a mild death sway starting to occur, especially if I have the trunk or the back of the Q fully loaded. Before I fight all the rust, does the trailing arm vibration in the rear end?


MisterH
Posts: 277
Joined: Thu Mar 03, 2016 5:04 pm
Car: 1999 Infiniti QX4

Post

The trailing arms wouldn't be a source of vibration. (but you should definitely replace them!) Look for rotating assemblies to get at the source. Propeller shaft joints, differential, rear wheel bearing, etc. Best thing is to get the entire rear end off the ground (jack stands under carrier assembly, trans in neutral with parking brake off). Start checking for looseness and excessive play.

nickelghandi
Posts: 205
Joined: Mon Jan 28, 2013 3:23 pm
Car: 1999.5 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4 (rusted out: sold)
2004 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4X4
1998 Volvo S70 GLT
2001 Ford F150 XLT
Location: Frankfort, KY, U.S.
Contact:

Post

Exhausts and heat shields can also cause some very strange vibration noises. Take a piece of wood and start tapping around on the exhaust (with the vehicle cold) and you can rule that out pretty quickly.

I just recently was chasing a vibration that I swore wasn't my exhaust. A little tapping around and a piece of heat shield literally fell onto my face. Thank God I did it with the vehicle cold...

yeldogt
Posts: 426
Joined: Sun Jan 23, 2011 8:23 am
Car: 02 Pathfinder 4X LE (X2)

Post

how much rust and where ? you do know the cars had a rust recall.

Don't mess around if it has the sway ....t can be really dangerous

brickbox
Posts: 272
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 6:44 pm
Car: 2011 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4

Post

The rust isn't horrible around the suspension. However, there's significant rust around the windhshield that I have been using backyard shade tree mechanic methods to prevent from leaking into the car. There's rust around the wheel wells as well. It's had the rust recall done and those areas are fine.

I crawled underneath and tapped around the exhaust system, there wasn't anything that felt loose.
When I purchased the vehicle, I had the front driveshaft and the both the yokes and the front yoke on the rear driveshaft replaced due to horrible vibrations.

In addition, when I'm going highway speeds (about 78MPH), the vibration is worse when I am in 4WD Hi vs. 2WD.

The death sway is minimal. Given how much rust is around the winshield, I don't really plan on spending much money on this truck, if I don't have to.

Buzzman
Posts: 2070
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:35 pm
Car: 2017 Mazda 6 GT
2023 Kia Stinger Elite V6 AWD.

Post

brickbox wrote:
Thu Aug 22, 2019 6:26 am


In addition, when I'm going highway speeds (about 78MPH), the vibration is worse when I am in 4WD Hi vs. 2WD.
Running highway speeds in 4wd Hi is a definite NO NO. Don't do that.
You can run at those speeds with the truck in AWD auto mode, but not in 4wd hi.
I'm not surprised the vibration is worse when doing that.
The first thing is to look for the obvious: tires out of balance, and then driveshafts/u-joints.
I had a seized u-joint a few years ago that caused that problem.

Buzzman
Posts: 2070
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:35 pm
Car: 2017 Mazda 6 GT
2023 Kia Stinger Elite V6 AWD.

Post

Just to follow up on my post from yesterday, I checked my owners manual with regards to driving in 2 wheel vs 4wd modes:
Nissan is pretty emphatic about this (it's in bold in the manual): do not drive over 50mph in 4WD Hi, under any conditions,
and do not drive in 4WD Hi or Lo on dry pavement, period. They warn you that you can damage the transfer case by doing that.
If you are indeed driving highway speeds in 4WD Hi (why you would do that in the first place is beyond me), then you will damage something, if you haven't already.

brickbox
Posts: 272
Joined: Sat Oct 22, 2016 6:44 pm
Car: 2011 Nissan Pathfinder 4x4

Post

I appreciate the responses.
To clarify, I never run the SUV on4H unless I’m on a dirt road and it’s slushy (45mph roads).

i switched to 4H to verify if engaging the rear driveshaft made the vibration worse. But your point is duly noted.

How do I verify if the u joints are seized?

Buzzman
Posts: 2070
Joined: Fri Feb 02, 2007 2:35 pm
Car: 2017 Mazda 6 GT
2023 Kia Stinger Elite V6 AWD.

Post

brickbox wrote:
Sat Aug 24, 2019 4:37 am


How do I verify if the u joints are seized?
Unfortunately, a visual check will not be enough.
In my case, the tech put it on a hoist and pulled the driveshaft and physically checked it.
He was an experienced tech on the Pathy, and was pretty sure what it was, but still had to remove it to verify.


Return to “Nissan Pathfinder Forum / Infiniti QX4 Forum”