The Nissan Path

Hey fellow Pathy owners,


I have owned my '05 Pathfinder for around 1 year now and it just recently hit 137k miles. Its a great truck and has been super reliable to me so far.

Recently I have felt what I can only describe as a very slight rubbing that I believe is coming from the front driver-side wheel. The rub feels like it hits at the same point in rotation each time when driving. I feel it increasingly when I turn left more than when straight or right turned. This seems like a bad wheel bearing to me which I guess means I should just go ahead and replace both of the fronts.

Does this sound correct to y'all? If this is correct can anyone point me in the way of a video that shows me how to do it. I can't pay the $350 per wheel quote I was given by a shop.

SFA1500 wrote:Hey fellow Pathy owners,


I have owned my '05 Pathfinder for around 1 year now and it just recently hit 137k miles. Its a great truck and has been super reliable to me so far.

Recently I have felt what I can only describe as a very slight rubbing that I believe is coming from the front driver-side wheel. The rub feels like it hits at the same point in rotation each time when driving. I feel it increasingly when I turn left more than when straight or right turned. This seems like a bad wheel bearing to me which I guess means I should just go ahead and replace both of the fronts.

Does this sound correct to y'all? If this is correct can anyone point me in the way of a video that shows me how to do it. I can't pay the $350 per wheel quote I was given by a shop.

I'd verify it before replacing.
I'd also do both if one is bad.
Did you try "googling" for a video?

eieio wrote:

SFA1500 wrote:Hey fellow Pathy owners,


I have owned my '05 Pathfinder for around 1 year now and it just recently hit 137k miles. Its a great truck and has been super reliable to me so far.

Recently I have felt what I can only describe as a very slight rubbing that I believe is coming from the front driver-side wheel. The rub feels like it hits at the same point in rotation each time when driving. I feel it increasingly when I turn left more than when straight or right turned. This seems like a bad wheel bearing to me which I guess means I should just go ahead and replace both of the fronts.

Does this sound correct to y'all? If this is correct can anyone point me in the way of a video that shows me how to do it. I can't pay the $350 per wheel quote I was given by a shop.

I'd verify it before replacing.
I'd also do both if one is bad.
Did you try "googling" for a video?

How would I verify this?

I have googled it but there are two types of bearings ones that simply push in slightly and those that need to be pressed. I was wondering which our Pathfinders have on the front wheels?

SFA1500 wrote:

eieio wrote:

SFA1500 wrote:Hey fellow Pathy owners,


I have owned my '05 Pathfinder for around 1 year now and it just recently hit 137k miles. Its a great truck and has been super reliable to me so far.

Recently I have felt what I can only describe as a very slight rubbing that I believe is coming from the front driver-side wheel. The rub feels like it hits at the same point in rotation each time when driving. I feel it increasingly when I turn left more than when straight or right turned. This seems like a bad wheel bearing to me which I guess means I should just go ahead and replace both of the fronts.

Does this sound correct to y'all? If this is correct can anyone point me in the way of a video that shows me how to do it. I can't pay the $350 per wheel quote I was given by a shop.

I'd verify it before replacing.
I'd also do both if one is bad.
Did you try "googling" for a video?

How would I verify this?

I have googled it but there are two types of bearings ones that simply push in slightly and those that need to be pressed. I was wondering which our Pathfinders have on the front wheels?

verify: remove wheel, turn rotor by hand checking for play or roughness
bearing type: don't know, have not replaced one, but almost all bearings are pressed in, or at least the outer race is if it's a tapered bearing

Our pathys have hub bearing assemblies on the front. They tend to be more expensive, but are very easy to replace.

disallow wrote:Our pathys have hub bearing assemblies on the front. They tend to be more expensive, but are very easy to replace.

might it be possible to press the old bearings out of the hub and press new ones in (i'm fortunate to have not had to look at that yet)?
are the rears the same set-up as the front, that is another hub/bearing assembly)?

I suppose it's possible, but where would you get the bearing from?

disallow wrote:I suppose it's possible, but where would you get the bearing from?

from a bearing supply company, using the specs printed or stamped into the old bearing (usually on the exterior surface of the outer race)

I'm all for non-conventional fixes. However, i tried this once and the parts were so mashed up there was nothing to read on them.

disallow wrote:I'm all for non-conventional fixes. However, i tried this once and the parts were so mashed up there was nothing to read on them.

used to do it all the time in the motorcycle/ATV industry as those bearings are nearly never a component part of an assembly
many times the aftermarket replacements were less expensive, and more readily available
bearing houses are also sometimes a good source for replacement oil seals

Just went through a bad front bearing. When I was driving there was an occasional scraping noise from the brakes, brake splash shield, and rotor sliding over each other as the wheel shifted. Sounded like pads going bad, but it was the bearing.

To check for a bad front bearing, lift the front wheels and push/pull on the top. If it's going bad there will be play you can feel. (If there's play when you push/pull on the sides, that can be a tie rod going bad.) Mine didn't sound like rubbing or grinding. Other stuff that noise could be include CV joints, etc.

Replacement is easy. I got my bearing assembly from Pacific Nissan in San Diego, they matched Courtesy and I didn't have to pay shipping. Think it was $160 for the assembly. You want the kind that comes with the ABS sensor installed already. It's bolted into the knuckle from the back. Most of the instructions out there and the service manual say you need to disconnect the lower control arm to get to it, but I didn't...I just turned the steering wheel right and left to get to the bolts.

Helps to have a slide hammer to knock the bearing out, but you can tap it out from behind with some patience. Make sure you don't damage the CV joint or half shaft splines when you pull them out of the bearing BTW...

The hub assy. not only houses the bearing, but also the ABS speed sensor. I wouldn't try rebuilding it as they aren't "that" expensive. Try Rockauto.com.

Update!

Grabbed a new bearing assembly from the local parts store, with it costing $200 bucks. Luckily my friend works at a private shop so we stayed late one night and just swapped it out. Took 45 minutes with air tools and being on a lift, but without those things I would give yourself about two hours of time.

My only issue is there is still a fair amount of noise and a rubbing feeling coming from the same tire, but I have to wonder if this is just a poorly balanced tire after driving around on the bearing for so long. Will have to get a rotation and balance and check back in.

SFA1500 wrote:Update!

Grabbed a new bearing assembly from the local parts store, with it costing $200 bucks. Luckily my friend works at a private shop so we stayed late one night and just swapped it out. Took 45 minutes with air tools and being on a lift, but without those things I would give yourself about two hours of time.

My only issue is there is still a fair amount of noise and a rubbing feeling coming from the same tire, but I have to wonder if this is just a poorly balanced tire after driving around on the bearing for so long. Will have to get a rotation and balance and check back in.

In my experience with hub assembly bearings the noise seems to travel from one side to the other. So that noise you are hearing/feeling is probably coming from the opposite side. I used to work at Sears Auto and this happened all the time. Very weird how the sound/feel travels from each side. I personally had this issue with my Dodge. I felt it on the Drivers side so I swapped out the drivers side and sound/feel was still there. I ended up swapping out the passenger side and the problem was resolved.
Hope this helps.

The balance will only fix vibrations around 60MPH+.