"the squeak"

dmbguy357 · May 30th, 2007, 02:03 PM

96 sentra GXE 1.6 liter 5 speed. 169k

getting a squeel coming from the driver front tire at speed (anything above 15mph or so). seems to increase when throttle is applied, but can still hear it coasting. My first thought was a wheel bearing that is going bad or needs to be repacked. Are these bearings servicable or are they in a unit bearing setup? If there is anything else I should be looking for?

I also jacked up the front and shook the wheel out and in at 12 oclock and 6 oclock to see if there was any play, none it was pretty tight.. and a quick spin of the wheel seems pretty normal. a bit of drag but not too much

maybe its just a 11 year old car saying it is le tired... any suggestions?

jeff

Tavel · May 30th, 2007, 10:40 PM

the bearings are serviceable...if you have the skills and equipment.

My '92 sentra also had a squeal or squeak on one side. I ended up replacing the bearings for another reason (can't rememeber why), but the front suspension is pretty similar and/or identical between the two years. The bearings themselves were about $30 each, but I had to machine press them into the hub assembly. I creatively used a bench vice to press them in.

So that could be the cause, it's a pretty cheap fix and they probably need to be replaced anyway with 170k on the clock. But it's very difficult to do yourself.

It could be the brakes, or a bit of metal rubbing against the wheel or brakes. The backplate on the brakes could've been bent by a rock or something and be rubbing on the disc.

it might even be the CV axle, the outer or inner boot may have torn.