2000 nissan pathfinder 4x4 vibration in front

jstokes8407 · Jan 8th, 2006, 08:38 PM

My girlfriend reciently purchased a 2000 nissan pathfinder LE. It has a major vibration in the front end at speeds of 40 and up. It gets worse the faster you go and you can feel it slowing down also. I put front u joints in the front and rear driveshafts still no fix. balanced tires still the same. I removed the driveshaft in the front and drove it. It went away drove perfect smooth as silk. I got a used driveshaft and installed new u joints and still has same vibration. I am a ford teck is there a TSB about this probelm ? Has anybody experienced any problem like this ? Could the problem be in the trasfercase or the front axel ? I also drove it in 4x4 and problem still there. Could it be a bad pinion bearing in the front axel ?

johnnyhammers · Jan 8th, 2006, 09:23 PM

I wonder if the hubs are really disengaging the whelels from the front axle. Starting at 40mph seems like something is wrong, but I had an old Jeep that would start vobrating if I left the hubs locked and drove above 75 or so. This was an old grand wagoneer, so it had a viscose coupling in the transfer case so it could be driven in 4-hi on pavement. I always figured it was just drivelide imbalance in the front.

Maybe its worth taking a strait edge and checking to see if one of the front half shafts has beed bent very slightly. Who knows, maybe someone had it towed and the towtruck driver hooked up to the shaft to tighten it down on the truck (I'm picturing a flatbed tow truck). It stands to reason that if the axle was pulled on hard enough to bend it even slightly, then maybe the hub or hubs are damaged too. You can check to see if the front drive shaft spins wen you roll the truck forward a bit. Just take a look while one of your buddies drives it for a few feet. It's worth just taking a look.

Good luck, this is a good one.

Johnny

X-Traction · Jan 9th, 2006, 02:11 AM

Johnyhammers' advice probably is best. If that draws a blank, it's my impression that the 1996-2004 Pathfinders had an issue with the front struts that was related to what sort of tires are used. Something about needing to use lighter tires.

lewisnc100 · Jan 9th, 2006, 07:36 AM

The 2000 Pathfinder has no hubs to disengage, it has driveflanges.

jstokes8407 · Jan 9th, 2006, 08:02 AM

it doesn't have hubs to dissengage. it does feel like the 4x4 is engaged though while driving. the only thing that gets me is when the front driveshaft is removed it drives smooth as silk. It is a vibration threw the front of the suv that you hear and feel.

lewisnc100 · Jan 9th, 2006, 09:05 AM

Even though 4x4 is not engaged, the driveflanges keep everything spinning from the front wheels back to the transfer case. So your problem is somewhere between there.

There was a TSB for the 96-97 Pathfinders on 30-40mph vibrations being caused by the front driveshaft not being reinstalled corrrectly. Originally from the factory there was a blue mark on the driveshaft that should line up with a yellow or white mark on the companion flange of the front differential. But the marks fade over time.

If the marks are gone the TSB had you install the front driveshaft and if there were vibrations, rotate the propeller shaft 90 degrees in relation to the front differential flange and road test again. Basically trial and error to see which position produces the least vibration.

asrautox · Jan 9th, 2006, 09:12 AM

Had the same problem with my wifes Jeep with a similar 4x4 system. Her front driveshaft was bent from severe offroading. I didn't know it until I took it in for an alignment and complained when they didn't fix the problem. They showed me the driveshaft and I replaced it the next day. Problem solved. If the problem goes away when you disconnect the front drivetrain (via driveshaft removal), then it's obviously something in the front drivetrain. My guess would be either the front driveshaft or one of the front half shafts. Since you've removed the front driveshaft a few times and could probably do it in your sleep, why not take it out and make sure it's balanced? A bad pinion bearing would make noise as well as vibration, and if your T-case was bad it would make noise and vibrate even without the front driveshaft..

jstokes8407 · Jan 9th, 2006, 08:12 PM

I do see bolth front driveshafts wobbling allot while on the lift. I can't really tell if they r bad. Maybe I can take them out 1 by 1 and try driving it. THere were no paint marks on the flanges when i removed and installed the driveshaft. I'm gona try rotating it and see what happens. Thanks guys. :cheers

goat choker · Feb 9th, 2008, 08:21 PM

you know what its sounds like to me is your ball joints. i had the same problem. at about 45 the steering wheel would wobble then about 70 it would start to fade away. that could be it. or it could also be your tires.