Noise disaster ! after strut-spring-install

SenVer939809 · Nov 4th, 2009, 07:53 AM

1993 Sentra XE, auto, 1.6L
My mechanic installed new struts and springs on my car yesterday - because the left front spring was broken. The new strut on the right side was frozen so he put the old one back on that side. He said he'd add that new when a replacement came in next week.

I got the car from him yesterday and when the car reached 30-35mph, a very loud and non-stop "WOW _WOW _ WOW_WOW_WOW" noise was coming from the left front side. There was absolutely no vibrations, wobbling or any other symptom. The noise stopped when I reached about 45mph. When I slow down the noise returns when I de-accelerate through the 45>30mph range.

I took it back and the mechanic looked for about 2 hours. He said he couldn't find the source of the noise!!! He heard it though! It is not present when the car is placed in neutral and run through a range of RPMs.

Any ideas? Get a new mechanic?

SenVer939809 · Nov 4th, 2009, 03:53 PM

I left the car with the mechanic today.
I just called him and he said he replaced the wheel bearing. He said that didn't fix the noise.
He said he tried to replace the axle and he said the axle was stuck in the tranny. I had the tranny rebuilt by AAMCO 4 months ago.
Now he says he going to put the old strut back on and see if the sound goes away!

RB24SRB24DETT · Nov 4th, 2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SenVer939809

I left the car with the mechanic today.
I just called him and he said he replaced the wheel bearing. He said that didn't fix the noise.
He said he tried to replace the axle and he said the axle was stuck in the tranny. I had the tranny rebuilt by AAMCO 4 months ago.
Now he says he going to put the old strut back on and see if the sound goes away!

i hope your not paying for the trans and wheel bearing. your not paying him to guess. i have seen this problem and sometimes what it actually is on the strut there is a plastic "bearing" this keeps it from making noise. this also works in conjunction with the little piece of rubber between the spring and the spring seat. please let me know how thins goes.

SenVer939809 · Nov 4th, 2009, 10:22 PM

he put the old strut on and the noise is still there

now the only thing "new" left on the car are the new springs -Raybestos 5871142 -

The car is much higher in the front with the new springs. Maybe the height of the new springs has altered the angle of the axle and the CV joints are making the noise - or maybe the axle is making the noise inside the tranny?

pulsar86 · Nov 5th, 2009, 12:23 AM

Take it back to where you had the tranmission done and tell them that the driveshaft will not come out, they should fix that problem. I would say that some thing has pushed the drive shaft end too far into the trans when the spring has broken and with the new spings the shaft can't move in and out and that is the source of the noise. Once the shaft is fixed the rest should be ok to replace. I wouldn't have a lot of faith in your mechanic though. Try a front end suspension specialist.

**Asleep** · Nov 5th, 2009, 10:10 AM

a lot of times when you have a noise that disappears with speed, if its not the wheel bearing, its the tire. check the tire for balance and out of round.