FIXED: Rear axle click clunk noise
 

Hey guys,
As some of you will know, i've been battling these clicking axles for a while. I have tried:
- Lazy fix - basically removing the big nut, pushing the axle in as far as possible and injecting a crapload of wheel bearing grease. Then torquing up the nut to spec. Didn't last long at all.

NB: There are 2 torque specs depending on your year model/the way the big nut is secured.

- Official Nissan fix using Molykote M77 grease. Involves removing both axles, cleaning and applying this special grease and replacing all nuts, bolts, cotter pins, caps. This solution didn't last long - i had my hopes up but i also had my doubts that this super-grease could cushion the metallic click to the point where Nissan engineers declared it as eliminated. For those who want to try it but can't find the grease, you can buy it in a tube from your Honda motorcycle dealer. Google "Honda M77 assembly paste".

- Re-torquing the nut an extra 10Nm each time the noise reappeared. I couldn't go on forever retorquing the nut. With the success i was having, i'd be up to 300Nm by now.

*drum roll*
This is the solution that has eliminated the noise for me. The noise used to come back every 4000km, on alternate sides. This solution has worked for the past 9000km (almost 5 months). I am driving the car harder now that i have some mods too. No, it doesn't involve Loctite and it doesn't cost a fortune either.

Here's what you need if you want to have a go:

- Kawasaki axle nut (yes, seriously). Part number 92210-0280. They're about $15 each from your local Kawasaki dealer. The nut is almost identical in dimensions to the OEM flange type nut - you use the same socket too. Kawasaki specifies similar torque specs to what Nissan specifies so there's no doubt the nut can handle it. It's made in Japan so it must be good, right? :P

This particular nut is castellated, so it combines the OEM big nut plus the pathetic OEM 'adjusting cap' (as fitted to 2011 models and other year models) into one nut. Unlike the weak tin steel prongs of the adjusting cap, the 6 slots in the Kawasaki nut won't get crushed over time from the constant banging of the cotter pin when you accelerate/coast. The slots are also quite snug when you use an OEM cotter pin so again, there's almost no possibility of movement.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/photo1-1.jpg
http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/photo2-1.jpg

- 2 OEM spring washers. One for each side. You'll need the washers to make up the gap because the Kawasaki nut, being just as tall as the OEM nut, will not reach the cotter pin hole in the end of the axle. In the OEM setup, the 'adjusting cap' would sit over the nut and its prongs would reach the cotter pin hole.

- New OEM cotter pins. Don't re-use the old ones. You dont want to be forever mucking around with this.

- Torque the nut up to the OEM spec for a 370z with adjusting cap. You'll notice that the castellated slots don't line up with the cotter pin hole in the axle. This is fine. Use your breaker bar and turn the nut until the next available slot lines up with the hole.

How you torque the nut is up to you. Some prefer to mount the wheel and lower the car til the wheel touches the ground. I just put a jack stand underneath the rotor hat and lowered the car til some weight was resting on the jack stand.

- Fit NEW cotter pin and secure it properly. You might need a small hammer to push it thru.

http://i984.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/photo3-1.jpg

- Reinstall wheel and enjoy :)

I hope you enjoy the same success as i did. You don't have to use a Kawasaki nut but any castellated nut of the same thread and diameter will be fine. Don't use an aluminium or soft metal nut.


Good luck!

Wow thats a pretty novel idea! I hated this noise in my old Z, so this is great to know for the future, since its inevitable.

Ticks me off that this was a free fix on the 350, but I paid $160+ on my 370. I'll definitely follow your DIY if/when it happens again.

OEM spring washers?What is the dimension?

I am interested in this information as well. Anyone?

the spring washer is the big washer that goes beneath the big axle nut. you need two per side because the Kawasaki nut is *shorter* than the OEM axle nut.

the Kawasaki nut is actually physically almost identical in size but since it is the castellated type (nut with inbuilt castle-like top), the castellated slots fall short of the cotter pin hole in the axle.
For this to be an effective fix, the slots must have a cotter pin driven thru them, hence the need for an extra washer.

got any part numbers for the spring washer?

I'm on it. It's a part you already need... you just get two of them per wheel. FSM - RAX-7 it is number 8 and labeled spring washer. The Nissan part number is 40037-1CA0A. The FSM appears to show a LH and RH, but they both reference the same part number.

Ordered two Kawasaki axle nuts earlier today from the local Woods Fun Center. And I ordered four washers and two cotter pins from the Nissan dealer just now. I guess I'll regrease at the same time, so I'll probably just pick up the grease at Woods when I pick up the axle nuts.

yep, that's the correct part number. if parts or cash is scarce, you can reuse the old spring washers like i did. i only ordered enough parts to do the job as per the bulletin/service manual. I didnt realise the Kawasaki nut was *shorter* til they arrived, so reusing the old spring washers was a quick on the spot solution to get the car buttoned up and off my mate's driveway.

finding a castellated nut of OEM grade with identical threads was enough of a challenge so i wasnt going to let a bunch of washers ruin my day :D

good luck guys! just remember to torque the nut to spec, then budge it clockwise with a breaker bar til it reaches the next slot and punch the cotter pin thru it.
the cotter pin MUST be very snug so you might have to experiment with how you fit it (rotate, hold, hammer, etc). i highly recommend getting a few extra pins because they aren't as easy to fit properly due to the hub interfering with any direct strikes.
It MUST be fitted snugly!

Part numbers (including OEM components required for those attempting the official Nissan fix):
nissan cotter pin: 40073-0L700
nissan big nut: 40262-1CA0A
nissan adjusting cap: 40263-1CA0A
nissan spring washers: 40037-1CA0A
M77 grease: get it from Honda

wait, im a little confused. if using the kawasaki nuts, do i need to buy the OEM nissan big nuts and adjusting caps?

nope, you'll just need new cotter pins and the extra spring washers.

the rest is for folks who want to attempt the official Nissan fix

thanks! ordered the pins and the extra spring washers. tired of this clicking

I purchased a used set from a bone yard when I had my 350z. No clicking noises afterward.
I still have my old ones if anyone might want them.

:hello:

The issue is now a TSB,,, bring your Z to the dealership... get it fixed for free!!!

Link?

Yeahhhh... I didn't understand there being a DIY, I just got my car back. Thank god. Axle click sounds so ghetto

Yep, there is a TSB and the 370z is not the only Nissan affected. Any Nissan with CV joint axles has a chance of clicking.

This tutorial is for those who have been unsatisfied with the dealer's attempt st fixing the click

My dealer said the TSB is only valid within 3yr/36K miles. They wanted over $350 for the work specified in the TSB (basically regreasing the axles - no real fix).

Dealer is wrong. 5/60 drive train covers it. Btdt this summer at 39k on my 2010.

- b

Its like talking to a brick wall. Everything seems to be "good will" coverage only. I don't qualify until they take enough of my money.

The one thing I have not been able to get my hands on is the actual TSB: ask them for a copy of it. I suppose there are other dealers near by in beautiful Austin?

I'd like to hear a service manager (not the clerks: the big guy) explain how a 5/60 powertrain warranty does not include an axle. :)

350 is also very high: should be no more then 2hr labor, and honestly 1hr for a good tech.

I hear you on brick walls: dealers are not obligated to do anything for people but are motivated by money so should want to get your business even if its at a lower book rate for a warranty repair.

- b

There are three dealers in Austin. I talked to all three. Same basic story - we don't have to cover it but we will under "good will" if you spend a lot of money with us. I don't, so they won't.

The service guys are idiots for the most part. I can talk circles around them when it comes to discussing these these type of things because I've done all my homework before I have the conversation. First, the axle isn't being replaced - they claim that regreasing is a maintenance item (no answer given when I asked why it's not listed as a maintenance item in the MA section of the FSM). Second, the powertrain warranty doesn't include a lot of things. You'd think it would include the rear differential bushing, but no. According to Nissan, the bushing is part of a $900 cross member piece and costs $2500 for parts and labor to replace - I paid someone <$300 to replace just the bushing with an aftermarket polyurethane bushing. Fvck Nissan, seriously.

The guy that did my bushing quoted me $120 to regrease the axles. Less than half what Nissan wanted, and they should be doing it for free :shakes head:

not to sound like an ***, but the TSB is easy to find on the net. google for it and you'll find it pretty quickly because it applies to any Nissan with CV shafts. i'm at work at the moment otherwise i'd upload the document for all to see, but trust me it's out there.

the general idea is you need to remove both axles and slather some M77 grease NOT on the splines but the flat face that meets the back of the hub. the instructions stipulate a few grams of grease per axle.

clean the surfaces first. replace the spring washers, cotter pins, big nuts, adjuster caps if fitted, and the bolts that go into the diff side.

then torque nut to spec.

of course it's a bit more involved because to get th axles out, the rear section of exhaust, wheels etc needs to come off.

let me know if you still want the doc uploaded :)

Well, I've been looking for one that applies to the 370Z. I found one that applies to 350Z (TSB 04-065 - Suspension Clicking Noise From Rear Axle). I found another one that applies to Frontiers. I did not find one that applies to all Nissan vehicles with CV shafts.

you probably wont find one specific to the 370z or specifically stating for any Nissan with CV shafts. what i meant to imply was the problem is widespread and unless the Nissan has a solid axle then the vehicle is probably going to have clicky axles at some point in its life. Everything from Altimas to the R35.

i forgot to mention that the axles have to be rotated 180* from their original position when they are reinstalled

The reason I was looking for a TSB is because the dealer is looking for any excuse to not do this work. No TSB means no warranty coverage and would explain the response I got from them.

hmmm i reckon if you have the time, tools and confidence to do it then do it yourself. then you dont have to worry about all the what-if's that come after a dealer visit. eg. what if they rattle gunned the big nut on? or what if they didnt replace the single use items?

to this day i still struggle to understand how some moly grease applied to the flat mating face can magically cure this clicking noise that occurs whenever the axles are loaded/unloaded - which is clearly a rotational impact related noise. for the TSB to make sense in theory, the flat surfaces of the axle and the hub must be moving in and out on each application of the gas pedal (or side to side depending how you see it). It would make more sense if the instruction was to apply grease to the splines, but again for the splines to make that much noise there would have to be a huge amount of wear/misfit.

im no engineer but IMO the torque spec for the nut is way too low.

i believe that due to the sloppy design (pardon the pun), the constant loading and unloading of the axles particularly in forward motion creates an impact-gun like effect which breaks the nut loose. The only thing stopping the nut backing off completely is the soft cotter pin. Some models have an adjusting cap which resembles a large beer cap that goes over the nut and the cotter pin is driven thru the castellated slots of the cap. The cap is made of soft metal, not much stronger than the metal on your fridge door. The constant impact-gun like effect wears down the soft castellated slots which were once snug because the cotter pin was driven between them, holding the cap in place. Once the slots are worn, the cap becomes loose, as does the pin and the nut beneath. When the clicking noise re-emerges, the percussion from the nut to pin to cap makes the noise worse and slightly more metallic. This is why it begins as a dull clonk then becomes a full on metallic click with more distance accumulating. Nissan's choice of using a 'spring washer' IMO is also flawed. Its name implies it serves a springing function, which suggests it is promoting or at least allowing some lateral movement of the axle shaft inside the hub. This 'spring washer' is best described as a domed washer. It is not flat. Other manufacturers either have no washer or a conventional flat washer betwen hub and nut.

With further research on the applications of the nut fitted to our cars, i learnt that the torque spec is different on other vehicles (or even model years in the case of our 370z line). Therefore i concluded that it is safe to torque the nut up more than the FSM specification. Some people may have success with that alone. It didnt work for me but i've now been click-free for a long time and i'm glad i got to the bottom of it.

Sometimes you just have to take matters into your own hands because nothing anyone else does will satisfy you after all that you've been thru. the dealer might just go bonkers with the rattle gun and hand the keys back, charge you for regreasing the axles and you'll be pissed in a few months when it comes back

My hope was to get the dealer to regrease under the TSB at no charge to me. I don't mind doing the work, but I just don't have the time to DIY it right now. I already have the castle nut and extra spring washers and cotter pins I can install myself. Can I just do those without regreasing the axles?

it can be done but it's one of those 'you might aswell do it' things. Do it right the first time around. the FSM does specify greasing the mating face when replacing axles.

if you dont want to take the axles out, you can remove the big nut and push the axle out as far as it will go then use a brush or similar tool to apply the grease. it's very fiddly due to space constraints and u cannot clean out the existing crud and corrosion unless you remove the axles.

set aside an afternoon and that should be enough time :)

It is a TSB dealer free fix now,,, it was great at the ZCON in San Diego as I was able to talk with the powers that be in Nissan as they attended the Convention

So far three Austin dealers have refused to acknowledge this TSB because I cannot produce it...

i wished we had that much Z support here in Australia.

This is exactly what I figured :tiphat: Maybe in November I will have an afternoon to work on it. I'm half tempted to replace the CV joints completely.

it's my day off so I figured I'd just go to my dealer in fort Myers an see what they say before I do it myself an let u know.

walked in gave them the run down on what's going on an that there is a tsb on it, he said absolutely but it isn't free... I said o it's not covered under the 5/60 drive train because everyone else I know (on the forum) says there dealer did it for free?
then he said o well as long as u still have ur 5/60 then it's free.

I'm in the waiting room now while the look at it..

I will be interested in what they have to say :tiphat:

FIXED: Rear axle click clunk noise
 

ok so after 1 hour they handed my keys back and said that they went ahead and just did it..
$0 cash spent.
I didn't even have an app.
I was pretty surprised

OKAY, LISTEN GUYS. i have the same problem about the clicking noise on my 2010 40th Z, i took it to the dealership, they fixed it, cost is 130 dollars (Im in canada). So it is both Axle/hub/bearing needs lubrication. And yes They said this is a TSB only for 3 years 60000km, if not , then thats a maintenance. A lot saying the noise might come back, but still i give the dealership a shot, hopefully it won't come back.

DON'T LET ANY OTHER MEMBER FOOL YOU, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CALIPER, TRANSMISSION AND WHATEVER THEY SAID. IF YOU HEAR CLICKING WHEN YOU SLOWING DOWN THE CAR / START TO DRIVE/ REVERSE. THEN THATS A AXLE THING.

loose brake pads can create a similar noise when changing directions while applying the brake. the axle click is higher pitched and more metallic whereas the pads moving in the calipers sounds more dull. sort of like when you strike near the rotor dust shield. loose pads are also going to make noise on bumps whereas the axle click wont show on bumps unless you coincidentally accelerate/let go of the gas pedal