Grinding noise from the front axle in an infiniti qx4

[QuismO]

hello everyone, i'm hoping that you all can help me with this. i'm extremely cautious about going to the shop for help without some knowledge due to bad past experiences...so i'd like to go to the shop with some knowledge as to what's wrong with my vehicle...to lessen my chances of getting shafted.

as for my vehicle, it is a 1997 infiniti qx4 with 4wd and the 3.3L v6 motor. it is practically a nissan pathfinder, just with a few more bells and whistles.

now the problem, whenever i turn the switch to 4wd, and turn to the right or left until the steering wheel locks, and drive, i hear this grinding noise from both ends of the front axle, left and right. i have no idea as to what can be happening...i purchased this vehicle a little under a year ago, so i became aware of the problem while testing out the 4wd system so that i can feel safe while driving in the snow for this upcoming snowboarding season. it only happens in 4wd, and i push on the gas, while the steering wheel is fully turned. NEVER happens in 2wd, which is when the drive wheels are the rear wheels.

please enlighten me...thanks a bunch in advance!

quissy

[denisb]

I'm not 100% sure about the 97s, but the 89-94 had a couple of problems that could be related to this. T

he auto hubs, if not greased for a while could cause grinding (this would probably happen in a straight line, but would be agravated with a sharp turn.

If it happens as you are going over a bump or you are getting front end flex. There are two stoppers that stop you from turning too sharp and hurting the CV axles. These will start giving you a really loud metal against metal creak. If these are not adjusted right it is also possible that your CVs are getting too much of an angle causing them to say "ouch"

Or it could be bad CV joints.

Since I am not an expert on the new Pathys however, I am going to give you a reference site. Sort of like a doctor recomending a specialist .

http://npora.ipbhost.com/

It's a Pathy forum, but your QX4 is just a Pathy with a tuxedo. These guys rock and I'm sure someone can give you more insight.

I surf that forum all the time, I'll be looking forward to seeing what they have to say.

Good luck!

Denis

[QuismO]

hey denis, thanks a bunch! i'll check out that thread asap. As for the sound, it's only when i'm in a full on turn of the wheel or about 1/4 of a turn of the wheel away from a full turn. surprisingly, the sound doesn't happen at any other moment, not even when i go over bumps...simply only during 4wd and in a full turn. but yea, thanks again denis, i'll check up on that site.

quissy

[lewisnc100]

If you're testing this out on pavement or another surface where the wheels can't slip you're going to hear bad things. Never use 4WD and turn on a non slip surface.

[QuismO]

Hey lewis...thanks for the reply. someone in another forum told me the same thing! whew, all i needed was a little more reassurance as this is my first part time 4x4, which is obviously different than AWD or full time 4x4 vehicles, but in my opinion, part time 4x4 with hi/lo gear and lockable drivetrain settings are a lot more versatile and the better choice. Thanks again for the reassurance lew! oh and btw, i was testing it out on a dirt road with some loose gravel here and there, but i must say, the dirt road was rather firm and compact, and the gravel was not sufficient imho.