QuestionHi Calvin,
We have an '02 Altima which has been 'in the family' since new and there is no history of abuse/accident and has about 100k miles on it. It makes a chassis sort of loud thump noise from the right front suspension both when it goes over a bump in the road, and interestingly the same sound can be experienced on a smooth road when applying the brakes firmly at highway speeds. However, we know that the rotor is warped on that brake as well, which produces a vibration felt in the pedal and that problem will be attended to by replacing the rotor. It may be that the vibrarion from the rotor is simply replicating the source of the sound from a road bump, so it may not be a particularly relevant observation.
But I would be interested in knowing if you have an idea where in the suspension to begin to look for the source of the noise given that either a bump or vibrational braking on a smooth surface will cause the same noise. Is there a more common part/joint that wears out more quickly on the '02-up Altima suspension?
I have the Haynes manual and also the Factory service manual on a CD so can pursue a search if you might offer ideas of where to begin and how to go about it.
Thanks for your help. I too volunteer at Allexperts, in the Chrysler repair category.
Roland
AnswerHi Roland -
The first thing I would check is the tie rod end. That would be the most common. You have 2 on each side, outer and inner, the latter being in the steering rack. Lift the car up and move the tire from side to side. Observe where the loose tie rod is.
By the way, a warped rotor, if left too long will definitely cause the tie rod to fail.
If the tie rods check out, check the struts. Sometimes the tower bushing wears out and it is metal to metal when going over bumps.
Hope this helps -
aloha
calvin
