I need to grease the stops?

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I have a 2004 Nissan Frontier which ever since I have had it makes a bump/bang noise when I am turning the wheel at full and almost full lock.

My mechanics have looked at it and said ‘Oh you just need to grease the stops’. In fact they say they have done this and the noise does disappear for a while.



But my problem is that it sounds like the kind of noise my wheels should not make! And greasing the stops sounds like a practical joke. (You know, like needing to add elbow grease.)



Can anyone enlighten me to if this is a real deal, and why my car makes this noise…and if it’s doing any damage?



Thanks

rach

2

Most Car Manufacturer’s Recommend Not Turning The Steering All The Way To The Stop. Some Manufacturer’s Say Not To Leave It There For More Than A Few Seconds.

I wouldn’t turn the wheel that far. What does your Owner’s Manual say about this ?

Do you have 4WD ? Do you have coil springs and struts in front as opposed to torsion bars and shocks ?

It looks like the 4WD models have struts in front. If this is correct and you have 4WD, I’d suspect the strut mount / strut bearings as a source of the noise. They may be ready for replacement.

CSA

3

Yes it is 4WD. I don’t have an owner’s manual and your question about coil springs and struts defeats me…

I consciously try not to put it into full lock because of the noise but there are the odd times when you have to. But is it dangerous to drive if the struts are in need of replacement? How long can i go while I save up the $$?

Rach

4

My Toyota truck did this for years. If you look underneath on the steering knuckle, you will see a bolt that sticks out. This bolt is the steering stop. On the lower control arm, you should see a metal tab that stop contacts. The paint should be rubbed off on the face of the tab. The stop probably had a plastic cap on it that prevented the stop from squeaking when it rubbed on the tab.

Now, the plastic is worn off, and you have metal-to-metal contact that makes the squeaking sound. Grease on the stop and tab stop the squeaking until the grease washes off. Replacing the plastic cap from the dealer will last longer, but may not last as long as the original. After I found out what is was, I just lived with it. I realized I wasn’t doing any damage.