[BluJayINC]

Hey all, new infinity owner here. Been driving my used FX35 about a month now and love it.

It is a 2012 with 96k miles. It is AWD with every option.

My concern is about front end wobble I'm getting when I'm on the freeway going straight.

It feels like the driver front tire is shaking around in the wheelwell. It is most noticable between 60-80 mph. The car drives straight when the steering wheel is let go.

It is less noticable above 80mph and below 60mph.

The front brakes and rotors are 6 months old. The rear brakes are starting to hit squeelers and rear rotors have been resurfaced in the past.

The tires are less than a year old and are Michelin Defenders 265/60/18.

I did get them balanced and rotated the issue got slightly better than back to the same.

I tried to find similar issues on the forum and saw something for first gens where they turn a bolt quarter turn and all is well. So wondering if any other 2nd gen owners could chime In?

Any advice would be invaluable, thanks

 

[DatMan]

Check the wheel bearings.

 

[landmannnn]

Does the wobble stop when you gently apply the brakes? If so it is the bearing for sure.

 

[monica]

Front end wobble recently' FX35

Hi. I had similar symptoms recently on my FX45 2006( only 80k miles) and we eventually determined it was my tie rods. We replaced them both and the problem stopped.

 

[KNRover]

BlueJay: I have a 2007 FX35 AWD with only 45K miles on it. ~2 years ago, coming back from the PHL airport on I-95, started hearing a grinding sound from one of the front wheels. Turned out to be a bad bearing. Neighbor across the street owns a large auto repair shop and when I told him about it, he said that Nissan products have wheel bearing failures more often than other vehicles. So I would have the front bearings checked before doing anything else.

 

[djlan99]

At 96 k tie rod ends are normally loose wihch exaggerates tire issues.
I always had to radial balance Michelin tires on the caddys for a 60 mph vibration.

 

[BluJayINC]

Thanks for all the feedback, been a crazy few weeks.


Had the car looked at tie rods are good, wheel bearing is good, slight wear on control arm bushings but generally suspension looks good.


They did mention my struts are leaking and tires could be breaking loose from the pavement a bit more at higher speeds giving me my vibration in the front. No immediate danger but $1200 struts in front and $1200 in the back. Struts cant be separated from coils, the dealer only offers complete kit.


Makes sense but going to keep an eye on other components see if anything fails and maybe look into some aftermarket coil overs since the dealer will be about the same price, I assume...

 

[DatMan]

You can get a set of BC coilovers for around $1000... Install will cost you around $3-400... I'd definitely go that route instead of OEM shocks... But if you had the exact same work done at a normal mechanic, it would cost you less than half what the dealership is quoting you...

 

[BluJayINC]

I don't really want to lower or change the ride comfort.


but Looked more into the setup, there's no reason the struts can't be separated from the coil over setup and replaced for 200-300 each strut plus labor.


Asked the stealership, what's up and the email chain went dead....


At least they reactivated my Sirius for 3 more months...

 

[DatMan]

But if you're planning on spending over $1000 on your suspension, might as well go with coilovers... You don't think they'll make much of a difference until you actually get them on... And ride height is fully adjustable, so you can just stay at stock height if you want...

 

[landmannnn]

Front end wobbles are rarely caused by springs/dampers.
The problem is far more likely to be drivetrain; wheels, hub bearings, CV joint or propshaft.