When Griffin and I began filling the Autopian Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet up with gear for a 3,400-mile trip across America, there were doubts that we would make it. Sure, the CrossCab had only 102,000 miles and no check engine light, but it also had modifications that hadn’t been tested long-distance, a dying convertible roof, and zero redundancies. We had no spare tire, only minimal tools, and not much emergency gear. Yet, against the apparent odds, we did it, we made it to the start of the Lone Star Lemons Rally! Welcome to Day 4 of the CrossCab CrossCountry CabCross CountryCab 3,400-mile road trip!
Now, you might not be that impressed. We drove only 1,555 miles thus far, which isn’t even half of our total mileage. However, victory was not guaranteed. David Tracy warned me that the CrossCab has an axle that has been damaged and might not survive the trip. The vehicle’s right front wheel bearing started making noise before we were even 100 miles into the trip. Then I beat the crap out of the car.
If this is your first time reading one of these updates, you should know that this car has a lift kit, chunky Vredestein Pinza AT tires, and only half of it is wearing XPEL paint protection film. I bashed this thing up off-road for fun, but also to see how PPF works with my own eyes.
But now will come the real test. The CrossCab will drive to more or less the southern tip of Texas, then finally make its way up north to my apartment. I will do most of the northerly drive by myself, without backup.
Yesterday’s drive was almost entirely uneventful. San Marcos – the locals sometimes pronounce this as “San Marcus,” just go with it – was a gentle 6-hour, 17-minute drive from Lubbock.
My only real note from this drive was Texas Hill Country, a region roughly west of Austin. There are beautiful rolling hills, glistening rivers, and cute small towns. The roads twist, turn, and bend around it all. There are lots of tight curves, dips, and sweeping turns here. This was a shockingly fun time, and I didn’t even know that Texas had hills! Did we just discover the Texas equivalent of California’s Angeles Crest?
The CrossCab performed largely well, except for one huge and somewhat worrying development. Pretty much immediately into the leg to San Marcos, we felt a light front end vibration, sort of like what you’d get when you drive on a rough road. This vibration then increased to about the level that made the car feel like a giant Hitachi Magic Wand. Getting a whole car massage certainly felt good, but my level of worry increased tenfold.
The twist? The vibration is present only when accelerating.
So, what’s wrong here? Well, David Tracy did tell me that the axle on the right front wheel is worn out. My immediate thought was that the CV was on its way out. But then I remembered that I encountered this same issue in my 1997 Honda Life. It vibrated heavily under acceleration, and it had extremely bad bearings.
What concerns me is that replacing the Honda’s bearings fixed only 90 percent of the vibration under acceleration. To completely rid the car of the vibration, I also had to replace the CV joints. So, that’s not good.
Either way, the issues with the front end of the CrossCab have amplified, and we’re not even at the halfway point in the trip. The team is assessing options. I’ve futzed around with tire pressure without making any real difference.
That means the real challenge has begun. Once we’re done with the Lemons Rally, I’ll be by myself with a somewhat broken car without backup. But I’m not too worried; like a cat with nine lives, I keep finding ways to land on my feet.
In brighter news, the San Marcos Autopian meetup was a blast. A handful of readers showed up in a second generation Scion xB, a Toyota Celsior, a Ford F-150 Tremor, and a Ford Mustang Mach E.
Great conversation and Mexican food were had by all. Thank you all so much for coming out on a cold evening on a workday!
The fun of the Lemons Rally started early. We arrived at the event hotel last night and found some really cool rides.
Today, we take off and head south. This will be the last daily update about our road trip. Check back on Monday to see if we made it! Also, be sure to check previous entries for more opportunities to meet Griffin and me!
I mean, why do you think I lived around there for so long? Heh.
Man, I wish you guys were swinging by closer to southern Indiana where I’m at. I would say you can stop by my place and I’ll help you get it fixed up! If for some reason you detour further east hit me up!
I was just thinking the exact same. Even down to Southern Indiana. I’m near Holiday World- you?
I’m a bit further up than you, Bloomington area myself.
2 old Volvos? Or since Magic Wands ore the new Autopian go to: vulvas.
Good luck on your journey.
Does anyone else after this post start seeing our beloved David Tracy as Junior Samples from Heehaw selling used cars? Here we have a low mileage Cross Cabriolet, that isn’t blasphemy, for sale runs great has a full car self massage feature just call me Junior at BR549. We can getch you init for three fiditty down and tree fiditty a month.
Gloom, disrepair, and agony on me
My life is full of leaks and misery
If it weren’t for bad joints I’d have no joints at all…
Oh man, I wouldn’t continue to drive it. Possibilities are as basic as a wheel bearing, to the CV axle, all the way to and including the transmission. If it’s a bearing it could be going from being nice and round to oval-shaped, and/or its housing or the part going into it.
Find a shop or reader or Lemons team that can get it on a proper lift and check it out ASAP. There’s not much point in continuing to drive if it’s making it worse (like the Ski-Klasse).
Just periodically check that its not the wheel bearing. You know the routine: jack it up and try shaking the wheel with hands at 6 + 12 o’clock and then 3 + 9 o’clock. A worn wheel bearing will have slop in all directions. 6/12 slop only = ball joints, 3/9 slop only = tie rods. Hopefully it’s just the CV joint.
A friend had a bad wheel bearing and the wheel cut loose on the highway when the bearing failed. Fortunately it was on the passenger side and he was in the right lane or it could have been a real mess.
I had a lower ball joint fail abruptly.
Fortunately at lower speed, and the precise suspension design allowed the car to drop down on top of the tire, so skidded to a stop.
So now I’m sideways blocking the entrance to an international airport!
This was not well received when I told the airport we couldn’t push it out of the way.
The hill country has some fantastic driving roads! Have fun on the rally and enjoy our current cooler weather!
The road up Mt Bonnell in Austin is legendary.
Always made lists of best drives in the country. On the top, you could stop in at the Dry Creek Cafe. Up Against the Wall Redneck Mothers was always on the jukebox.
For Texas Hill Country entertainment, visit the Twisted Sisters. Closest thing we have to a mountain road, but with worse pavement.
Does that thing have the CVT? If so, vibrations under accelleration can be a warning sign of impending CVT failure. It’s not a cheap fix, either. Ask me how I know…
I guess the good news is that none of the suspect parts are bespoke to the CrossCab and they are likely available new for cheap, or used on any of the thousands of Muranos in the junkyard.
CV axles can be found for about $100 at RockAuto
Sure, but encountering a Murano in a junkyard is arguably more likely and faster than waiting for a parts shipment to a hotel/motel.
Yes for some cars. I had a terrible time sorting Vehicross CVs and then my HVAC CONTROL UNIT went out. I dare Rock Auto to find those. However car parts did provide a full page of them.
I love those two teal Volvos!
Is that two teals or two Volvos? God I’m drunk
Question: how do we get a Lemons rally started up here in Ontario (Canada)? I’d be all over that nonsense.
For Mercedes (who lives in the North) to describe Texas as “cold”, it must have been dang near Arctic. Meanwhile she’s in a summer dress and the locals are wearing jackets. Wimps. 😀
(Now I must go shovel some snow. It’s only -11C though, not so bad.)
It’s a mild day here too, low 30’sC. That is in South East Queensland, Australia, where it’s now summer.
It can get cold there, typically in January.
Their black ice is reliable.
Look…
Just find someplace with a ramp of any sort and jump the thing.
You know it’s what we all want to see. All four wheels with sky visible under them. This is your best chance of rendering it utterly incapable of forward (or backward) motion. Then you can don’t have to worry about that nagging bearing sound.
Just jump it, leave the steaming pile where it sits, and buy a bus ticket back to Illinois.
But make sure Griffin gets good footage, because that is gonna generate some serious clicks.
JUST JUMP IT!!!
Have you checked to see if you lost a wheel weight?
These wheels have so many weights on them!
Just means more to fly off, especially after off roading.
Maybe try putting a few ounces of those plastic airgun beads or pellets (not sure of the nomenclature or even the brand name) inside each tire? Nearly two decades ago I had to get new tires for my baywindow VW bus but no local tire shops still had the equipment for balancing wide-5-lug (205×5!!) wheels but the tire shop that I went to did their best. However, that didn’t work out, with violent vibrations occurring even at very low speeds after having driven about 20 miles or so, almost like steel belts had separated inside the tires, gah, so I put three ounces of those beads inside each tire which actually worked a real treat. Drove daily on those bead-filled tires for several years without any problems.
Can you explain how those work? I’m having a hard time visualising it.
I can’t explain the physics, but the idea is that the free weights will end up where they will correct imbalances.
There have been rings with round bearings in them designed to mount to wheels.
https://www.theautopian.com/how-balance-beads-work-and-what-they-look-like-from-inside-a-tire/
Hm, that looks pretty sus.
I immediately had the same thought, but then remembered she said it’s only under acceleration
Best wishes on the rally! Please give my regards to Rally Master Jeff and let him know that I said to give you bonus points.
Come to think of it, try to convince as many teams as possible to give my regards to Rally Master Jeff and let him know that I said to give them bonus points.
Glad you’re having a great time! I’m looking forward to the update that you’ve safely made it out of Texas.
You are a mad woman, that is quite a journey.
If you end up anywhere near the DFW area and need any help, please let me know. I have plenty of tools, some work space, and just the right amount of stupidity to try fixing anything