"Tink"

That's the small sound my 2017 Leaf has started to make as I accelerate from a stop, or apply the brakes. It's as if there's some component of the suspension that's slightly loose, and shifts back and forth as the stresses go between positive and negative acceleration. It started out very quiet, and is ever so slowly getting louder. My judgment on this has been confirmed by one other person who isn't normally attuned to mechanical sounds.

The sound itself I isn't an issue, but I know full well that loose attachment points can wear inordinately quickly, so if something is coming lose, I want it fixed.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

I had an issue like this with my 2012 LEAF at relatively low mileage. Noise happened during the start of acceleration or the start of deceleration. It was sort of a "click" or "tick" noise. "Tink" to me sounds like there's some sort of resonance, and if that's the case, you may be looking at a broken spring.

The sound I experienced was due to a hub nut being loose and torque being applied to the cotter pin. That cotter pin went through the hub nut and prevented me from losing a wheel. So you might want to take it in to the dealer to have them check it out.

100% common problem.. hub nut needs tightened to torque spec. This is probably a good thread to ask around to see if this has turned into a recurring issue after multiple dealer visits by anyone?

It could be a mfg defect and the hub nut could be loose. Or it could be a loose shock mount or other suspension component. In any case, just about any possibility should be covered under warranty. If it is easily reproducible, I'd bring the car to the dealer, show them the problem and let them figure it out and fix it. If it is a loose hub nut you should be able to see that (at least on my S it would require just pulling off the hub cap).

I'd be very wary of driving with a loose hub nut since that probably supplies the pre-load to the wheel bearings which could be damaged if they are not in spec. And if the hub nut comes off you could easily loose control of the car. It's the kind of thing that should get fixed right away.

My 2013 also had an incorrectly torqued left CV shaft causing a "tink"/clunk. The torque spec is 133-136 Ft Lbs.

Lots of info on these forums for that issue...

Do a Google search for this:

DFTBA said:

My 2013 also had an incorrectly torqued left CV shaft causing a "tink"/clunk. The torque spec is 133-136 Ft Lbs.

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I have a factory spec of 95 ft-lb, 130 N-m from a service manual from 2014. Did they update this spec to the 135 somewhere? Interestingly, on the service bulletin it specifically singles out the 2013 as having a torque of 89 ft-lb, 121 N-m and says to consult the electronic service manuals for other LEAF years.

Newer spec 055J still only lists torque for 2013: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10233904-0001.pdf
What's the right spec for my 2014?

My local dealer had the cheapest parts: Nut was $3+, washer & cotter pin $1+. Much cheaper than I found online anywhere. I talked the the dealer Leaf expert mechanic, he was nice enough but useless. Although he does this repair (patch) regularly, he could not tell me:

1) torque spec for the nut
2) whether torque spec is dry or lubed (significant for 147 ft-lbs)
3) which way the blue side of the washer faces.

Any tips from you pros?

That M-77 moly grease is pricey, best price I found was $18.84, which has jumped to $22.86 since I ordered 2 days ago.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/334759882015

I have all the parts and $20 M-77 grease to do the job, but today I decided to simply tighten my existing axle nut and the tink sound is GONE. Just lovely, satisfying silence.

The mechanical engineer in me struggles to reconcile Nissan's fix/patch which seems to do two opposing things. First is to increase axle nut torque in order to lock everything down and eliminate motion, and second is adding moly grease (where there was none before) to allow motion and quiet the clink sound. Together, the two seem counterproductive if not outright half-ass to me. Nissan's fix has proven to be temporary in many cases.

So this is a quick experimental alternative fix to see how long it lasts. I figure there's no easy way to remove the moly grease after applying it, so I wanted to try this first. I didn't remove or replace the nut or washer, just snugged the old ones up. I figure that's still better than just continuing to drive it with the tink sound, which is obviously some kind of wear happening.


I estimate the existing nut was at about 50 ft-lbs, and it only took ~3/8 turn to tighten it to ~100 ft-lbs.

I don't think the grease is to dampen, but to keep the splines from sticking while torquing the nut, making sure it bottoms when tightened down.

cornbinder89 said:

I don't think the grease is to dampen, but to keep the splines from sticking while torquing the nut, making sure it bottoms when tightened down.

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IMHO 100 ft-lb is serious torque, applying tons of clamping force to lock the wheel to the axle. My theory is that ungreased parts will lock together better from that increased clamping friction. We shall see. There are numerous reports of the noise returning shortly after the dealer-prescribed "fix", so I have nothing to lose at this point, even if the noise returns later. I have the parts already.

erco said:

I have all the parts and $20 M-77 grease to do the job, but today I decided to simply tighten my existing axle nut
[...]
I estimate the existing nut was at about 50 ft-lbs, and it only took ~3/8 turn to tighten it to ~100 ft-lbs.

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On my 2011, the service manual specifies 133 - 136 ft-lbs for the wheel hub lock nut, page FAX-12. (They call it the "wheel hub lock nut" not the "axle nut".)

erco said:

IMHO 100 ft-lb is serious torque, applying tons of clamping force to lock the wheel to the axle. My theory is that ungreased parts will lock together better from that increased clamping friction. We shall see. There are numerous reports of the noise returning shortly after the dealer-prescribed "fix", so I have nothing to lose at this point, even if the noise returns later. I have the parts already.

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You'd be surprised how many tons of force an unlubed part can withstand and prevent seating. Pressing in steel wrapped suspension bushing on large trucks, I've seen what a little lube will do. The lube is there to make sure when the nut is being tightened, the shaft is bottomed in the splined hole.

FWIW Subaru axle nuts are torqued to 162 ft lb. 133 isn't unreasonable at all. The 89 ft lb for the 2013 seems low but that washer is a heavy duty spring washer. What bugs me about the TSB is it says over tightening the axle nuts can cause the ticking. It seems the ticking is the axle moving in the wheel and tighter would make it better.

aqn said:

On my 2011, the service manual specifies 133 - 136 ft-lbs for the wheel hub lock nut, page FAX-12. (They call it the "wheel hub lock nut" not the "axle nut".)

View attachment 3663

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TYVM, aqn! That's an extremely informative and helpful page you shared. Full marks.

BillAinCT said:

FWIW Subaru axle nuts are torqued to 162 ft lb. 133 isn't unreasonable at all. The 89 ft lb for the 2013 seems low but that washer is a heavy duty spring washer. What bugs me about the TSB is it says over tightening the axle nuts can cause the ticking. It seems the ticking is the axle moving in the wheel and tighter would make it better.

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Agreed, tighter seems better, right up until you strip threads or overstress the nut or axle. Also, I don't see whether that's wet or dry torque. Lube on the threads makes a HUGE difference.

erco said:

Lube on the threads makes a HUGE difference.

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Where does it say to do that?