Check your CV Axle Boots.  Could be those.  Have you ever had your CV Axles
serviced?  If no.  How many miles on the car?  What year?  The boots dont
tend to last very long and once they are shot the grease goes fast.  Be
ready to spend $250 a side at a decent shop.

Warner

Most likely strut bearings are dry (at top of struts), so the springs sort
of jump and clunk when cranking the wheel at low speed or stopped, instead
of operating smoothly.  Not sure how easy they are to lube or if it is
even worth it.  By 100,000 miles the strut boots had totally disintegrated
on my 95 SE (purchased May 94), so I had struts all around replaced along
with front lower control arms [one of the bushings had migrated
(deformed?)].

PS: As far as I know, I have never had any CV joint or boot problems with
my Maxima (per another reply), although, CV boots were an issue when I had
early 80's Subarus.  However, clunking due to strut bearing is a common
issue for the Maxima (which I saw in a FAQ somewhere), but probably
nothing to worry about.

Well, this answers my question.  I just had one boot replaced and now I have
the same noise.
By the way the dealer also replaced the starter (the main reason I took the
car in) and also replaced the engine belts and I also now have a noisy air
cond. compressor.  This dealer also had aligned the car and I had to return
to correct the car pulling and have the steering re-centered (this had
happened before with an Altima I had).
Is this dealer/mechanic worthless or is this the new Nissan quality service
(Santa Barbara).

I had this problem on my 97 SE.  It went away when I had the front struts
replaced.

-Trevor