hi all, my car got into an accident not long ago when i accidentally hit a kerb. So everything was repaired, but then after the accident, almost everytime i make a right turn or stress on the right side of the car, there is a low pitch metal grinding noise coming from the rear (right) end of the car. I'm certain the noise is not from driveline. Sometimes the noise just came in when I accelerate. Please advise. Thanks

 

tzhyang, sounds like it could be a bad bearing. Much beyond that, the only other option I can think of is your CV joint is starting to go. But, you can confirm this by getting a few of your friends to sit in the back seat of the car as you drive around. if the noise is worse, then you most likely have a problem with the CV axle. If it is the same, then odds are, it is a wheel bearing.

 

thanks thermo, if you are right, I would need to have my CV joint check. Thanks.

 

Sorry to hear about your accident , hopefully it turns out to be not a big fix
Keep us updated

 

TZ, odds are, either way, you are replacing a part. The question is whether you can diagnose it down far enough that you only have to replace a single part knowing it is bad or taking a guess and hoping you get the right one the first time.

 

That is so true, it's painful.

 

hi, i finally able to record the noise, you can hear it at like first 3secs of the video and the 11sec then 15sec, im able to narrow down to that, it only makes that noise when im on a straight, but my steering wheel slightly to right. In addition, the noise usually gets louder when i accelerate, softer when i free my gear into neutral (while still moving). It also happens when my car came to full stop, and the accelerate.

before this, i thought noise gets louder when i have passenger but that isn't really that case, im sorry.

VID-20111005-00001.3GP - YouTube

hope somebody can help me, thanks alot.

 

TZ, I want you to try something for me. I want you to get on a straight stretch of road and make the noise happen (your steering wheel will probably be just slightly to the right). When you hear the noise, turn the steering wheel a little to the left. Does the noise go away? If it does, then that confirms the wheel bearing for me. If the noise continues, I would still be looking at the wheel bearing. Normally a CV joint makes more of a clacking/clicking type of noise.

To me it sounds like a wheel bearing that is starting to go. Based on what you have described so far, I would replace the wheel bearing on the side that you got hit and then go from there.

 

Thanks for the instant reply, the noise does go away if I turn steering wheel a little left. I was talking to my mechanic about the noise just now, he too, was telling me that CV joint makes clicking sound and suspect it was the bearing, since I just drop by and its already 6pm , I told him I will send the car back next week. The problem is that, the noise come and go, what drives me crazy is each time i have my mechanic sat next to me, trying to show him the noise, it just kept quiet. I think I shall start with the wheel bearing too. Thanks thermo, you helped me so much, only if you were around my area, I would have bought you dinner. Haha.

 

Thermo is awesome and like a library , great asset to the forums

 

Just a thought (from someone who has replaced many, many, many wheel bearings over the years...) if it is a wheel bearing, and you're only hearing it occasionally, it is still early and you may want to wait before starting to throw money at it. Wheel bearings typically take a long time to finally fail and they will give you plenty of warning about it. Basically the noise will get louder and louder until you positively can't stand it any more and that will be when you replace the bearing. There is very little likelihood of the bearing ceasing and tearing the wheel off.

So, keep driving it for a while and let you ear guide you.
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Jaguar: Grace, Pace, and Space - Sir William Lyons

 

TZ, becareful what you ask for. I make my way up to Rochester periodically to do some work at a nuke plant there. So, you never know when I might be that way. If I am, I will let you know.

As for which wheel bearing it may be, normally when you turn a given direction and the noise goes away, the direction that you are turning is the side that the wheel bearing is starting to go out on. So, in your case, because it goes away when you turn left, it most likely is the left wheel bearing (wheel gets unloaded a little bit). Granted, if you are hearing it from the right side and are sure it is coming from there, trust the noise first. It could be something as simple as the wheel bearing is shifting just slightly under different loads and when you have the wheel turned just slightly to the right, it positions that wheel bearing just so. You should be able to lift each wheel one at a time and put your hands on the 3 and 9 o'clock positions and attempt to turn the tire as if you were causing it to move via the steering wheel. If you get play, then the wheel bearing is bad. There should be no play in any wheel bearing. Please don'e use the 12 and 6 o'clock positions as you are more likely to hurt yourself (car falling off of the jack) plus you have a lot more suspension parts that can mislead you.

 

Haha, if you ever come up to rochester, let me know, im usually free on weekend or when i dont have classes.

 

turns out its not the bearing, my mechanic told me it was something called the spider axle, he told me that its wearing off, thats why its making that noise. Hopefully its not gonna cost me too much =(

 

I know this is an old tread but I'm getting this same noise. I'm wondering if any one knows the outcome of this? Here's the link to the vid clip that shows the sound. It happens when I first start driving and then happens when turning right, sounds like it's comming from the right wheel. Had the car up and there's no play in the wheel and had about a pint of fluid added to the rear diff but noise is still there.

 

I can help! I just went through this with my X-Type. It drove me F-ing nuts for days trying to figure out what it was. I changed the caliper thinking it was that... I changed the rotor thinking it was that... i changed the break pads (twice) thinking it was that... I changed the Hub thinking it was that... After all the time and money wasted I figured it out and it's pretty damn dumb. If you look at the tire you will see a black color bar behind it and in front of it. It connects to a bolt just in front of the jack point under the rear doors. That little piece of stamped steel is bent and rubs against your tire when you turn the wheel slightly of have a lot of weight in the car. if you put your finger between the tire and that bar on one side and then the other sire of the car you will see the difference is clearance on the one side. I backed my car up on ramps, grabbed the biggest pair of channel locks i own and bent that piece back straight, and the problem was solved! I will go outside (its late and dark here) and attempt to take a picture and post it so you see what bar I am talking about. I noticed that there is a bushing or some piece of rubber that may keep the piece from turning or shifting. My best guess is that when I Jacked the car up (unrelated issue) the jack caught that bar and bent it or pushed off center.

Please look at yours and try what i said. if it works or not please let us know! Picture is on it's way!

 

I hope you can see the metal bar in this picture. It is the lower one that you can see in front of the tire. It is black and flat and about 3-4 inches tall. Let me know if you find it or need a better picture. good luck and I hope this helps!

 

thanks I see the part you're talking about but it doesn't seem to be rubbing anywhere I took the wheel off and there's no marks on the tire or the rim and seems to be decent clearance between the wheel tire and the bar you're talking about.

 

Hmmm. And you made sure that the bar on both sides of the car are running parallel to the tires? It took me weeks to figure out that the one bar was just a little too close to the one tire. My tire had no marks on it either and it appeared to have enough clearance. Once the full weight of the car, either by turning or driving on the highway, would cause that bar to make slight contact with the tire.