So my car out of nowhere started making a kind of grinding noise a couple weeks ago. It was only when I turned left then, but now its doing it sometimes when straight. It is the worst from about 35-45mph. It sounded like it was on my side and my daughter agreed with me so when I got home I took the tire of and checked everything out. It all looked good and felt tight, couldn't replicate any noise while jacked (or when going slow for that matter), so I figured it must be bearings or axle. I went and talked to my mechanic buddy and took him for a ride and he agreed. Well today I replaced the axle and hub assembly and it made no difference at all, so that was $200 and half a day wasted. Its weird cause sometimes it sound like a brake grinding, but sometimes like a cv joint, and sometimes it just like clunk. And sometimes it sounds like it is in tune with the motor, but still only when turning. It kinda sounds like its right under my feet. I'm thinking it must be something with the front dif. I don't know if it could be the caliper sticking or a problem with the rack and pinion because I've never had those problems with a vehicle before. I don't think its the steering though because it wouldn't be in tune with the motor. Btw its a 2010 Chrysler 300 touring awd with 3.5 v-6
Help with my car?
- Thread starter tbrooks
- Start date
Power steering still working fine? you said when you turned left, so did you feel ANY resistance or differences in how the wheel moved?
The steering is perfectly fine, no whine, shudder, jumpy wheel. I replaced the hub assy ($130!) on that side because the bearings are not replaceable, you replace the whole hub. That's pretty neat bluesman, I'd probably have to go a 100 miles to find a shop with that up here. I was rackin my brain tryin to figure out how to get a water hose under there while driving to help me pinpoint the noise lol. The clunk that it makes really sounds like bad strut or sway bar link, and that may be, but it doesn't explain the grind. The way the awd is, it has a transfer case, shaft runs back up pass. side to gear box where pass cv axle connects. Then a shaft runs through the motor/oil pan to a another gear box where the driver cv axle connects. That box would be pretty much right at my feet. I'm gonna be taking it to the dealer just trying to narrow it down cause I don't want them just throwing more parts at it. Hopefully it will be covered on my warranty (lifetime on lubricated parts), but I'm not sure and I don't have the extra $$ to pay for them to fix things I could do
What sucks, even new wheel bearings sometimes don't last. If you like working a a pos design, buy a Chevy colorado. Just to replace a rotor, the whole front end has to come apart. And being mine is a 4x4, it's even that more fun. I had to replace my wheel bearing due to a hum and clunk. Well, all new parts and my clunk returned and now has a squeal in reverse. I myself think the clunk is a bad ball joint but unsure. So check your ball joints for your clunk.
have you looked into the upper strut mount bearings ?
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Upper...Parts_Accessories&hash=item337038edbf&vxp=mtr
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Front-Upper...Parts_Accessories&hash=item337038edbf&vxp=mtr
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I don't know that it has bearings there.. The only time I've dealt with struts was on my old minivan and it did have those, but this has wishbone suspension so the suspension doesn't turn with the wheel. I have triple checked ball joints, arm mounts, susp mounts etc and everything seems tight. The only thing that will wiggle are the stabilizer links, which it takes some work to wiggle em so they're not in bad shape. I keep thinking that its gotta be something that is spinning with the wheel/drive system. I even considered that a faulty suspension joint could cause something to give enough to rub on corners, but this has been goin on for weeks and I inspected everything and can't find where anything has been rubbing. Dave, yesterday I put the new axle and bearings and absolutely no change. And normally when I've delt with a clunk it usually ends up being the strut or linkage. If its a ball joint it would have similar symptoms as bearings and you will prob be able to wiggle the wheel. I replaced the struts in my van 3 times, and it fixed the problem each time, it just wasn't meant for me driving on mountain roads. I got to where I could swap both struts in less than an hour lol
Well good news I guess.. its getting worse. So if I don't take it in I think I'll know by the weekend whats wrong lol. Today I was comin down a big hill from work, came out of a curve goin 15-20 and dropped it into 1st. At about 4k it sounded awful and that was going straight. I think it gotta be in the front diff. On a good note spent an hour switching out my gfs stabilizer links and her clunk is gone. I think I'm just trying to hard with my car and the blaster 
I found it, I found it!!! Checking everything over again, I spent about an hour on the driver side beating banging jacking and nothing. Went over to the passenger side and was trying to break loose the overly tightened lugs and I heard clunk. So I hollered at my neighbor and he came and kicked the lug wrench while I crawled under and it was coming from around the transfer case. While I was down there I spun the driveshaft going to the front and heard the grind in the diff. Thanks for your help guys, hopefully my dealer will stand up to their lifetime warranty on lubricated parts and they don't loophole me. Front diff alone is about $1k
Well the dealership said they checked everything over, put chassis ears on, and put it on the lift and ran it. They said the only thing they could come up with was the lower control arm had a little bit of play, and that must be causing the axle to bind in the front dif. I think they maybe just trying to get out of a free job. So he said it would be about $600 for them to fix it, I said no thanks. Ordered the part for $100 and it took me about 2 hours to put it in. Drove it and the noise is still there, it is a little better, like it was right before it got really bad, but still there. So other than throwing parts at it I'm not sure what to do. The guy in charge of service wasn't there today, so I'll call him back Monday and see what he says. Anybody got any ideas?
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