grinding noise from front left wheel

[bobbyspider]

hey everyone I just bought a funbox and I have a problem. here is a grinding noise coming from the front left wheel and when I hit the breaks the front end shimmies. The lady I bought it from swears that the breaks are fairly new and and the berings were repacked last year. What the heck is going on whats the grinding and why does it shake. I took the wheel off and the rotors seem fine but when I urn them (even by hand) the grinding noise can be heard. Any one know what this is?

[milehighbear]

sounds like bearings to me. When you have the car jacked up, put your hand on top of the wheel, and one on bottom and see if you can wiggle it back and forth. If you can wiggle it, you need to replace bearings.

[worfdog]

She may have had the bearings packed, but who ever did it may have put it back together wrong and left the bearing spacer out or just told her they packed the bearings and didn't.

[jglutz]

A couple of comments...

Repacking old bearings only buys a short amount of time...they probalbly should have been replaced...or maybe they were not install properly.

Lift the car and spin the wheel to conform the noise. Pull the wheel and pull the brake caliper assembly off. Reinstall the wheel and spin again. If the noise is gone...it's in the brake system components...If the noise is still there...most likely the bearings.

Behind the rotor is a plate of metal...a shroud...that could have rusted...become displaced...and rubbing on something.

[sanjeet]

I can tell you one thing that can cause this problem is a road seal chip getting caught in the calliper cover or guard, so check around the calliper guard as I also have had the same problem....hope it works for you

[FestYboy]

i'm betting metal to metal on the pads and warped rotors. "here is a grinding noise coming from the front left wheel and when I hit the breaks the front end shimmies."

"I took the wheel off and the rotors seem fine but when I urn them (even by hand) the grinding noise can be heard." did you check the back side of the rotor? most people forget to look at the entire back side.

[bobbyspider]

thanks guys I will check all these things. I guess it cant hurt to get a bering and install it their pretty cheap I already got new pads for the breaks. Now Ill get rotors also and install them (cant hurt). thanks again Ill let you know how it goes

[WmWatt]

If the breaks pads aren't releasing they can make a ginding noise as they wear grooves in the rotors. I'd check that the pins they slide on aren't rusted.