Can a bad tire/wheel cause a knocking noise? I was hearing a knocking noise in the front drivers side when making a left turn and applying the brakes. When I rotated the tire with the rear, the noise stopped.
Yes
This result would tend to prove the tire/wheel was not the issue. If it was the cause, you’d likely hear it from the rear.
Were the wheel nuts tight when you removed them? Did you spin the front wheel after mounting on the rear to see if the wheel was straight and the tire ran true (no bulges, no wobbles)? Is the front bearing loose? Is the half-shaft OK - no play or torn boots?
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The lug nuts were tight, but I didn’t do the other tests
+1 above
I had a cracked steel wheel (center section) make a strange noise one time, took a while to figure that one out, looked great/normal until I finally had another mechanic drive around me in circles while I watched, I could see the wheel shifting when it made noise, had to remove the hubcaps 1st of course…
But that should still make noise after rotating… Sounds like loose lug nuts as mentioned, or maybe even lug nuts installed backwards if open nuts…
Has any work been done recently like wheels stud(s), brakes, ball joint etc??
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No work has been done in a few years. This has been an on going problem. One time I tried repositioning the tire, and the noise stopped. It’s a mystery. I’m either going to take it to a tire place, or forget about it for now, since I’m not getting any noise and the car is running fine, brakes, etc.