I was driving the other day and heard a weird grinding that seemed to stop after time. Then yesterday it started back up, it sounded like the passenger wheel was grinding against something. I looked and saw that something above it was ripped. How can I fix this and would it be costly to fix this? Also, how crucial is it (will it mess the car up if I wait a while to fix it)
That’s just the rubber boot on the strut that has torn. It’s a common thing for struts to do. Highly unlikely it would cause a grinding noise as you were driving. The symptom for that would be a poor ride quality, not grinding noises. For the grinding noises, good idea look at the inside side walls of the tires, see if you can see any marks indicating a tire is rubbing on something. You haven’t recently installed new tires right? Of a bigger size than before?
4 Likes
If it is a grinding coming from the passenger wheel then have it looked at as soon as you can and get an actual opinion before the wheel locks up or falls off. This is something that could be simple or not.
I’ve looked at the outside of the tire and there aren’t any indications of anything rubbing. I haven’t gotten new tires recently. When it first started happening I would hear it once I got 60 or 70 mph. But now I only hear it when the car is going at a slow speed (5-20 mph). It’s odd
Do you mean grinding coincident with the tire going around or grinding coincident with the front end bouncing over bumps?
At first it would grind when I hit bumps, now it’s at slower speeds no matter what I’m driving over
Check that all your lug nuts are tight.
3 Likes
Jack up the passenger side front wheel and spin by hand and then repeat for the rear wheel. Maybe you can re-create the sound and determine what causes it. Could be one of many things, including wheel bearing.
1 Like
The grinding noise you hear might be from a bad wheel bearing.
One way to find out is, raise the vehicle so the front tire is off the ground.
Grab the tire at the 6:00 o clock and 12:00 o clock positions and try wiggling the tire.
If the tire wiggles, that wheel bearing is bad.
Tester
Checked, they’re all tight
How much you think it’d cost to fix it? How crucial is it that I fix it ASAP? I don’t know too much about cars, honestly
Don’t jump the gun.
Did you do the wiggle test?
Tester
I haven’t yet… I actually don’t have the tools to raise the jack 
I lost it a while back. Any other advice or ways to check it?
The tire has to be off the ground in order to check for a bad bearing.
What do you do if you get a flat tire?
Tester
I’ve been lucky enough that in the 150,000 miles I’ve driven the car I haven’t had one. If one happens then I guess I’ll pray…I also have family in the area and don’t travel very often
150K miles, the odds are getting better and better getting a flat tire with each mile you drive. Get a jack, they are cheap.
Then I suggest that you bring the vehicle to a shop so it can be checked out.
Because if it’s a bad wheel bearing, the tire can come off the vehicle. Then watch the $$$$$$$$ add up.
Tester
How much do you think it’d cost to replace a bearing? Just a ballpark number
Assume you got out the lug wrench and leaned on each nut.
A bad wheel bearing usually gets louder the faster you go…does this noise?
It was just making the noise at high speeds…now it’s only at low speeds…lean? What do you mean