Eight months ago my wife lost control of our 2007 Honda CRV on some ice and hit a concrete curb snapping both tie rods on the passenger side front wheel. The tie rods were repaired but ever since then there has been a rubbing / vibration noise coming from the front end of the car. We start to hear the noise at about 40 mph and really hear it between 60 - 70 mph. The noise is gets worse when we turn the wheel slightly back and forth. This was an insurance claim so we ended up taking the car back about a dozen times trying to figure out the noise. Between 2 dealerships, a Progressive Insurance repair shop and a hired Engineer no one can figure out the cause of the noise. The following repairs have been already completed: new tires, all new wheel bearings, new motor mounts, new steering rack, new tie rods, new passenger side axle, rear differential fluid has been changed. I’ve also tried to turn the car off while on the highway to see if the noise occurred with no power, and it does.
You guys are my last hope since now my insurance company has abandoned us and said they cannot do anymore.
Please help.
I don’t see a new wheel in your list. It could easily have been damaged. Switch the front right and back left wheels and see if the noise goes away or moves.
Have you tried having someone drive next to you on the highway looking for something loose that moves in the wind and rubs on the tire, like the wheel well liner? If you have a compact spare, put that on and see if anything changes.
Yes all 4 wheels were replaced and the tires have been rotated. The noise is the same.
Thanks,
You need a new mechanic specializing in front end work, my first thought is there is a damaged wheel bearing, cvc joint, or problem with the way things line up for the power steering on the assumed rack and pinion. Bright side, it will only get worse to make analysis easier.
Instead of just replacing the wheel bearing on the passenger side, they might try replacing the knuckle/hub/bearing assembly on the passenger side. Because you describe what a failing wheel bearing sounds like. And if the impact was forceful enough, it might have tweeked the knuckle to hub alignment at the bearing causing the noise.
Tester
Are there any scuff marks on the backside of the new tire on the RF?
A curb strike that snaps tie rods is a pretty severe hit and I’m wondering if the ball joint was damaged.
(I would just add that since the wheel bearings have been replaced along with the CV shaft maybe this noise is coming from the transaxle, which may have suffered damage from the CV shaft being crammed into it so hard.)
Have someone run it 40 mph on a lift and see if you get the noise. If you do they should be able to tell the area and pinpoint it with a stethoscope.