TheNasty0ne

I took my car into the shop today because the driver side front tire/wheel was making a squealing crackling noise.

The shop took it for a test drive then put it on the lift etc When they put it on the lift the took off the two front tires and started it and ran it while it was on the left and no noise what so ever.

and could not find anything causing this noise. THe shop said it was a bent rim so I put on my spare donut and it still makes the noise.

It happened after I got a flat on the freeway and broke one lug nut stud and one is loose. I am going to repair the studs but I want to do it at the same time I find out what the noise is so I dont have to do the job twice.

Any ideas on what is causing this squealing/ crackling noise

It happens when im driving and it happens at a certain time the tire is in a certain spot like its hitting something but I cant seem to see anyhting it can be hitting.

TheNasty0ne

Any ideas?

ShadyBAB

Could be your axle, I had the same problem

JasonGhostz

Get your Front Bearings inspected. If you broke a lug stud, you are putting uneven pressure on your rotor/hub, and hence your bearing. Also check the Knuckle for damage or loose connections, and your axle boots for cracking or leaks.

Other than that, drive slow and be careful. GL!
JasonGhostz

TheNasty0ne

I was thinking the hub bearing to. Any idea how much one costs?

EKvTach

bearing or something about 100 bux, or it could be the brake dust shield scraping(which has happned to me)

RTI

Just wondering, how did you break one lug stud and cause the other one to become loose?

JasonGhostz

The bearing (which is "separate" from the front hub) is anywhere from $40-60 each. Even if your bearing is bad, you might be able to keep using your hubs...

If your hub is damaged (cracked or warped), you will need a new one. If it's still OK, then you just need to press in the new stud(s). Get your hub inspected when you replace your lug stud(s). The front hubs for most Civics are around $100-120 each. The thing that most shops will rape you on will be the labor. Pressing out/in new bearings/hubs is a major PITA, no matter what equipment is available to use.

When you have a chance, raise the wheel in question without removing any lug nuts. Grab the wheel at the top and bottom (12 and 6 o'clock) and try to move the wheel by pushing toward the car's centerline. Do this wile grabbing the left and right (9 and 3 o'clock) as well. If the wheel moves considerably, then you can safely assume your hub/bearing/knuckle is damaged (usually the knuckle is fine). The reason you may not've heard any noise when the car was lifted is that the wheel (and bearing) do not experience the same force as when the car is on the ground. If you get a splinter in your foot, raising it might make it seem like nothing's wrong, but once it touches the floor again...

Anyway, be sure to check other components in the area. There may be other things contributing to your problem, but for now it sounds like your hub is going out... very dangerous.

GL and let us know what happens!
JasonGhostz

TheNasty0ne

Can I just take off the tire and check the hub? what is the hub? any pictures?

How easy is it to check the bearings?

It started making this noise after the tire blew out on the freeway? would that cause a broken hub issue or bearing.

My lug nut studs broke I guess thats how hard the impact was

JasonGhostz

It is possible to check for the "play" in the hub/bearing without removing anything. If you are going to take off the wheel and/or front hub to install a new lug stud anyway, then definitely give it a visual inspection for cracking or bending. To get to the hub, first remove the lug nuts and wheel. The Brake Rotor will be attached to the Hub by two Philips Head screws. These screws are almost always rusted to the assembly, and requires an impact driver to remove. When you remove the brake rotor (you have to also remove your caliper), you will see the Hub underneath. If you go to sites like majestic or hondapartsdeals, you will see diagrams for the parts you need (especially since you haven't mentioned what you drive).

Checking the front hubs/bearings isn't as simple as bolting/unbolting a couple of things. This usually requires a hydraulic press or someting similar. If you don't have the proper tools, it becomes VERY difficult to remove/replace. Some people have rented tools from autozone or kragen or whatever, so you might want to look into it.

Your tire blowing out is indeed a probable cause for your symptoms. It very likely caused a highly imbalanced load to the corner that blew, and I have a good guess as to what part of your car took the brunt of the force... based on what you've told us so far.

There are several reasons why lug studs break, but when your tire blows out as well, it's probably... A pothole? I'm thinking the force of the impact of hitting a pothole at high speeds caused your flat and studs to break. No matter what it was, get your wheels balanced and alignment checked while you get your studs (& more? ) replaced.

GL and let us know how things roll out.
JasonGhostz

TheNasty0ne

Well I took off the wheel today and checked it out again. The is the fourth fith time I took it off but I think I found the problem.

Since one stud is broken and one is looose the wheel isnt sitting perfectly straight on the rotor/studs and it is causing the inside of the wheel to rub against the ouside part of the rotor.

I balanced the tire on the two studs and then slightly tightened the third lug and it did not make any noise or is very very slight. after driving for ahile it starts to make that noise again but I think its because the wheel got unbalanced?...

Can anyone conmfirm my shitty diagnostic lol

JasonGhostz

The lug studs and nuts work as a team. If one player's down, They can't reposition themselves to evenly handle the load. At first (especially with the car raised), the assembly will be able to handle the tiny amount of stress it might be experiencing. On the road and at highway speeds, that can very easily be undone.

Try to see if there's any wobble while spinning the wheel in question. The wheel should never touch the rotor, since both of them move together. The sound you hear must be coming from somewhere else...

I'm thinking now that your Hub is bent and/or your Rotor is bent. I think this is causing your wheel to spin off-plane. If your wheel has no play when you push on it (top/bottom, left/right), but it still wobbles at speed, you should next check your hub/rotor for runout. This can be hard to do by eye, as even the slightest imbalance will become more pronounced at highway speeds. Unless you have a dial indicator, you'll likelly have to go to a shop to get it inspected (put the new lug studs in AFTER you check for straightness).

Basically, you should start from the outside, and work your way to the more centralized components...

Keep us informed!! GL!
JasonGhostz