When I turn left(even lightly) while moving there is a dull grinding noise coming from the front wheel area. Im guessing wheel bearing, but just want to check first.

00 Si with 130k miles on it. Car has been lowered for 8 years and has seen much abuse (street, strip, track) and run azenis for a long time.

Bearings starting to go?

My steering also has a little more play than it used to. rod ends or ball joints?

 

Sounds like this could be the ball joints, this happened to my truck.

 

jack your car up, spin the wheel and if you hear any type of grinding it is probably the wheel bearing. A bad wheel bearing also can cause some looseness in the steering. You would definitely know if its a wheel bearing if you turn the corner and hear grinding like metal vs metal.

 

sounds like a balljoint

 

Hrmmm. It sounds like metal on metal to me when I turn.

SOunds like my bearing AND ball joint could be crud...

Anything in particular I should look for when I take a closer look at it?

 

Sounds like your wheel bearings. Mine was doing the same thing. It would grind when I was making right turns. Turned out my left wheel bearing was bad.

 

Raise the wheel off the ground...

Grasp the wheel on both sides, as in at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions. Move it back and forth like it was turning firmly. If you feel slack as it is turning, kind of a 'give' feel as you move it back and forth, then check your tie rod ends for damage or play.

Next, grab the wheel at the top and bottom, or the 12 and 6 o'clock positions and move it back and forth firmly. Again, if you feel 'give' or play as you move it, inspect your lower and upper balljoints for damage or endplay.

Finally, making sure the car is in neutral, spin the wheel clockwise as quickly as you can and listen for a growling or grinding noise. If you hear growling or grinding, it could be your wheel bearing. However, it could also be noise from your brake pads or calipers as well, so be sure and listen carefully to the noise.

Check your CV axles and boots thoroughly looking for cuts, gashes, leaking grease, scratch marks, wear marks or any other signs of damage.

Hope that helps.

 

sounds like bearing... if it is both bearing and ball joint it would be easier to just buy the whole spindle i had to do that once good luck

 

Yea I would just get the whole spindle.

 

Does the noise correspond with vehicle speed? If not make sure its not your power steering. A little air in the power steering will make some weird noise.

 

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I'm not a betting man, but I'd be willing to wager that you have a bad wheel bearing too, and the dull noise you're hearing is a brake caliper mount wearing a hole into your rim.

Pull your fronts wheels and look for grind marks near the hub area - you won't be able to see this with your wheels on...