Greetings!
I have a 93 Honda Civic that has over 180,000 miles. At 150,000 we rebuilt the transmission in 2003. This year I have replaced a majority of the suspension on the car. Front and rear upper and lower control arms, ball joints, inner and outer tie rods, struts, both cv axles, and sway bars. Also all five engine/trans mounts have been replaced. With all this work completed I then had a tire alignment. All this work was brought on what we are now calling "the noise".

The Noise:
When braking and accelerating from a stop, the noise is heard. This noise does not occur 100% of the time. Right now it is about 85% of the time. It is a knocking noise that occurs once per each time of braking or accelerating from a stop. So if I am coming to a stop it occurs. I go to take off it occurs. You can feel the knock through the brake and gas pedal when it occurs. This does not occur with the steering or when going over pot holes or bumps.

Additional Details:
A few months ago I replaced the front rotors as they had deep grooves in them. A few weeks after I noticed the driver’s side again had a deep groove on the inner side of the rotor towards the engine. The brakes are in used but not ready to be replaced as they are not worn down yet but I wonder if they could be the cause of the noise. The clip that holds the brake pads in hold them in very tightly. So much so that I have a hard time placing the inner one in against the side of the damage rotor. All bolts holding the caliper and mount are good and tight.

So at this point I am at a loss on what to replace next. I can't get this knock to occur while on the jack stands. Besides paying money to take it in I am considering replacing the braking system next starting with the pads and shims. Thoughts?

 

You've at least got one bad pad if it's cutting your rotor.

Time for new pads and shims, cheap fix and it may solve your problem.

 

auto or manual?

it may be in the drive line. I have a pop noise when I pull from a stop and when I let off the accelerator. prominent in the left front wheel, I think the axle is trying to **** the bed, it was a reman I think. anyway, as for your uneven wearing rotor...

the rotor doesn't float so the caliper must be able to move. remove the old pads, inspect the "race" that they move in. if they have rust scale build up it could prevent the pad from backing off ever so slightly (they really don't back off like rear shoes do, they stay in constant contact with the rotor.)

give them a good cleaning with a wire brush and some PB blaster. after cleaning, use moly lube on the races and on the shims for the pads. also make sure the caliper floats on its bottom bolt and top pin and check to make sure they don't bind. grease them with moly also.

that should take care of your uneven wear pattern.

 

Update: I had the front of the Civic up on jack stands to replace the pads and I thought I would try to hear the noise again while in the air. Last time I tried this I could not hear any noise. Well this time the noise was present and loud. I had a neighbor press on the gas while I created a video.

Now I think the problem is the wheel bearings in the knuckle. When I place my hand on the knuckle I can feel the vibration correspond with the noise.
What do you think?

 

did you try to wiggle the wheel with your hands at 3o'clock and 9o'clock? that's how I have always tested for bad wheel bearings.

if you can wiggle the wheel and it feels like the lugs are just a hair loose then its time for a new bearing.

cant watch the video where I am, but its plausible

 

Definitely inspect the caliper with the rotor wear. Make sure it is clean where the pads seat, the caliper mounting pins are not bent, cleaned and lubed and slide freely. I've also heard of a botched wheel bearing install where they bent the caliper bracket mounting points on the steering knuckle while pressing out the old bearing, causing the caliper to sit at an angle and bind.

 

Update #1:
Yesterday I replaced the wheel bearings but that did not make a difference. Today I was driving through an empty parking lot and start turning left to right, back and forth quickly and I can get that noise to occur over and over again when I turn the wheel. Now I am thinking something with the sway bar pins or rack & pinion. Thoughts?

Update #2: Leaking fluid from steering rack after replacing power steering fluid. Going to replace rack and pinion next. Slight knocking noise when I move the steering wheel slightly left and right.

 

Solved: Problem was the rack and pinion.