Grinding Noise in Left Front???

[Hunnaebee]

I've had my 2000 Explorer Sport for about 10 months now and pretty much since the day I got it, it makes this horrible grinding noise in the wheel well. It is on the driver's side and only happens when I turn sharp to the left. We've replaced front axles, lower ball joint and tie rod end, but no luck yet!! Anyone ever have this problem and came up with a solution??? HELP!!

 

[00XLS]

Do you have the auto 4x4?

 

[BSlusser]

i have the same exact problem in my '99 xlt, but unfortunately i do not have a solution. you can bet i'm gonna pay attention to this thread. is your sport by chance a 4x4?

 

[Blee1099]

Do you have any play in your hub assembly?

 

[Hunnaebee]

Yes, its Auto 4X4... I think I have only ever used the high once and low never. My dad/mechanic says that the ball bearings look good and he's lost now. I don't think there is any "play" in the hub...

 

[ARTURPOLAND]

Find the fuse for electromagnetic clutch engaging 4x4 high (front driveschaft). take it out and try to drive. If the problem gone than you have something to do with the transfer case

 

[Hunnaebee]

I don't think its anything to do with the transfer case.
We're going to try to grease the upper ball joint/control arm and see what happens. If this doesn't fix the problem, I'm giving up until something actually breaks.

 

[CougarX]

I would check the front wheel bearing/hub assembly. Its either this or your brakes grinding. There isn't really anything else it can be. Pull the wheel and upper ball joint and pull the CV axle out of the hub assembly and turn it by hand. If it is anything but perfectly smooth and quiet then that is your problem

 

[manaen]

it could be the CV joint going bad, when you in there , or it you take the axle out,run it through it's range of motion to see if it moves freely.

 

[Hunnaebee]

its a brand new cv joint/front axle
same problem still happening
wheel bearings are fine... checked that out when we had it apart all three times

 

[manaen]

did you do a TT lift in the front?

 

[CougarX]

If wheel bearings, brakes, ball joints, tie rod ends and CVs are good then the only thing left is either the front differential itself (bad bearings or bad gears/spiders) or your tire is rubbing something. I've never heard of a rack and pinion making a grinding noise but its the only thing left in the front end.

Does it make it anytime you make a hard left, or only if your accelerating or braking or going fast and making a hard left? Has the vehicle ever been wrecked?

 

[manaen]

If wheel bearings, brakes, ball joints, tie rod ends and CVs are good then the only thing left is either the front differential itself (bad bearings or bad gears/spiders) or your tire is rubbing something. I've never heard of a rack and pinion making a grinding noise but its the only thing left in the front end.

Does it make it anytime you make a hard left, or only if your accelerating or braking or going fast and making a hard left? Has the vehicle ever been wrecked?

Yeah that's a good point must the vehicle be rolling to make the noise?

 

[Hunnaebee]

Not sure what a TT lift is...
I'll have to get it back in the garage to check out the differential stuff.
It grinds only when I turn sharp to the left, sitting still or moving...

 

[manaen]

Not sure what a TT lift is...

then don't worry about it

I'll have to get it back in the garage to check out the differential stuff.
It grinds only when I turn sharp to the left, sitting still or moving...

AHHHHHH...... if it does it sitting still then that is your power steering

Good catch Cougarx

 

[urbanistic]

I have the grinding when moving only. I have yet to do exploratory surgery, but thought I would continue in this thread since the title matches the symptom perfectly!

So, when moving at a very slow pace, the sound is moderate, definitely audible in the cab. Funny, but it reminds me of the sound chewing on a flat balloon makes. (Yes, when I was a kid I chewed on flat balloons) Kind of a rubbery grind.

Its not all the time, definitely intermittent! When it goes, its moderately loud and sounds like a womwomwomwom at high speeds.

 

[Hunnaebee]

Mine isn't a rubbery grinding noise though. Its definitely metal grinding and it only happens when I cut the wheel clear to the left (and not to the right).
Yours might just be a typical Ford. My 2000 is definitely a lot louder compared to what my 94 was, but my dad says its because the hubs are completely different set ups.
As for our exploratory surgery, we haven't gotten it back into the garage yet to check out the differential. We don't think its the power steering since it doesn't do it all the time and because it only happens when cutting to the left and not to the right. Its definitely not the brakes or the tires either. BUT who knows, I guess we'll figure it out eventually.
I just want to thank everyone for all their suggestions and ideas. We were pretty much lost!!

 

[manaen]

I'm thinking a chipped tooth in the steering gearbox on the left side, so when you cut it hard left it jumps teeth

That just seems logical..

 

[lambdim]

I have been having the same problem with my '97. I have changed CV joint, hub, ball joints, tie rod ends etc. I have been battling this for a looong time now. Other than what I have changed and the gears, is there anything else to look at? The only thing I can think of is that it's the gears in the front diff. Where is a good place to buy these? They don't have them at Auto Zone or Advance Auto.

 

[Rottie]

I don't know if this would apply here or not but I'll throw it out there anyway... In my '00 Crown Vic I had the exact same noise under the same circumstances. It turned out to be the steering stops were dry (which was nothing more than a pocket in the frame rail that part of the spindle hits when turned all the way to the side). A little grease in the pocket and all was well. I don't know what the ex's use for steering stops but it might be worth a look.