Grinding Noise while driving

[BreckAConner]

My CB is a 90 with a 5 speed tranny swap about 2 months ago. First my shift lines were bad, now I have this major problem with my wheels.

This started about a week ago with my 90 4th CB. I'll be driving down the road and I'll hear a grinding noise on my left side wheel when I turn my wheel slightly to the right. When the wheels are straight or turned to the left the grinding goes away. I looked underneath the car to see what visible problems I might have. Well I don't have any visible problems. Brakes are fine, no inner wheel rub, axel not rubbing any where visibly. It's weird. I have the car up on jacks right now and I've been doing some tests. When I put my car into first and let the wheels rotate this is what happens:

This is my left wheel doing this problem right side is fine.

Wheels Straight - wheels rotate
Wheels Left - wheels rotate
Wheels Right - Left wheels locks up & right still rotates fine

Giving Gas Wheel turned Right - Left stilled locked up & right still rotates


Can someone give me some pointers to what I'm looking at here. I'm thinking it's the left axel going bad. I'm fairly new to working on cars. I would give my computer & electronic skills up for knowing cars any day.

Breck

[Raf99]

Good troubleshooting so far. I would agree with the axle. You could take your caliper off and brakes out and see if it still happens, this would eliminate your brakes being the issue.

If the axle was bad there may be some clicking sounds coming from it also. The boots maybe be torn and grease may have leaked out.

But my concern is that if it was an axle then the problem should happen with the wheels cut to the right or left, as this is where the axle is "bent" and would lock up. But it could be a section of the axle that is bad (front bearing casing).

I would agree with axle on this one.

[BreckAConner]

Good troubleshooting so far. I would agree with the axle. You could take your caliper off and brakes out and see if it still happens, this would eliminate your brakes being the issue.

If the axle was bad there may be some clicking sounds coming from it also. The boots maybe be torn and grease may have leaked out.

But my concern is that if it was an axle then the problem should happen with the wheels cut to the right or left, as this is where the axle is "bent" and would lock up. But it could be a section of the axle that is bad (front bearing casing).

I would agree with axle on this one.

Thank you for the reply.

I was just out side fiddling with the car (off) rotating the wheels by hand in first gear. Rotating the left wheel doesn't have any resistance and the right one rotates with it, and vice versa. Do you think that swapping the tranny could of bent or messed the axel up since this CB is not a 5 speed stock. I also have the mount from Explicit Speed for the tranny to bolt up right (so it wouldn't break axels).

[BreckAConner]

Okay. I don't think it's the CV Shaft any more. I had talked to a friend about my problem. He told me to shake the wheel when I got home and told me if it feels wobble or loose it could be the wheel bearing. So I wobbled the wheel around and guess what.. It was loose feeling. So I believe I have a bad wheel bearing now. Which doesn't make sense at all because it's fairly new, but hey it's a good thing I have the reciept and a warranty right? This will be my first thing to replace, I'll keep posted and let you know if this fixed my problem if any one else comes across this thread.

[drummersteve7]

you swapped auto to manual.
did you happen to include an intermediate shaft?
and not use the stock drivers side axle?

just checking.

[BreckAConner]

you swapped auto to manual.
did you happen to include an intermediate shaft?
and not use the stock drivers side axle?

just checking.

I'm not sure what that is, but If you are refering to the Auto CV Shaft it's been removed and has the manual one. My friend who swapped it for me knew already the auto wouldn't work. I'm really leaning towards the wheel bearing, that's going to go first. If all else fails then the CV Shafts are next. I've had a long fight with these cars and I'm ready to just sit back and relax with one.

1st CB rust bucket and 300k miles in back yard
2nd CB in garage mint besides Driver door wont open problem
3rd CB Totaled while parked on side of road, just had h-gasket done
4th CB replacement for 3rd and trying to work the bugs out now

I haven't been a member for long but I've already come a long way. >.<

[BreckAConner]

It was the wheel bearing. I don't know how it went bad, it's less than 6 months old. I have it replaced, and no more grinding or icky noises.

Thanks guys!

[emosun]

Whats funny is , my ford explorer did the same thing (noise turning in one direction and quieter in the other) , and it was a wheel bearing. And now currently my chevy pickup does it and it's of course the wheel bearing.

Funny how it's the SAME symptom even though it's a ford explorer , a chevy pickup , and a honda accord. lol