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Steering grabbing with tire road noise


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Sonick
New User

Feb 27, 2015, 6:58 AM

Post #1 of 4 (1491 views)
Steering grabbing with tire road noise Sign In

2000
Ford Focus
2.0
208k Miles

Hey folks. New guy here having an issue with my wifes car. Recently it has started making a noise in the front driver side tire. It is the same sound you would get if you had a rock in the tire but I'm sure that's not what it is. It gets louder if you turn to the right and almost goes away when turning to the left.

It is also "grabbing" when turning right. Not at low speeds, but if you are going around a curve in the road and turning right, once you hit a certain point in the turn it's almost like it grabs real hard and turns right much faster. Sorta feels like something my be bent or broke and causing it to jolt to the right real hard once you turn so far to the right. Any ideas what this could be?

One other thing it is doing as well is the brakes have become very soft since this started happening. A few weeks ago there were no brakes... I pumped them and it built them up and they work again and although that hasnt happened again they are definitely not normal. I've had her driving my truck ever since. I found it odd that I was able to pump them back up and although they haven't completely gone out again, they have stayed soft.

Thanks for any advice!


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 27, 2015, 7:42 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1482 views)
Re: Steering grabbing with tire road noise Sign In

Inspect that wheel or better both, calipers off for brake pads. You may have lost a pad off of metal backing plate hence needed to pump them up again and get brake feel again but now metal to metal.


Common problem in wet or rusty areas and some brands of pads. Unfortunately it means do a whole front brake job to get proper again,


T



Sonick
New User

Feb 27, 2015, 7:50 AM

Post #3 of 4 (1478 views)
Re: Steering grabbing with tire road noise Sign In


In Reply To
Inspect that wheel or better both, calipers off for brake pads. You may have lost a pad off of metal backing plate hence needed to pump them up again and get brake feel again but now metal to metal.


Common problem in wet or rusty areas and some brands of pads. Unfortunately it means do a whole front brake job to get proper again,


T


What about the grabbing? That wouldn't affect that as well would it?


Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 27, 2015, 7:59 AM

Post #4 of 4 (1473 views)
Re: Steering grabbing with tire road noise Sign In

OK - I've seen lots of this with pads coming off backing plate. Some may fall out totally or parts or chunks fall off OR leave a spongy mess between metal and what's left of a pad no longer intact or missing and broken other parts which is why I suggested taking it off. You would see it with just wheel off but not the extent or parts.


If brakes were low wear wise to begin with piston could have cocked and doesn't know what it's doing, dragging, not releasing - all odd behavior possible up to NO BRAKES!


It's more common to feel a wild grind right away if a pad falls off like that but not always. Oddly metal to metal can feel somewhat normal sometimes.


Your description was totally consistent with this happening. Only looking right at it w caliper off will really tell if that's all it is or what. High chance of seeing some evidence even thru the wheel on many, more with wheel off and really know more with caliper off.


If exposed to road salts routinely and this is what happened go for a better set of pads that come with painted metal but any can do that more with time than use,


T







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