Super rattly rattle (or is it squeak?) on front end when turning left, V70XC

[leapdragon]

Hi all,


Been a while, I've been enjoying trouble-free operation from my 2002 V70XC for a couple years now, but something new:

I've developed a very clickity-clack rattle, metallic, not low pitched and throaty but more high-pitched, sounding like solid metal on metal. It happens whenever I turn right, for the duration of the turn.

It doesn't sound like bearings, and both front bearings are newish (~2y, 25k miles). They feel nice and tight and smooth.

I've had both front wheels off and:

- Control arms and ball joints look good
- Tie rods and joints are nice and tight
- Rack is nice and tight
- Sway end links seem tight and smooth
- No play or movement in calipers or pads
- Nothing seems to rattle when I bang on or shake stuff up front on either side

I've had the hood up and checked the spring seats and they're sound and tight.

The only think I can think of is that it must be the sway bar bushings. I can't make it move at all when the car is up on jackstands and the wheels are off, but visually I feel like I can see rubber bushings that aren't as tight as they could be around the bar.

But... I'm stabbing in the dark.

Before I start ordering parts and just replacing stuff—has anyone had this problem and it turned out to be something else that I'm missing? A relatively high-frequency metallic rattle when turning in one direction or another?

Input appreciated, otherwise, it's start with the sway bar bushings and go from there one part at a time.

[oragex]

For the sway bar, the bushings can look quite bad until they start being noisy .. mines are really beaten up/crashed and only start making their clunky clunk after driving for a while with lot of turns and only in hot summer days. But they don't sound high pitched. And they cost a lot to replace -usually takes a complete OEM bar for a proper job

Good idea not to rush into replacing parts randomly. I'd say, high pitching noise when turning to one side is rare to see on forums, so may take some time to find the culprit.

Start looking at the protection plate behind each brake disc - it may have been bent and touching when the wheel is turned

Look at the power steering reservoir, the fluid level is marked on the cap bar. Good to tighten a little all clamps under the reservoir and at the pump. The reservoir also has a small tube at the upper return line, that can detach and drop inside the reservoir

May also test the pulleys on the serpentine belt - usually done by removing the belt and spinning them by hand.

For the spring seats can also ask a helper to turn the steering with the engine on, on a bad one the top strut plate will move randomly up and down while rotating

[BlackBart]

Sounds a lot like an outer CV joint. Turning, loud clicks and pops, metal on metal.

[abscate]

Trying going off/ on pedal during turn to see if loading the CV joint changes the noise. I think Bart got this one right

[leapdragon]

Hi guys,


Thanks for your input so far.

@orangex that's a great list of things to check, will try to hit each one of them over the next few days.

@blackbart and @abscate, thanks for the outer CV joint thought, that's a good check as well. I'll hit a large parking lot to see whether applying torque via a bit of acceleration changes the noise or not.

Will report back in a couple of days once I've had a chance to go down the list. Appreciate the help, all!

[leapdragon]

Okay, maybe not a rattle but a squeak?

With a bit of a "hack" (called: phone dangling precariously in midair between driver's side wheel well and driver's side window) I got a recording of the sound. From inside the car or with my head out the window it sounds like a rattle. But what the phone has picked up sounds like more of a squeak:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/b5ljbgxf95zlo ... 0.mp4?dl=0

(That's me driving in a tight circle very slowly around a lamp post.)

Some things I was able to test on morning errands:

- Sound is not affected by load/no load on gas pedal
- Sound is not affected by brake/no brake
- Sound is not affected by bumpiness of road
- Sound does not seem to be affected by speed, fast or slow cornering is the same
- Sound is not consistent with speed of wheel rotation (i.e. it sounds random, not regularly patterned)
- Evident even with a very slight right turn, but more evident the more acute the turn

It definitely sounds like it's coming from the wheel/hub/tire area, though I know this can be misleading.

I'm tempted already this morning to pull that wheel off again and give everything another go-over but I've already had it off twice.

Serpentine belt is new. I have a new tensioner as well that I didn't get on yet (was waiting for a T60 to arrive) BUT that said, the tensioner doesn't sound bad and this sound seems definitely to be coming from the driver's side lower front area, esp. wheel well. Steering feels smooth, i.e. no grinding.

Gut still says something with driver's front wheel/hub/axle/suspension, still feels like a noise that results not from constant velocity friction (i.e. a rub or knock with every turn of something) but with the jigglyjiggly of general car motion.

Car is dead silent when moving straight or turning left.

[BlackBart]

I think you have some large omnivorous varmint living in your wheelwell.

[abscate]

It sounds like a bit like a brake backing blade noise rubbing on turn, but that’s a new one!

Not CV or wheel bearing noise , imho.

Could be PS pump noise , have you tried with SERP belt off?

[oragex]

If from front wheels, grab the axles with the car on ground and see how much play to them www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJQkFPYjh5E

If from rear wheels, maybe one of those delaminated rear parking brake shoes ? Might lift them rear wheels are give em a spin

[BlackBart]

Have you found the noise?