Grinding Noise When Turning wheel. (1 Viewer)

[95Fantasma80]

Whenever I turn the wheel it grinds it only does it when I am turning it at low speed where I actually have to turn the wheel A lot to like get out of side street parking.


What could it be, My dad does not know the name to this part but he says its the spring that is connected from one wheel to the other. Is it called the tie rod?

I poke fun at my dad... all the time for not knowing his parts and I do the same thing.

I just want to know, So I can buy the part at rock auto and have a shop install it for me.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[IdahoDoug]

Fantasmo,

Dude, ya gotta help here. Stock tires? Stock suspension? What is the grinding sound like? Forget about the tie rod. Service history on the front axle? Locked? Unlocked? Wheeled? Grind only while actually rotating the steering wheel, or only while the steering is held against the stops? Do any work of any kind lately////....zzzzzzzzzzzzz

DougM

 

[95Fantasma80]

Fantasmo,

Dude, ya gotta help here. Stock tires? Stock suspension? What is the grinding sound like? Forget about the tie rod. Service history on the front axle? Locked? Unlocked? Wheeled? Grind only while actually rotating the steering wheel, or only while the steering is held against the stops? Do any work of any kind lately////....zzzzzzzzzzzzz

DougM

Sorry, thanks for the reply that will narrow it down for you guys which is awesome.

215K 1995 v6 original tranmission, and no engine work.

Stock Tires, stock suspension, grinding is coming from the front of the car specifically I would say in the tire area or just in that direction lower front of me. my dads mechanic said it was by the front axle area. My dad says its this spring like thing thats connected in between the 2 tires which I thought was called the tie rod. No problems at all with the front axle that I know of, it has front and rear lockers that have never been used in about 180K which is the lenght my dad had it. Yes grinds only when turning the steering wheel, and specially at low speed where like making a left turn into a street from being parked on the side, or a U turn it does the grinding noise really bad. When I am going straight no problems at all or merging into a lane. Just when you have to turn the steering wheel substantially.

No recent work expect maybe changing the spark plugs 6 months ago, it has just been a daily driver for my dad and kept stock just basic routine maintnance done and replace old parts, and no rough driving. I got it in this condition from him since he did not want it no more as it has served him well for 10 years so he let me have it.

 

[bljww]

Is there a chance the drag link (bar behind the axle) could have been bent? It could be rubbing the front drive shaft universal.
Is it the same niose that a front wheel drive worn cv joint makes when turning?
Can you describe the noise to us somehow?


I Hope you get it figured out!

 

[Kernal]

Constant grinding or more of a clicking popping crunching? Worse when accelerating from a stop and turning at the same time? Got some photos to post up of your front axle including the ball looking thingys at the ends.

 

[95Fantasma80]

Constant grinding or more of a clicking popping crunching? Worse when accelerating from a stop and turning at the same time? Got some photos to post up of your front axle including the ball looking thingys at the ends.

I will take a video of the noise right now and a video of the undercarriage.

 

[e9999]

there can be a bizarre "grinding" noise when you are at full steering wheel lock that's due to the power steering. The noise will/may disappear if you change the dirty fluid.
Are you sure it's not that?
You could tell by seeing if it makes the noise without the car moving.

 

[jonheld]

Is there a chance the drag link (bar behind the axle) could have been bent? It could be rubbing the front drive shaft universal.

I have nothing to add other than to say the draglink is in front of the axle and the te rod is behind.

 

[tlc81]

wonder if your front elocker has engage (accidentally maybe) and is causing grinding noise, try driving on loose gravel and see if the noise is still there...
any lights on your dash, try engaging/disengaging the lockers.

better get this figure out! good luck

 

[95Fantasma80]

Okay guys, I don't have the video yet. I took it to my shop. He said I have to bring it in tomorrow as he is busy but it may have something to do with the axle.

Its not a grinding noise.

Its more of a clicking, popping noise when I am doing a u turn or turning into a drive way. Also When ever I turn the steering wheel it hums low speed or no speed I hear this noise in the car inside. It only pops or clicks at low speed turns like U turns or turning into a drive way I hear this popping noise in the bottom of the engine like where the axle is at.

The car does not move or has trouble moving when I turn the wheels either to the right or to the left when I am in a hill and it should roll down, something is stopping my car from moving whenever the wheels are turned because it gets stuck.

This is as best as I can do, as this is what the mechanic saw. Tomorrow he is gonna look at the axle as he thinks it may be the problem but to be sure he is gonna keep the car in the morning to check it out.

 

[e9999]

popping and clicking when turning sounds like a Birf issue.

 

[95Fantasma80]

popping and clicking when turning sounds like a Birf issue.

What is this, have no idea what Birf is... what would need to be replaced in your opinion?

Thanks.

 

[Kernal]

The birf or Birfield is a type of CV joint (see photo), difference is it does not have a rubber boot over it like most vehicles with independent front suspension. It is located inside the steering knuckle and is packed in grease. Bend down and look at your front axle, at each end you can see what looks like a ball and attached around the ball is the steering knuckle. The CV joint (birfield or birf for short on this forum) is located inside there.


"The car does not move or has trouble moving when I turn the wheels either to the right or to the left when I am in a hill and it should roll down, something is stopping my car from moving whenever the wheels are turned because it gets stuck"

Not sure what you are saying here. Edit: are your locking differentials engaged when this happens??

 

[corsair23]

FULL front axle service and swap the birfs from one side to the other

80 Series FAQs

80 Series Front Axle Service

And here is a link to taking apart, and putting back together birfs - Link

 

[95Fantasma80]

"The car does not move or has trouble moving when I turn the wheels either to the right or to the left when I am in a hill and it should roll down, something is stopping my car from moving whenever the wheels are turned because it gets stuck"

Not sure what you are saying here.

Okay, so you are in a hill. Your car steering wheel is straight and it rolls down correct? okay...


now turn your steering wheel all the way to the right, and your car should start moving in reverse turning left...and vice versa.

So my car does not roll and has trouble rolling downhill, whenever I have the wheels turned. Something is stopping my car, something is making it get stuck where it has trouble moving whenever the wheels are turned. My mechanic says I waste a lot of gas because I am forcing my car to move when I am turning as something is causing my turning to not be free.

 

[Kernal]

I'm not the expert and others will probably help you more, but do you know what your locking differentials are? Are they engaged when this happens? Are they engaged all the time? Are there two lights on in the right lower corner of the instrument cluster that look like 4 wheels attached to a driveline?

 

[corsair23]

Sounds like one of a few things...

First, given the 215K miles has your dad ever had the front axle serviced? IIRC Toyota recommends a full axle service (i.e. what is in that link above) every 60k miles. Every 30k the suggestion is a wheel bearing repack which is 1/3 to 1/2 of the full axle service. With the clicking you are experiencing it sounds highly plausible that your birfs have seen better days and are binding up. What does the knuckle ball look like? Does it have grease on it or is it bone dry?

Second, do you notice binding in the drivetrain everytime you turn? Your center diff might be locked up.

Third, like Kernal has mentioned possible that somehow you got the front diff locked and it stayed that way.

Have you tried to exercise your center, rear, and front lockers? You could try that although with the clicking birfs you might want to wait...

If not, find a dirt lot, and shift into low range. Insure that the CDL light comes on along with the ABS light to indicate the ABS system is deactivated. Then try to engage your rear locker and see if it will lock (i.e. the diff lock light stops blinking). Then try your front locker. If nothing locks up, try some tight figure 8 turns. If your center diff hasn't been locked in a long time, if ever, then you may have to shift in and out of low range many many many time (50, 100, or more) to get it to do so.

 

[95Fantasma80]

So I went to the mechanic and he said that It was going to be $120 to lube everything up in the front axle, he said that he thinks the problem is that he removed the differential on the axle or something like that and he said it was not lubed up, I asked if there was like a leak and he said its just something has to be lubed from time to time.

Does this sound familiar to any of you?

 

[IdahoDoug]

I guess the proof will be if it no longer does this when you get it back, but if something was binding in the drivetrain then simple lubrication isn't going to fix that. On a related note, if it was so badly lubed (dry) and you drove it then whatever was dry is not going to last long. So, it doesn't make sense on a couple levels. But again, I'll be curious how it drives afterward and specifically what was lubricated.

PS - if he's opening the birfield, lubing it and reassembling for $120 then that amount won't even pay for the parts. So again, something's not adding up here.

DougM

 

[Wrench]

Guy sounds like a fruit loop. Get a second opinion.