big_dal

Well it goes to show you never ever stop learning! Today I learned that bad tracking can cause the brake disc to hit onto the brake caliper!! I have never heard that ever in my 30 plus years of professional and private motor vehicle maintenance. I took the car up to crap fix to have the tracking done as since the new (secondhand) steering rack was fitted I had not had it done! the guy said he has to adjust it loads to bring it into line.... and now NO NOISE!!! I guess the lesson is never leave the small jobs out from your inspections. SO GLAD its done now sell sell the car as we had to move on (to keep she who must be obey'd on the road lol) as this (me) took so long to find :0)

hi phil you are on the same wave length as me!!! but unfortunately already been there and cleaned down the hubs and wheel faces! I am grateful for all of the input from the guys on this site its good to know that im not alone here!

i have checked the flexible really appreciate all the replies on this but so far still the same bloody noise!! and yes I have checked the pipes and they are all correct (good idea though thanks!!) I have been working on cars for most of my life and have never been this stumped! (ever) What really puzzles me is that I have this proper grinding noise of which I can not find any visible evidence of!? And why does it grind when there is no freeplay! as the car has a fresh MOT (from a trusted garage) and still this fault.........

Hello Again thanks to all for your ideas!!! I had the whole front end stripped down on both sides today top mountings down and still nothing found to give this noise!!! The line in the dust i found Phill is on the nearside caliper at the outside edge of the disc as though the wheel is able to run out of true and let the disc scrape onto the inside face of the caliper.... I thought i had found it as the track rod end was bright but no that must of been from when the garage was trying lock the wheel from turning when they were looking for the problem, this is now getting beyond funny!!! There is no freeplay anywhere the car passed its mot so now i have a fully legal car im frightened to use in case the bloody wheel locks up and leaves me stranded somewhere.... BO**OXs is all I can say at the moment....

Hey Phil I have rechecked the front hub soooooooooooo many times now I see it in my sleep!!! The local garage mot'd the car on Wednesday so no free play in the system?......... but they noted the grind on the road test! I really dont think its the gearbox as previously suggested by them but it has to be something I dislodged when I was changing the steering rack hopefully I will be able to find it tomorrow either that or a can of petrol :0)

Cheers for the idea, I have already re stripped the calliper and hub back down to retrace and all I know is good, I dont see how the rack can make a grinding noise that seems to be at the road speed, and as for the diff it was absolutely fine before the rack change but I will take another play around the diff to see what is "locking up". Really frustrating as the car up to now has been brilliant!!........

Hi Thanks for the reply, but no I have checked that one! and the back plate is well clear of the disc, the noise comes and goes as you move the wheel. When dead straight no noise slight move off centre then noise.............

Hello, Firstly I guess the car details 4x4 1.8T elegance . This is a problem which raised its head after a steering rack change due to the previous owner running the power steering with red fluid and buggering the rack seals. To remove the steering rack you have to drop the subframe to remove the link into the car, after replacing everything without any problems (so I thought) Since this refit I now have a grind which seems to come from the nearside front when I steer just off from straight as you would if you were rocking the wheel "free play" I believe its the break disc rubbing on the brake calliper as there are signs of a bright line in the brake dust... but there is no free play in the hub. I changed the wheel bearing "just in case" but no still the same noise accompanying a flashing abs light (no fault code being recorded). Now had a local garage try to find the fault been on the ramp and found nothing wrong "except the disc having a lip no it which was catching something" paid them to remove this lip and hoped all was well... but no still the same! took the car back to them, Again back on the ramp only to be told its "now the gearbox"? as the front nearside wheel "locks up" and the others all spin freely. I do not believe this one little bit but am totally stuck on what this noise really is? There is nothing with free play in it, and no reason? I have been through the other threads and this problem seems to be alone..... any and all ideas PLEASE!!!

hello i have just bought a 4x4 1.8t est what a car!! so pleased, i sold a impreza non turbo and this is so much better without the excessive insurance which i would of had going up to an impreza turbo and as much fun if not more as nobody reallly thinks it will go!! but it DOES!!! well happy