Bad Rotational Knocking Noise from Front Left

[duncanellis]

Hi everyone. This is my first post here.

I have a 1996 Corolla DX with an auto transmission and 180K miles. I have a rotational knocking noise that's coming from the front left of the car. You can start hearing the noise around 20 mph and it increases with speed. You can hear the noise while going straight and it gets worse if you turn right. If you start to turn left, even a tiny little bit, it goes away completely.

While going the straight the noise is really pronounced. You can definitively hear it at highway speed and it transmits through the steering wheel. Putting the transmission in neutral or pushing on the brakes does not change the frequency or intensity of the noise.

Here's what I've done so far to troubleshoot.

Jacked up the car. Tested for plan in the wheel. Found significant play in the front left control arm bushing. I pressed in a new bushing. After replacing the bushing I noticed there was also play in the wheel. I replaced the wheel bearing. After those 2 repairs there was no play in the front that I can feel.

Went for a drive. Noise was exactly the same.

Came back. Replaced both axles. Did not change the noise.

Now I'm stuck. I don't want to keep throwing parts at the car, but I'm starting to run out of things in the front to change. I did swap the front tires left to right, but that didn't change the source of the noise. I think I'm down to.

Ball joints, tie rods, and struts.

I was so sure it was the bearing though, since the noise was rotational and only while turning right. As I said before, just the slightest turn to the left at all and it goes away.

Any ideas?

Duncan

[trife96]

Originally Posted by duncanellis

I pressed in a new bushing. After replacing the bushing I noticed there was also play in the wheel. I replaced the wheel bearing.

Any ideas?

Duncan

Seems you have changed most of the parts...but explain the part when you pressed in the new bushing? These cars on;y have tie rod ends and a lower ball joint that doesn't press in...it bolts in

Also the wheel bearings can be a bit tricky...did you do the work yourself? Any pics?

[duncanellis]

Originally Posted by trife96

Seems you have changed most of the parts...but explain the part when you pressed in the new bushing? These cars on;y have tie rod ends and a lower ball joint that doesn't press in...it bolts in

Also the wheel bearings can be a bit tricky...did you do the work yourself? Any pics?

I pressed in a replacement front control arm bushing. This was cheaper than purchasing a new arm. The front bushing is a standard rubber bushing with a metal sleeve. I used a hydraulic press to install.

No pictures of the wheel bearing installation but I did it myself. I've done quite a few, and the toyota was no different than any of the other cars I've replaced bearings on. (subaru, miata).

Visually inspected the hub when I removed the old inner races and there were no signs of galling or the inner race spinning on the hub.

- Duncan

[speedy25]

check inner tie rods. I've had a similar problem in the past where turning one direction stopped the vibration and that was what corrected it.

-SP

[MirrorEyes]

I'd suggest after you check your tie rods, check your ball joint, as that was recently the problem with mine. My mechanic said a lot of the 7th gen Corollas he gets in there all have that problem on the front left or right tires, and it's generally the ball joints going on em'

[Bitter]

I replaced my ball joints twice, cheap ones do not last at all.