Front Drivers Side Grinding 99 Corolla - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

jasonpcaron · 12-14-2011, 08:27 AM

Yesterday when driving I heard a loud noise and immediately got a grinding / squealing noise coming from the front drivers side of my 99 Corolla.

I changed out the front drivers pads, rotors, and caliper. No change.

The noise happens even at low speeds and the car seems undrivable.

The noise doesn't happen instantly when I put it in gear, but within the first couple of feet.

Any ideas?

fishexpo101 · 12-14-2011, 11:43 AM

What do you mean by "undrivable" - that the car doesn't want to move (mechanical issue), or if you are concerned about driving it at all to possibly worsen the situation?

Try jacking up that corner of the car and spinning the wheel by hand. Can you reproduce the noise? Pry on the wheel - side to side, up and down, in and out - does it move at all?

Could be a bad bearing to a broken axle/joint - hard to say without hearing it and seeing the car. But if it is causing drivability issues - not much else around that area.

jasonpcaron · 12-14-2011, 12:07 PM

Its undriveable in the sense that it makes that grinding noise when I try to move it. If I give it gas, it takes more gas then usual to get it to move and makes that grinding noise.

Its a standard and the pressure from the grinding almost pushes it out of gear.

Didn't seem like the wheel was wobbly at all, I changed the brakes on it and I think I would have noticed...

fishexpo101 · 12-14-2011, 01:23 PM

Yeah, if it is bad enough to require more gas to move, not a good sign.

I take it, no grinding or noise when it is sitting still - in forward gears, reverse or neutral position - clutch depressed?

Does it make noise when the gearbox is in neutral and clutch out?

I'd jack up the front wheels up and then turn them by hand, in neutral - clutch in and out. Just to see what it will do. If it makes noise there - see if you can localize it. Start with the wheel bearing and work your way in.

You can also run the car temporarily up on jackstands, wheels in the air - put it in gear and see if you can reproduce the noise. If yes, then I'd concentrate on the axle and transaxle first - then work out.

randini667 · 12-15-2011, 07:45 AM

Constant grind or per revolution? If per revolution, the grinding increases with speed ya?

jasonpcaron · 12-15-2011, 07:49 AM

The grinding is not constant. I was able to back it up yesterday and drive it through a parking lot. Then I went to move it again, and the grinding happened when I was backing out of the parking spot, before I even put it in 1st.

I've checked, there is no grinding in neutral when I bring the RPMs up.

The grinding is not constant, and its almost not as much a grinding as it is a seizing. The car really doesn't want to move at some point and you have to give it power to push through it. Then it will be fine again for a few feet.

Beekeeper2020 · 01-03-2012, 03:22 AM

Jack the car up on the side that is making the noise.
After that, try rotating the tire to see if you can reproduce the noise.

You need to id where the noise is coming from.

Check the CVS boot to see if is cracked.

Basic visual check to see what is the cause.

It is kind of hard for us to id using this forum, you need to do some grunt work to figure out where it is coming from.

It can be bearing, cvs boot. brake pad not done correctly, brake piston sticking.

Good luck!