Front end noises

Mal H · 29-05-2017, 07:34 PM

2007 Focus LX LT hatch manual.
Sorry about the novel!!
Back in January I went on My honeymoon to Crystal creek which was a 950km drive. The week before we left I fitted a new set of 17" wheels and tires from the LW1 Focus Sport. For the whole trip up the car was fine, I enjoyed the handling and was generally just impressed with the wash of traveling. But as we got to about the last 5km to Crystal Creek there started to be a bit of front end wheel noise, I thought it may have just been the road surface/true noise so I didn't think too much about it.
A few days later we thought we would suck over to tweed heads for the day but after a few kms of driving I broke to slow down for a corner and there was a loud grinding noise and a strong burning smell. I stopped and got out to check the car smelt the engine and wheels and found smell was coming from the front right wheel. So I took it straight to a mechanic and described what happened and asked him to check the brakes and front wheels for anything suspicious. He called half an hour later and said he couldn't find anything wrong at all.
We drove back to where we were staying and I could still hear what sounded like tyre noise.
We gambled the drive home even though it wa making the noise every now and then.
When we got back to Orange I booked the car into my mechanic and asked them to check everything over. So we replaced the brake discs cause they were worn and the pads were replaced a couple months before. But the noise was still there. I got them to look at the brakes again and they swapped the discs left and right to see if the noise moved to the left side but it didn't. I tried another mechanic in town aswell but they too couldn't find anything wrong.
So on the highway it still makes a grinding noise when slowing from 100km, and when your pulling away from a stop there is a rubbing noise, but around town driving seems fine except for a slight squeak every now and then.
I have no idea what is wrong but I am nervous to take my car out of town incase something is serious.
The only I idea I have left is to drive it until whatever is wrong properly breaks and then I will know what was wrong.
Again sorry for the novel but does anyone have any ideas or know what is wrong?

marg99 · 30-05-2017, 09:08 AM

possible you have a front bearing hub that is failing but I would have expected the mechanics to check this.

Mal H · 31-05-2017, 02:16 PM

That's what I was thinking aswell.

marg99 · 31-05-2017, 06:07 PM

one symptom of failing bearing hub can be ABS sensor failure as the disc rotor wobbles out of true due to loose bearings and the sensor fails to read sending error message

Mal H · 01-06-2017, 08:42 AM

Thanks marg99. I'll book it onto the mechanic again and ask him to specifically look at the bearing hubs

stig_3754 · 01-06-2017, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mal H

Thanks marg99. I'll book it onto the mechanic again and ask him to specifically look at the bearing hubs

Sounds like a good idea. I had the bearing hub issue on my old LV XR5. I know it was a common issue for the LV, not sure about LS-LT though.

4cyl_Turbo · 03-06-2017, 09:42 AM

So there was nothing wrong until you fitted the new rims/tyres?
I would have thought it would be something to do with that.
What size were the originals? 15"
Clearance issue maybe when under load. Braking or accelerating.
Do you still have original tyres to refit and test?

Mal H · 05-06-2017, 11:14 AM

I think the stock wheels were 16". I'm going to get the wheels checked to make sure they're balanced correctly aswell.
They are stock 17" wheels from another focus. And they're the same size and dimensions as the zetec model Focus so if they were rubbing i would be surprised, but anything is possible.