Hey y'all,
So I have this grinding sound whenever I take corners at a slow speed. I also have a lot of play in the steering wheel, at higher speeds there's some kind of whirling noise, and when I brake it tends to pull hard to one side. I'd say overall my steering has just gotten a lot tighter. What could it be? Wheel bearing? Tie rod ends? Idler arm?

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,
Mackinley

Yes, it could be all, or any, of those systems.

What are we working on? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I think you should jack up the front end and put jackstands under each lower a arm and crawl under and wiggle the suspension joints and steering joints. Crawl out and grab the tire top and bottom and feel for slack in the wheel bearings by pulling alternately at the top and bottom. Have somebody turn the steering wheel while you watch the joints in the steering for slop.

My bet is wheel bearing on the side it pulls to while braking. And I bet the idler arm is toast, too, since they all are after about a year or so. Ball joints won't do what you describe. Tie rod ends, pitmann arm, wheel bearings, and idler arm will, but usually won't make a grinding/whirring noise.

But that's just me thinking...

Well thought out eddy

I thoght so, too. Ahem.

Logic went like this. The wheel when going straight ahead is roughly in equilibrium. The steering pivot point is about at the center of the tread. slightly ahead of the axle centerline. Even if the bearing is loose, it wants to self center because of the caster. The whirr is the bad bearing sound. When cornering, you upset the balance, the wheel cocks on the bearing, and it grinds. When braking, the drag of the braking force makes the wheel flop outward some on the loose spindle, and it pulls to that side...

Not real sure about the steering effort increasing...

Thanks for all the advice

To answer the question it's an 89 dodge raider v6

I'm going to crawl under it tomorrow and have someone moving the wheel back and forth to see if I can find where the play is coming from.
I'll let you know!

Okay weird,
It's barely making the sound today...
It seems to only happen once I've been driving it for a bit.
Does anything thing it could have anything to do with the power steering??