Before heading out to the store Monday afternoon, decided to warm up the engine by trolling thru neighborhood in 1st gear as usual.
Suddenly, started to hear a grinding noise from the front end. Brake pads? Caliper stuck? Strut? Wheel bearings?
Tire has been rubbing the inner plastic wheel well when turning.
Have noted recent occasional scrapping noise when backing out of drive.
Steering has not been centering out normally after a turn for a while.
Now car does not coast at all well as if the brakes were dragging. Like driving up a curb or ramps.
Was only a block away, so parked it and took the Ranger.
Once back home, did not like the looks of the ds front. Sagging, tire much higher in fender than pass side.
Strut looked ok on both mounting ends.
Yesterday did a quick inspection and did some measurements under car.
DS control arm is lower than ps by 1/2" or so. Driveway square under front of car is pretty smooth.
Measured fender lips to ground, frame rails, looked for damage, cracks, clues.
Raised car, spun the tire. It would rotate only 1/2 way around then would hang up.
Took tire off. Noticed metal shavings on top of caliper and at bottom of wheel rim.
Not a lot but there should not be any whatsoever.
Pads look like new.
It is a bad ds ball joint. Is ready to pop out of its socket.
Rubber boot is extended straight a good inch or more no 'fold' with arm under load car, on ground.
When jacked, load off suspension, boot is less elongated.
Looks to be the reason the ds control arm is lower than normal.
Have had no vibration, clunking, pulling, wandering, or abnormal tire wear. Caught it in time.
What was up the metal shavings?
The loose ball joint is extended causing the end of the control arm to drop and scrape the brake rotor inner hub.
Defiantly observed shiny metal in the rotor inside hub edge and from the end of the control arm.
The metal shavings are more from the control arm than the rotor. Rotors are fairly new so no rust yet.
Online searchs and research of symptoms points to ball*joint replacement needed.
Time to take it in for two new Moog premium ball joints. Am also ordering new struts. They are 20 years old.
Last time in shop, they said car will be needing new ball joints. They read the future.
There are no grease fittings. 3075A arms does not have them. So much for assuming they are of the low friction style.
Can thank my lucky stars car is back in the driveway before something real bad happened.
Will have it flat bedded to the repair shop.
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