Luisfc1972

when i get up to around 30 or so mph when i turn left there is a small grinding noise and i can feel it slightly from my feet. its definitely the left front tire where this is happening. i think the tire may be grinding on a part of the chassis but im not sure.

i cant look underneath the car. i looked on the side and i cant see where the tire would grind on anything.

autonationtoyota wants to charge me 50 bucks to check it out but maybe with your guys help i can figure this out for myself.

im thinking maybe its the power steering? or maybe i have to find a way to look underneath the car. or maybe i should just take it to the stealership.

TheManinDboX

If i had to guess i would say it sounds like a ball joint issue..
To check, Jack up the car till the wheel is off the ground.
Grab it (Left hand on front of the left tire, and right hand on rear of the left tire) and rock the wheel back and forth to feel for any movement, the movement should be a click, or lose feeling, not a fluid steering feeling.. Next..
Grab the tire on the bottom with the left hand, and the top with the right hand, and rock the wheel back and forth to see if there is any movement, would feel like a clicking gap.. If you have movement on either, ball joints are likely your culprit.

It could also be CV-Joints though, which make a clicking noise when turning.. Which are also possible.. For these you can use a pry-bar while the car is jacked up and check for any movement.. Or can simply look to see if they are leaking.. You will see a lot of build-up of dirt on a greasy fitting..
Youtube has some good video's on how to check these things too..

Ultimately,..
Get a decent Jack from harbor freight tools, and some jack stands.. so you are safe..

Luisfc1972

thanks for that. i dont really have the time to check these things myself.

sound is getting a little louder.

i called toyota/scion dealer and asked for quotes about the two issues you think may be the problem.

he said i should stop driving the car because if its a major axle issue the wheel can pop off and bad things can happen and i understand that.

if its an axle problem, for toyota parts and labor it would be 1060. but for aftermarket parts 640.

damn

im going to have the car towed and i hope if its more a minor problem like you said they wont lie and say the axle needs to be replaced.

i just dont know anything about cars.

sciontc_mich

If it's a cv joint, usually those die from a lack of grease, which is where the tear in the rubber boot is evident. what was the outcome? it's been awhile since the post, what did the dealer find?

sciontc_mich

hey sorry to hear that that sucks, and you're right that's outrageous for the price! insane! I know that when my wheel bearings (that's what I think you're referring to) went bad it was under warranty. But even if it wasn't it was only like 1-2 hours of labor plus the part which the total was about $300 for each side. Unfortunately there's not much you can do since it's not illegal to overcharge, wish it was!

And lesson learned to you and everyone else out there, not taking the tow truck driver's recommendation at all!!

I'm glad you got it fixed, but that price..