[RyanF82]

I've been having some with the front right suspension lately. Hopefully someone has gone through this or maybe has some ideas. I've searched but haven't found anything similar.

A few months back I hit a pretty bad pothole. Everything seemed fine after the pothole, no vibrations, no pulling to right or left, etc. Then the next day I was getting on a freeway on ramp and took the turn somewhat at a high speed. I could hear a pretty bad knocking sound coming from the front right wheel area.

When I got home I pulled the wheel off, and noticed it was rubbing the shock body. The car is lowered on H&R springs and sport suspension, and the front wheels are +30 or +32 offset if I remember correctly. The wheels were always super super close to rubbing the shock body (maybe like ~.050"-.100" gap), but they never rubbed previously.

I also noticed the next morning when I was reversing out of my driveway, with my steering wheel turned all the way to the right, the grinding sound was back and you could hear the wheel grinding against the shock. But the weird thing is it is ONLY IN REVERSE, and ONLY WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS AT OR NEAR FULL LOCK TO THE RIGHT. It didn't do it when the steering wheel was at full lock to the left. And another weird thing is THE WHOLE WHEEL DOESN'T RUB. It only rubs on one section of the wheel. So the rubbing is intermittent with the rotation of the wheel. Also, if I brake really hard, the rubbing noise is back until the car stops.

I took the car in to the alignment/wheel place we always use, and they said it was a bent wheel. I didn't notice any bends, but I replaced it anyways hoping that they would be right. They weren't. New wheel has the same issues.

The rubbing is worse at sometimes than others, but recently it has been really bad, so I need to get this figured out. It also has started slightly rubbing when I have the wheel at full lock to the left in reverse as well the past couple days.



So to summarize, here is when the wheel is grinding against the shock body:
-ONLY in reverse. Driving forward it doesn't rub.
-ONLY when wheel is turned to almost full lock to the right, and now somewhat to the left as well.
-If I brake really hard, it causes the rubbing as well
-The section of the wheel that is rubbing is the same all the time, it is not the entire rear face of the wheel, only a portion of it.

And I have eliminated the possibility of the wheel being bent by replacing it. The more I write, the more I'm convincing myself that its the wheel bearing/hub, since it is rotational with the same portion of the wheel. But what doesn't make sense is that it is only in reverse, and only with the steering wheel turned. It seems like if the hub was ruined, it would rub all the time and not just in reverse with the wheel turned.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

[mike-y]

have you checked to see if the control arms were bent? That's a more likely case, since they are aluminum. A big hit on a pot hole can easily bend one of the control arms.

Other things to consider - bent shock/strut shaft, or the possibility that the front subframe shifted upon impact of that pothole

[RyanF82]

Originally Posted by mike-y

have you checked to see if the control arms were bent? That's a more likely case, since they are aluminum. A big hit on a pot hole can easily bend one of the control arms.

Other things to consider - bent shock/strut shaft, or the possibility that the front subframe shifted upon impact of that pothole

I haven't personally looked, but the alignment shop I had it at a while back said everything was good. However they said the wheel is bent and that was false so I probably can't trust their judgement of the other things. But what doesn't make sense to me is the grind is rotational and only on one portion of the wheel. The whole wheel doesn't rub, only one area.