Your best bet is to have it inspected at a tire and alignment shop. A few things that come to mind are a loose brake caliper, worn lower control arm bushings, and a broken tire belt. Brake pads that need replacement can make grinding noises. If they've been grinding for a while and you didn't notice, the rotor could be ground away and broken. I saw this happen twice when people ignored the noise.
Don't overlook a loose wheel. Most people don't realize the importance of using a torque wrench and tightening the lug nuts to the specified tightness. If you find they are loose, replace the wheel and nuts. They have matching mating surfaces and those surfaces are needed for friction to hold the nuts from working loose. Once they come loose, the friction surfaces will be chewed up and the nuts will come loose again very soon.
Sunday, July 24th, 2011 AT 7:23 AM
