Started all suddenly Thursday night. When turn wheels, if is car in P and I turn wheels it is loudest. I hear it when driving to and for example speed up. Few days before it I replaced brake pads but it do not happen when I press brake. It is not clunking noise. I lifted car, take wheel of and try to move steering but not that noise when tire is off. When tire is on noise is back. I did check suspension. Replaced tie end rod because it had slack, checked lower ball joint with pry bar it look strong. Upper ball joint is good to. Funny I can replicate noise when car is shoot down to just by pressing above right wheel. Noise come from somewhere in wheel area. Maybe just some stone felt in when I was driving? This all would point to lower ball joint but it is not clunking noise and when I put pry bar between LBJ and LBJ housing it do not move.

 

After one second of checking sound an experienced guy said it is bad strut.

 

Maybe wheel bearing?

 

It is not wheel bearing. It have characteristic behavior and noise when is bad that I recognize easy. Right now I do believe it is lower ball joint. Whit pry bar test it didn't move. Will have to do more testing. Weather in Mn is not supporting at all. Every f weekend is rain or snow. I do not believe in bad strut. Why would strut make noise when I turn steering wheel in P.

 

get a stethoscope(or a piece of tubing to the ear) and have someone turn the wheel to produce the noise while you listen to various areas. Pay attention to the upper spring mount base(top hat) also.

 

^^^ I actually have stetoscope and is time to start use it. I have exactly same noise like in first 20 seconds of this video. Note it is not clunking. I guess screeching noise is first sign of ball joint falling. I have to test if is lower or upper. Before will be lower as older. I do not think is bad strut because I have that noise with car in park and slight movement of wheel. It exclude wheel bearing too.

 

It was lower ball joint. 10 years ago when my wheel fell of I had clunking noise, this time it was screeching and I wasn't capable to prove that ball joint is loose. However rubber boot was scattered. So I just went forward and replace it and it show up like right to do. Last a couple days screeching was very loud. When I was braking I had strong vibrations in steering but I blame new brakes, that I replaced before two weeks, for it. After replacing LBJ no more vibrations when braking and generally smooth drive.

 

Now I have exactly same symptoms in left wheel area like in post #1. Only problem is I did replaced left lower ball joint before 1 1/2 years and only 25K go. Boot look intact. What would be procedure here? I guess wait for a few weeks to be sure it is not some small rock in boot or LBJ sit?

 

^^^ Well screeching is gone. It was good call to wait for few weeks to see if it will go. Was good call because rubber boot look good and my guess was right.

 

^^^ Well screeching in left wheel area come back. I waited for one month. Did try to move LBJ with pry bar between LBJ and lower control arm but it didn't move, one month go. Today I tried to replicate noise with wheel off and hence after lift car I put a jack under lower control arm too. To my surprise LBJ move 1/16 to 1/8 with pry bar between LBJ and LCA when LCA was supported. I know this test should work at our cars without "unloading the ball joints". After I moved LBJ with jack under LCA I was capable to do same without LCA supported. I guess I need new LBJ. Only what upset me here is that this LBJ is only 36K old. I think this one I bought at Autozone. I always buy it at NAPA and they so far didn't fail me ever, I think 6-7 of them. I was at Autozone for something else and pick up LBJ there for convenience there. Well can not say for sure this one is from Autozone, but I know for sure only one in decades is non NAPA. It is that one that failed to early, I'm not sure. Well will do it tomorrow after snow in around 25F. Forever MN. Was diagnosing outside for 2 hours today in such weather and feel really good.
How much play is considered normal in ours LBJ? I have some for sure but not like 1/4, would say strong 1/16.

 

^^^ Replaced it today. It was lower ball joint bad. Noise is gone. Again it was only 36k old so not happy about it. It toke me only 3 hours because nothing was rusty and I have habit to grease, anti seize everything. Abs sensor cord have two tabs at plastic where it go from wheel well to engine bay. That tabs need to be pressed for plastic to go out toward wheel well. Very happy how this project went through.

 

Tell us more about this!

 

^^^ No much. It was screeching noise for around 3 months in left wheel area of my Acura Legend 90.. Than clunking noise when I drove over holes for 2 months. One day I was driving in downtown Mpls over some bump and lower ball joint snap. Axle shaft destroyed to, and wheel bearing. Wheel wasn't completely detached than hanging on tie end rod but completely of wheel well. I do not think such thing can happen at highway and high speed as momentum of car is forward. However very danger is to not care about LBJ.

 

Yikes!
I had a 90 Legend Coupe before my 01 CL-S...