Guest ami
My 1997 corolla is making a rhythmic squealing noise from the front tires while driving. Also
the left front wheel is slightly loose and moves sideways a bit when u try shaking it by hand.
But the sound apparently is louder near the right front wheel.
One mechanic said I have to replace the wheel bearing on the left front wheel
while another one said the sound is because of metallic breaks on the right front wheel.
I have lifted the car on a jack one wheel at a time and tried rotating the front tires.
The right trie seems quite tight to rotate, and does not rotate freely at all.
The left one is loose and shakes a bit if you try shaking it, but rotates ok.
Can anybody help out this confused soul ?
left sounds like bad wheel bearings, balljoint, or tierod end.
right sounds like a frozen or stuck brake caliper.
I would agree with Bitter's suggestions. And I would strongly recommend NOT driving this car unless you're taking it to a shop to get the work done! A wheel that is loose as you describe could indicate either that the wheel bearing is so bad that the wheel could fall off or that a suspension component like a ball joint is so bad that it also could fail catastrophically. And a wheel falling off or losing steering is generally A Bad Thing. Stuck brakes could cause your brake fluid to boil, which would mean no brakes. Having no brakes at the same time a wheel falls off and you lose steering is A Really Bad Thing.
If you don't feel capable doing the work yourself, get the car to a shop now or park it until you can. And drive slowly! I don't mean to be alarmist, but it's possible that continuing to drive this car could kill you!
-Dave
I will also agree with the wheel bearing or brakes being the issue. My old Chevy Corsica made a similar noise from the right front until I accidentaly bounced her off the curb during a snow storm and had to replace everything.
Any wheel that seems loose when raised up and tested probably needs some wheel beering attention.
If it does not rotate it could be brakes stuck or also bad wheel beerings.
