Help with front end noise....

I bought a 2000 GTP Daytona 500, and it had a bad wheel bearing. The dealer sent it out to get fixed (they were a Honda dealership and didn't service domestics). Before new wheel bearing there was a constant grind, growl from front right when turning left. Now after new wheel bearing there is an intermittent grind, grind, grind when turning left. The faster I am going the louder it is, but only when turning left. I did the 12 and 6 tire shake and it is solid. I inspected the brakes, they are pretty new. The tires are new and balanced. What else is left? Strut mount? Possible shotty bearing, or could the service place have installed it wrong, not lube it or what. It has 53000 miles on it so I realize it is going to have some noisy parts, but besides this, the car is perfect and the noise is really annoying. I need to get this figured out before it causes more damage to other parts. Any suggestions appreciated!! (Oh by the way, the mechanic that fixed the bearing said he heard it but couldn't figure out where it was coming from.)

I would say you have another bad bearing possibly on the opposite side. The strut mount can cause a problem like this but usually you only hear it as low speeds. It is possible that the bearing that was replaced was bad but this usually doesn't happen since they are sealed from the factory.

Wouldn't the left bearing make noise if I was turning right. I can't even tell which side it's coming from. Most of the time it sounds like the right, last night it sounded like the left. I did notice a little play in the left wheel. Maybe I will just replace it for good measure. Is there any other suspension parts that will make this noise? Thanks for the reply.

You would think that it would make noise when turning right but bearings can do some wierd things. I had a ford van that sounded like the left bearing was going bad so I changed it. Turned out to be the right, ruined the hub and everything when it went. Change the left bearing and check the ball joints while you are there. The play you mentioned, is it up and down or front to back? If it is up and down check the ball joints, if it moves front to back check the tie rod ends both external and internal. Since you indicated that the noise gets louder the faster you travel I would suspect that the bearing has gone south. Let me know what you find. Good Luck!

OK here is what I have observed. Right wheel (one with new bearing) grabbing at 12 & 6 no play. Grabbing at 9 & 3 lots of play. Left wheel 12 & 6 a little bit, 9 & 3 a lot. Wouldn't there be some play at 9 & 3 just because that is the way it is supposed to move? I can understand the other way. In any case, if I were to replace inner and outer ball joints, and the other wheel bearing about how much would it rack me, and how labor intensive is it. My mechanical ability is about an 8 out of 10, but I know a lot about engines and little about suspension. Any write ups or advice on doing the job would be awesome! By the way the car has 54000 on the clock, and I am pretty sure nothing suspension wise has been replaced. I have new struts (not installed, waiting for lowering springs), I only really want to tear it down once, what else should be replaced, if not because it's bad, but just for good measure? Also I appreciate the quick and very helpful info!!

You have the ablility to do the wheel bearing, they are easy. One note of caution, don't put the axle nut on with an impact wrench. Your hub has an ABS sensor in it and can be damaged by the hammering vibration an impact wrench generates. The outer tie rods are easy also. Pick up a tie rod separator tool($10-$15) and after separating it from the spindle, count how many turns it takes to remove it, and re-install the new one the same number of turns. This will keep your alignment close. Another thing to check is lug nut torque. If the HOnda dealer didn't torque the lug nuts evenly, the brake rotor could be contorted due to uneven clamping force, or the rotor could be warped from the old wheel bearing's free play. I would start with new pads and rotors and watch the tie rods as you move the wheel at 9 and 3. Which ever one seems to have the most play is the one I would start with. Inner tie rods are beyond the ability of most home mechanics. They take special tools and require some technical know how to do properly, plus they don't fail nearly as often as outers do. Hope this helps, and good luck