"nugg" sound coming from front wheel areas.

[JoeTsImpala]

While accelerating and turning I hear and feel a loud "nugging" type sound that vibrates with the rotation of the tires and changes with speed. It sounds like something binding and releasing, binding and releasing and it seems to be in the front wheels. Doesn't happen when accelerating on straightaways - only turning. Also, the backing out while turning creak-pop is really loud too - feels like it's in the rear though. The struts feel fine and were replaced less than a year ago. Haven't done brakes in a while and it seems like when I'm braking there is a wobble - maybe the rotors are warping? Bought best rotors NAPA had less than a year ago. Finally, while just regular driving at any speed there is a faint wub-wub sound that feels almost like a wobble or something. Any ideas on whether these problems are all coming from one thing or would they have to be several things all happening at once? I am not familiar with what a bad CV joint or ball-bearing or universal joint would end up sounding like... Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Oh yeah - 2000 Chevy Impala LS 3.8

[j cAT]

.

sounds like CV JOINT check rubber on front axles if any rubber cracks damage grease coming out this is probably the bad one . then jack up car and see if it moves too much . compare with other side and while rotating front tires make sure park brake on.

[1996Chreokee]

front wheel bearings... known problem

[57chevyragtop]

I agree with 1996chreokee louder left or louder right??? will help determine which side is going bad.

[1996Chreokee]

There is a way to check the wheel bearings while driving the vehicle... The worse the bearing is the louder it becomes... after a while it sounds like an airplane is on the roof...

[eeezeegoin76]

Might want to check the intermediate steering shaft, not sure about the 2000 impala but a week point on the 2005 model

[JoeTsImpala]

I took it to a shop finally and they tell me that the rubber boot covering the axle broke or something like that and now the grease is coming out so the joint rapps on each other. Personally it sounds ridiculous, and I think they just wanted to change my whole axle... Anybody have any feedback on this. By the way, to clarify the issue, my rear rotors seem to be warped - I believe unrelated because when braking the whole car shakes, kind of a pulsing like catch/release feeling. However, when accelerating to the left the nugging sound happens. Never on straightaways or turning right. Any ideas?

[57chevyragtop]

That could be the problem if that boot has failed as jcat above had diagnosed in his reply to your original post. It's either rebuild the joint or replace...Rotors could be warped as well but would need to use dial runout gauge to check the true of rotor. I think most likely the front. At some point you are going to have to trust it to a mechanic. It's important to find a garage you trust for the more difficult fixes that are beyond your abilities. There are such things beyond everyones abilities at some point and you can't always assume some tech is steering you wrong. Ask to see the old parts when removed, a decent tech has no problem doing that for you. I generally find if you give your confidence to someone they have a tendency to prove you right. Less so if you doubt them.

[Iflylow]

CV joints don't last 5 minutes without grease, and the boot tearing is the reason your grease is gone!
It also sounds like you have a hub bearing going...it may turn your traction control and ABS off if it gets too bad. The sensor for Trac/ABS is in the hub, and usually when the hub goes bad, it messes up the sensor also.
I agree with 57chevyragtop..front rotors are much more likely to warp than rears, check the fronts first.

[j cAT]

[quote=Iflylow]CV joints don't last 5 minutes without grease

those damm cheap boots again!

[luvmy02impala]

I just had a bunch of work to my 02 Impala. I had to have the front struts replaced and the car rides nice. The steering shaft was cracked and it did make a clunk sound. The front wheels had no grease and the bearings went bad. I also had new tie rods put on, with an alignment.

Needless to say, the car rides tight now. Check the bearings, struts and the steering shaft.

[JoeTsImpala]

Thanks all, and I'll humbly take the advice to trust the mech. Does the entire axle have to be replaced? I've been driving on this for several weeks, doesn't seem to be getting worse, but I don't want anything else to get messed up... What is a fair price to replace or rebuild?
Thanks again.

[Iflylow]

Most of the cost comes from the labor to get everything apart to get to the joints...it usually makes better economic sense to just replace the whole axle while everything is apart, that's my 2 cents.
Maybe a junkyard axle from a low mileage car that was hit in the back would work for you, but the labor to get it, unless you can do it yourself, would probably outweigh any savings from the used part.