Front end grinding when turning and braking

[rlb5390]

2004 alero about 94,000 miles makes horrible grinding noise when turning and hitting the brake. gradually has gotten worse and worse. does not gring when driving only when turning either direction or braking. I love my car and I really want to get it fixed, but everyone that I go to keeps telling me it is the transmission. I KNOW FOR A FACT that it isn't, but i don't know what it could be. my dad has been a mechanic for 35 years and he thinks it could be the hub bearing on both front sides. this is his diagnosis without actually looking at it. I live in Kansas and he lives in Oklahoma, and I won't drive my car 500 miles with it sounding like this. If anyone has any other ideas please let me know. and if you do have an idea about how much would it cost to have it fixed. please i really need help!!!

[BNaylor]

Welcome to AF.

When was the last brake job? Rotors and pads?

[rlb5390]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Welcome to AF.

When was the last brake job? Rotors and pads?

I never had it done... I have had the car for a year. if it was done before that I don't know

[harmankardon35]

check for bearing slop by jacking up the car, and give the wheel a good shake from top to bottom, left to right. Any free play is a sign those bearings are getting worn, just make sure the free-play is not in the tie rod's or ball joints (tie rods cause free play left to right, ball joints will be loose pushing the tire up and down and a bearing will have free play in all directions....)

[463]

cost is apx $250.00 just had are alero (03) in two weeks ago to gm for 1 rotor and pads at 72000 km thats 44000 miles.

[bert_collins2000]

OMG! Me too! Ok...you ready? I have an '04 alero as well. I have 168,000 miles and this is a re accurring problem This is what I have found out. I changed the pads and the noise went away...for awhile right. I put "lifetime" warranty pads on and they last about 6 mos! Ok. Then I changed the pads and the rotors. 1 year later and the noise is back. By the way..the noise? yeah, thats your rotors getting ground to metal scrap. Finally a mechanic said its your wheel bearing hub assembley causing it. So I had an certified mechanic change the pads, the rotors and the wheel bearing hub assembley's. Oh, that was 800.00! I'll be darn if another year later and it was all back. I just got done doing it all over, this time myself, and I am waiting for it to come back by summer or fall. I wish I knew what is causing the wheel bearings, rotors, pads to go bad so quickly. I too love my alero. I am still searching.