[dmorrill22]

I found out tonight that the driver's side wheel bearing is bad on my mom's dodge stratus. With the tire off the ground, I can wiggle it back and forth at least 1/2". The passenger side bearing seemed fine, as I couldn't wiggle the wheel back and forth with the vehicle off the ground. Could this cause the lower control arm to scrape against the rims? When I tried to put the stock rims w/ winter tires on, the driver's side rim was scraping against the lower control arm. It is off of the front, as I marked it last year? If the wheel bearing isn't causing the scraping, what would be?


Thanks and sorry for so many questions!

 

[dmorrill22]

nevermind, turns out the slop wasn't the bearing, it was the joint from the steering. Still not sure why the rim is getting scraped????

 

[Tractor-Holic]

The bearing can cause it to rub if it were loose enough--so can a bad ball joint...I'd check both and NOT drive it until you find the cause--if a ball joint is that loose,it can come apart and the car will crash to the ground!...jack the car up by the underside so the lower control arm hangs free,then pry up on the tire with a pry bar and see if the ball joint feels loose...then jack it up under the lower control arm and do that again,if any play exists doing that either way,the ball joint should be replaced...

The constant velocity joint wont make the rim touch the lower control arm if its worn,it'll make snapping or clicking noises during sharp turns ,especially under acceleration...that can make it come apart eventually,and the car wont move,the shaft could whip around and beat things nearby to death too...you can nurse a worn CV joint a long time if you drive gently,but the risks involved if one fails isn't worth taking,when a rebuilt axle can be had for under 75 bucks on most FWD cars today...

 

[dmorrill22]

So if the ball joint is shot, the lower control arm will get lower to the ground, until it touches the rim? The bearing seems fine, but the lower control arm is scraping - looks like someone took a grinder to it. On the passenger side, the control arm is like a 1/4 inch above the rim at least. To make the car drive able, a summer rim was put on, the rim is an inch bigger. It is the only car that is driveable ATM, as the van's parking brake and abs lights are on.

 

[dmorrill22]

Car is in the garage now. Ball joint shot, tie rod gone. This is what was causing the rim rubbing, and the slop in the steering.