Q: I hear a loud clicking noise on the drivers side by my tire rim when turning the steering wheel front tires vibrating as well.

asked by on May 05, 2017

I have a 2000 honda civic and I hear a loud clicking noise on the drivers side by my tire rim when turning the steering wheel the front tires are also vibrating when driving. The steering wheel does not shake and the car doesnt pull to the left or right which leads me to believe its not a allignment problem. I also had the tires themselves examined at tire shop. No problems with tires. Im thinking its something like the drivers side CV shaft. Any advice would be appreciated.

My car has 205000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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A clicking noise on turning is very characteristic of a failed outboard CV axle joint. Sometimes, in such a circumstance, you can see that the rubber outboard boot is actually torn and leaking grease. If you see that (look behind the wheel toward the axle end), the axle for sure will have to be serviced. If you change the axle, be sure to install a new rubber seal on the transmission output side so that you do not have transmission fluid leaks with the new axle (a common mistake is to overlook that seal; if an old, left-in-place seal leaks after the axle is put in the job has to be done all over again). Vibration without actual shaking of the steering wheel "might" be related to the axle issue. On the other hand, such vibration could also be due to a failed wheel bearing, especially with over 200,000 miles on the vehicle and if those are the original bearings. If you were to need both an axle and a wheel bearing at the same time, and on the same side, that’s actually not that bad because the steering knuckle that holds the wheel bearing has to come off anyway to replace the axle. But, backing up here, the very first thing to do is get the issue properly diagnosed so you spend the minimum possible. If you want to obtain a diagnostic, please request a vehicle CV/wheel bearing noise inspection and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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