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Hydroplaned and car hit embankment and curb. Now front wheels make a grinding noise. Any idea of what this is?
It was raining really hard outside and I chose to rive. I was turning to merge on a busy highway. I wasn't going fast, but it was pouring outside and the road was covered, almost flooded with water. As soon as I turned and steered for my car to turn right, it went left and I ended up hitting the embankment with the front of my car (driver's side) and then hit the front left side (passenger side) on the curb before the car stopped. I got out and there wasn't even a dent on the car! Not even a scratch! I turned the car on, everything seemed fine like the radio, windshield wipers, windows, AC, ABS or check engine light came on. The hubcaps popped off on all four of my tires and the front two wheels looked liked they were dented, not a lot just like a little dent on each wheel by the tires. (Not sure what that part of the wheel is though...the rim, maybe?) But when I went to move the car over to the side of the road more, the front wheels would turn left and right, but not before making an awfully loud almost grinding noise. I was able to back the car up too, but again with that horribly loud noise. It sounded like it was from the wheels. I'm definitely not car savvy, but it just seems like a problem with the front wheels of the car. My car has been towed to a local auto body shop and they can't check anything until they open on Monday. Does anyone know what the problem could be? I know it's going to cost money, but any idea how much? I drive a 2009 Nissan Versa Hatchback by the way.
5 Answers
- Ef ErvescenceLv 68 years agoFavorite Answer
There are many possibilities, starting with a bent wheel rim touching something as it turns, but most likely is brake pads/shoes dislodged and the steel edges in contact with the brake drum.
The fact that all hub caps popped off says the impact was pretty hard, so there may be damage to the steering components, as well, but that will have to be seen when the car is on a hoist.
If it is just brakes, this would be a simple repair and if the car has not been driven since the incident, it may be possible to just realign all the parts and put it back together.
Note that a bent wheel is not to be ignored, as it will cause stronger and stronger vibrations as road speed increases, and the continued vibrations will eventually cause the wheel rim to weaken as well as damage the bearings and other components. You said BOTH front wheels were damaged, however, so that means a square=on impact and both edges of the rims are bent. This can be bad news as it can affect the seal of the tire to the rim, andc ause air loss, so it is likely the rims will need replacement.
- ?Lv 58 years ago
Sounds like you dislodged some of the brake components when you hit that embankment. If you cracked a wheel bearing as well, you probably would experience a whole lot more.
Don't drive the car until it has been inspected by a mechanic. If you decide to drive, and you get involved in an accident, expect to answer some tough questions relevant to driving an non-roadworthy vehicle on public roads. You now know that something is wrong, very wrong in fact, so don't make the mistake of endangering yourself or other people.
To fix this, the wheels and hubs have to come off, front suspension parts removed and inspected, brakes dismantled and inspected for damage, looks like an interesting job of 6-odd hours.
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