My sons 1997 Accord has been making a strange noise in the front end,. It sounds like rubber on rubber grinding away and is most noticeable when going slow. We suspected ball joints or tower bushings. Both seem fine. It is worst when the wheel is moved slightly from the center position . Even a small movement of the wheel when the car is going straight I can feel the rack and it has a small vibration when the noise occurs. Fluid is good. Any ideas? If the rack is bad - how big a job or $$$ is a typical replacement? Thanks for any input.

 

Sounds are tricky over the internet. Can you give us a general idea of where the sound is coming from (engine bay, one of the tires, etc).

Is this more of a rumbling sound?

 

It is coming from under the hood. Actually behind the engine. I can feel a vibration in the rack and pinion ( passenger side end ) so I think is is coming from there but I dont know what it would be. The sound is like a big rusty hinge or a rubber bushing going bad. When the engineis cold , no noise except a littel power steering noise but as it warms up ( in neutral ) I can begin to hear it when I move the wheel back and forth a little . It seems to coenside with the small power steering noise so I dont know what is going on inside the end of the rack . Thanks

 

So it does it while the car is not moving? Sounds like it could be the rack and pinion. I would drive it and see if it gets worse though. They can be quite costly to replace, the part themselves will run a few hundred dollars used(new from honda I believe they are $1000+) and its a bear of a job trying to replace one. If you paid a shop to do it you'd be looking at a ton of money in labor. You would probably be over the value of the car.

 

What about dry sway bar bushings? I have a similar sound and that is the issue.

 

Thanks for the advise . I jus had new tires put on and the mech said it was the upper arm bushing . I didnt realize the accord had them but, the noise was gone. He spraid a lub on it but sait it was temporary . So of the the dealer we go . Thanks for helpful suggestions.