Front end grabbing/ grinding?

[Jay-Fazed]

Hello everyone. Im new here and this is my first post. Anyway I have been experiencing a grabbing/ grinding feeling in my front end( mostly front passenger side) when I turn right at slow speeds. It is intermident but just feels like something is gonna break. I have read a lot of post about clunks, torque binding, locking, ect, but none of them describe mine. My TOD light isnt on, im not in 4lo. Any suggestions? Oh also I have torn outside cv boots onboth sides, but greese is still in them, and I ordered new ones from Independent4x.

[Knigh7s]

first off, welcome to the group, as some would say "addiction"!

Here is a thread that "might" describe what you are talking about. I say might because you state turning right with the right tire grabbing... usually it is the opposite tire of the direction you are turning.

Here is another thread look at post #6 by Joe_Black

But I'm sure someone with a lot more know how will chime in.

[Jay-Fazed]

Thanks for the links. I have read those and Im not sure if those symptoms are the same. Well they sound the same but after reading through them it turns out something is differnt. like the TOD light turned on or something. I have no check lights being displayed and just had a service done( it made the sounds/ feelin before hand aswell). Im pretty stumped on all this. So please everyone chime in.. Knigh7s thanks agian for the help!

[MSHardeman]

Jay, welcome to the family and congrats on your "new" VX. Make sure to post pictures when you get a chance so we can all revel in the VX glow.

You didn't post anything about the year or milage of your VX so it might be a little difficult for us to diagnose what's going on, but I'll give it a shot. If the grinding feel/sound only happens intermitantly it may be a bearing going out. Depending on how long the boots have been torn, and if they are the boots down by the wheel, even though they still have grease in the CV joints the boot may be allowing water and other debris to get down in there and ruin the bearing.

I would think that if the passenger side bearing was going out it would make more noise as you turned left (and loaded the passenger side wheel) so I may be way off here.

[Jay-Fazed]

Hummm. sounds very possible. I will inspect the bearing when I do the boot install. The boots are till where they belong, just torn all the way around. I have an 99' Ironman edt. with 103k miles.

[nfpgasmask]

Well, are the boots torn because your VX is lifted? A torn boot and CV problems usually creates a clicking sound, but that is only in 4WD.

I am going to go out on a limb and ask about your brakes and rotors? From my experience, grinding often comes from worn out brakes/rotors.

Bart

[enderg]

Have you changed you Transfer Case Oil?

Mine was binding on tight turns with a bit of whine... it got real loud one day and would barely turn. I was fearing the worst until I found a thread suggesting I change the T/C oil. That was the solution!!

Good luck.

ender

[Marlin]

I nearly fainted today. I had the sinking feeling in my gut. I was in the garage, cutting tubing for my bumper, attempting to weld, decided to get a new welding helmet. The new Chief Selects(Navy promotion system for E7s) were doing a car wash, as a Chief, I felt obligated to help them. So I took the vx out to a good old fashioned swamp trail. Got it covered with gloopy mud, as my 4yr old calls it. No problems, had a blast. VX performed perfect as usual, until I got on the road. Then all hell broke loose. The TOD light started flashing, and I couldn't turn worth a damn. I got that sinking feeling. Pulled over, turned it off, turned it back on, no light. Wooohooooo!!!!!!!!! Until I started to turn around. It felt like I was pushing against a rock, and then, bam, it started moving. My first thought was a tie rod or anti sway bar, but I was just in mud, nothing hard and I didn't hit anything. Hmmmm, felt even worse, cause then the Check TOD light came on again. It was driving ok, I put it 4wL, no problems, put it back in high, still the same. So I drove it home, it felt heavy when turning, like I was driving in sand or something. Got it home, and immediately jumped on here. My wife knew something was wrong, I was very distraught.
Found this thread, matched my symptoms, but it was covered in mud, so nothing to do but pressure wash it so I could check the harnesses. Washed it all out, pulled it out of the driveway to clean the mud off the driveway, decided to check it again, and voila, problem solved. Drove another 40 miles today since, and no problems, everything back to normal. Once it cools down, I need to find the harnesses for the TOD sensors so I can CRC them and then pump em full of dielectric grease. Boy was I relieved, this I can fix, I dind't want to have spend another 300-400 bucks to repair something like that.
Tomorrow I will track down those harnesses...

[VXorado]

Marlin,

Glad to hear it was an easy fix! Jay Fazed sold his VX to me (ho ha ha ha). He had fixed this problem before I bought it and I haven't experienced it. He ended up replacing one of the CV joints and that fixed the problem.

Here's the interesting part, There's mud caked on almost everything in the undercarriage. I've pressured washed the VX 3-4 times in the last month and I still am finding "cement mud". Thats two VXs that have had the same problem with mud as the possible culprit. Now that i've read your post, i'm thinking mud is very bad for our VXs. Jay fazed had cracked CV boots which could have allowed mud to easily get into the CV joints. I'm gonna pressure wash the VX again and get ALL the mud off, maybe it will fix problems I don't even have...

[BlackVXer99]

just out of curiosity, whats it cost to have the bearings replaced on all 4 wheels at shop? ball park figure..

may have to make a visit to St. charles isuzu, im only about 45 mins away.

im having some grinding noises when i slow from about 15 mph to 0. im hoping its just brake pads though, im about due for new ones.

[Marlin]

just out of curiosity, whats it cost to have the bearings replaced on all 4 wheels at shop? ball park figure..

may have to make a visit to St. charles isuzu, im only about 45 mins away.

im having some grinding noises when i slow from about 15 mph to 0. im hoping its just brake pads though, im about due for new ones.

No rear bearings, I wouldn't bother going that far to Isuzu for bearings. I had mine done at Pepboys, front wheels, inner and outer, and it was less than 200 with the parts I think. The Isuzu dealership in Columbus, OH quoted me 600 for the same job.