1986 Chevy s10 with 171000 miles. Automatic with manual 4wd. Knocking/grinding noise when driving, any speed, worse when going straight.

I bought this truck for next to nothing as a project truck. I planned to fix the body because mechanically, it seemed fine. I started it this morning and started driving and hear a metal on metal grinding or dragging noise coming from around the driver front tire. Nothing is visibly broken or dragging. I don't see any fluid around the wheel. The noise is there when going straight or turning. It was loud and violent enough of a sound for me to turn around and park it. I'm looking for any advice because I've checked all I could at the time. I was unable to jack it up to inspect it be
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. Look under the vehicle and see if the frame bracket is loose and dragging under the vehicle. If there is nothing dragging under the vehicle, then either the brakes are sticking and rubbing on the rotors or the wheel bearings are damaged causing the grinding noise. Raise up the vehicle and turn the wheels and listen for any noises that would occur when the wheels are rotating. If you need further assistance with your wheels making a grinding noise, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?

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A common cause of grinding noises under your car are failing wheel or hub bearings. Wheel bearings allow the wheel and tire to rotate and are designed for low friction, while hub assemblies have an additional responsibility of securing the wheel and tire to the vehicle.
If you notice your car making a grinding sound when it accelerates, your issue is likely to do with your transmission, a problem with your differential, a bad wheel bearing, a damaged CV joint, or a worn engine/motor mount.
The most common and often most-identifiable symptom associated with a bad wheel bearing is noise coming from the wheel or tire area of the moving vehicle. You may mistake this as engine noise, but when you listen closely you are likely to hear grinding or grating that gets louder as the vehicle accelerates.
As the damage worsens, a faulty CV can produce a loud click, popping, or clunk sound. When making a tight turn at a low rate, frequent brake noise at low speed (caused by damage to the outer CV joints) causes grinding noises. A bad CV joint also causes a vibration in the steering wheel and the car`s floorboard.
Uneven wear is a leading cause of tire noises because contact between the road and uneven tires isn`t uniform. The unbalanced tread depths cause tires to emit loud noises while driving. Usually, you`ll hear sounds caused by uneven wear coming from one tire. Alignment issues can also cause tire noises.
If you hear grinding noises when stopping or slowing down, your brake pads are most likely the issue. Remember, over time your brake pads lose their thickness and begin to make squealing noises known as “brake scrubbing.” As your pads wear down further, you`ll hear a grinding noise instead.
Most of the time, if you hear scraping and grinding, it can be attributed to one of two main issues: Worn-out brake linings. Worn-out wheel/hub bearings.
Q: Is it safe to drive with a bad wheel bearing? A: No. It can, in fact, be very dangerous to drive if one of your bearings is worn out, especially since it may cause the wheel to stop while driving. Additionally, a damaged wheel bearing puts a lot of stress on the hub, the CV joint, and the transmission itself.
Q: Is it safe to drive with a bad wheel bearing? A: No. It can, in fact, be very dangerous to drive if one of your bearings is worn out, especially since it may cause the wheel to stop while driving. Additionally, a damaged wheel bearing puts a lot of stress on the hub, the CV joint, and the transmission itself.
If you hear your vehicle grinding while you are driving, you may have a worn wheel bearing. The grinding means there is mechanical damage and this should be checked out as soon as possible. The grinding sound is most noticeable when turning or when there is a shift in the load you are carrying.
How long does a wheel bearing last? Wheel bearings have an average lifespan of 136,000 to 160,000 km (approximately 85,000 to 100,000 miles).

Relevant Questions and Answers :

the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue

1986 Chevy s10 with 171000 miles. Automatic with manual 4wd. Knocking/grinding noise when driving, any speed, worse when going straight.
ANSWER : Hi there. Look under the vehicle and see if the frame bracket is loose and dragging under the vehicle. If there is nothing dragging under the vehicle, then either the brakes are sticking and rubbing on the rotors or the wheel bearings are damaged causing the grinding noise. Raise up the vehicle and turn the wheels and listen for any noises that would occur when the wheels are rotating. If you need further assistance with your wheels making a grinding noise, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.

Front end bearing or trans-axle noise. Hear a grinding noise noticeable above 15 mph. exists going straight, turning right/left.
ANSWER : Hello. To answer your question, the best way to remove the axles it by disconnecting the ball joints. The noise you are hearing can be coming from a bearing, an axle or from the transmission. I usually check the bearings first and then remove the axles and check the joints for any binding. If the axles and the bearings are fine then this is a transmission issue. Most of the time it is a bearing problem. If you do not find the problem I would get some help from a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, that can come to you to [diagnose why it is making this grinding noise] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/car-is-making-a-noise-inspection

Switched to 4WD – did fine for a little then started making grinding noise. Now car won’t move and the 4WD light is blinking.
ANSWER : Hi there. If the 4WD light is blinking and you hear a grinding noise when the transmission is in drive or reverse only, then the transfer case has either broken the fork inside the case or the syncronizer jammed up and is grinding the gears inside the case. If the noise is not coming from the transfer case, then the front differential could be damaged. I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you diagnose your 4WD not working issue.

when driving speed slow down and resume to speed it begins to jerk i have to put in over drive to resume speed especially on hiway
ANSWER : You should have the vehicle scanned. The data from the speed sensor needs to be checked to see if the transmission or engine is the cause of the jerking. You may have a transmission solenoid that’s not shifting correctly, an engine misfire, or a sensor malfunction. Have a certified mechanic, like one from YourMechanic, scan and test your vehicle for you to properly diagnose the car’s jerking symptom.

Grinding noise around differenial area
ANSWER : Hi there. If the noise started shortly after the repairs you completed, it is more than likely that you have left something loose inside or an internal component is not properly aligned. However, if the repairs were completed correctly, It is more than likely that you have damage to a wheel bearing. You might want to isolate the noise you are hearing or contact a local mechanic that can come to your location and help you diagnose the noise.

Traction control light flashes when taking off slow. Also, grinding noise when pulling off fast or going up an incline or driveway
ANSWER : The traction control in the vehicle uses the brakes to control the wheel spin. If you are getting a light coming on and a noise during acceleration, your vehicle may be having an internal transmission problem with the 1st and 2nd gear. Only a complete diagnostic check of the brakes, traction control, transmission, and axles will determine the cause. I recommend having a mechanic come and check out that car to pinpoint the cause of the grinding noise and performance issues.

My manual car won’t go into gear, it turns on and the clutch goes down perfectly fine. It happened after my gears grinded, the car
ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

grinding noise while turning right or driving straight
ANSWER : Hello. If the noise is still there when the engine is off and if you are not turning the wheel, then it is typically either a failing bearing in the rear differential or it can be a failure in the transfer case if it is four wheel drive.

The transfer case is a very common failure on this vehicle. If it is two wheel drive then I typically start by draining the oil from the rear differential and inspecting the fluid for metal.

Any metal in the fluid indicates a bearing failure. If that is also fine, then it may be an issue within the transmission. It may be a failure in one of the thrust bearings. If you need to get this looked at, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to your home or office to diagnose your car’s grinding noise.