Front driver side tire moves side to side when jacked up

ANSWER : If you can move the tire in and out when on a jack then you may have a few different possible problems. The inner or outer tie rod ends may be worn. Your steering gear may also have worn bushings. I would recommend moving tire back and forth while holding onto the tie rod ends to see if looseness is felt and replace any loose components. An alignment will need to be done after repairs.

ANSWER : 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.

ANSWER : Hi there. Wheel location is determined by imagining you are sitting in the driver seat. Your, and most vehicles today, have 2 axles in the front; certain vehicle still have a solid rear axle housing, but retain 2 individual axles as well. It sounds like you may have bent the strut, lower control arm, ball joint, and/or hub when you hit the curb. I suggest having a qualified technician perform an inspection to avoid replacing unnecessary parts. Your Mechanic has several available technicians that can assist you with a suspension inspection.

ANSWER : Hello – your RAV4 uses torsion bars instead of springs to suspend the weight of the vehicle. Each wheel/tire carries a different amount of vehicle weight. An alignment adjusts torsion spring force to support each corner of the vehicle to a certain height – called ride height. Think of this as the distance between the ground and a point on the undercarriage that will be the same side-to-side. It will be same for both front tires, and both rear tires, although the front and rear ride height may be different. This may result in different "tire hang when suspended" distance as you have noticed. Test this by driving the vehicle onto an absolutely flat piece of pavement, then measure the distance between the ground and a front frame or sub-frame point that is common on both the right and left sides. If the distances are equal, the vehicle was aligned properly, regardless of how the tire hangs when the vehicle is suspended.

ANSWER : From what you’ve described, your power seat has an electrical issue. There is separate control setting for each seat position. The power seat has motors that drive a track assembly to move forward or backward. The motors or related wiring could have failed causing this condition. This will require an inspection of the power seats system. Consider YourMechanic if you need assistance with getting this done.

ANSWER : The steering rack and pinion assembly is mounted in rubber bushings; they may be deteriorated and allowing the rack and pinion to contact the sub frame making the knocking noise.

The other component to look at is the struts upper bearing and rubber bushing. These get dry of lubricant and should be lubed with a teflon grease when installed so the rubber will not get damaged.

Have someone feel the top of the strut mount under the hood while the steering is turned back and forth to see if the knocking or popping is in the strut. The rack and pinion bushings should be inspected from under the vehicle.

If either or both are bad then they will need to be replaced.

A mobile mechanic, such as one from YourMechanic, can come to your home or business to inspect the knocking noise at your home or business.

ANSWER : Request that a professional alignment shop use a tram to carefully and completely measure the unibody and compare all such measurements against the data set out in detail in your vehicle’s Factory Service Manual. Using that strategy it will be easy to conclusively and authoritatively determine if the unibody is damaged. If the unibody was damaged in the collision it will have to be repaired, if cost effective, or obviously the insurance company will have to make you whole on your claim for damage. If you have any further concerns, do not hesitate to contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Occasionally, you will be able to measure enough play in the bearing that you can condemn it without further testing. You have to check the factory spec. to see what is allowed and will have to use a dial indicator. Sometimes you can road test the car and by swerving, sequentially load and unload the side of the car with the suspect bad bearing. If the noise level clearly changes as you load and unload the suspect side, that is usually a positive indication. When you swerve you are moving weight temporarily off of the bearing which is enough to alter the noise generated by a bad bearing. Wireless chassis ears are really useful. Basically, the Mechanic will clip microphones onto each front spindle and compare the noise from side to side as the vehicle is driven. The wear on your tires complicates things a little but if there is little noise from the left front tire and yet when you mount that tire on the right the noise increases to about the same level as when you had the original tire on the right, that is an indication of probable bearing failure. The labor time on the bearing is about 2 hours. If you desire that this be evaluated and/or replaced, I recommend you request a wheel bearing diagnostic and a certified Mechanic from YourMechanic will let you know if the bearing needs to be replaced.