Variable speed light grind
 

Hi all!
First post here, but I've been an avid Ford fan for years. I'd owned mustangs mostly, but I switched over to the Focus for better gas mileage, lower payments, etc.
Anyhow, I have a 2007 SES 5-door. The front right is making a periodic grinding noise when coasting. Under braking or accelerating, this sound isn't audible. It speeds/slows with the speed of the car, not with RPMs. Sounds worse at slower speeds. If coasting at 60mph it's nearly inaudible.

I've heard similar sounds come from brakes, CV shafts and wheel bearings. I just redid the brakes on this thing...roughly 6 months ago I'd say, so I'd hope it's not that. I'm just wondering if the focus is more prone to blow bearings, CV shafts, etc.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance!
~Gybson

Automatic or manual?

[QUOTE=Gybson;4451848] The front right is making a periodic grinding noise when coasting. Under braking or accelerating, this sound isn't audible. It speeds/slows with the speed of the car, not with RPMs. Sounds worse at slower speeds. If coasting at 60mph it's nearly inaudible. /QUOTE]


MY initial opinion is that your pads on dragging on the rotor. This is usually caused by dirty or improperly lubricated caliper slider pins and is often overlooked during a brake job. Clean them and lubricate them with a high temp grease and then give us a follow up on what happens.

It's my commuter car, so it's an automagic. I didn't think it sounded transmission based. I've no slip. Shifts are nice and solid. No shift delay coming out of park, etc. It also has no whine and no particulates in the fluid. Open to suggestions though if it's a seemingly known issue. My father's PT cruiser made this sound before it chucked a CV joint. An old Saturn I had made this noise before it chucked a wheel bearing.

The only thing that makes me think that it's not a wheel bearing is that it doesn't change when turning. In the past I've had the sound fade/get worse when turning left or right.

[QUOTE=Geezer;4451894]That was my thought too... I buttered up the pins really well when I did the brakes (not my first rodeo :)) I may tear into it this weekend and take another look though. Way easier to lube the pins rather than press in a new bearing. *shudder*

Makes sense too since the sound goes away when braking.