Edition 30 noise from front end when under 30mph?

[hussnainh8]

Hi,

I am getting a loud whirring sound coming from the front when the car is in neutral or the clutch is not engaged (clutch pedal down). When in gear there are no sounds.

When moving off I cant hear sounds however if I let go of the accelerator pedal and step on it again, I hear the knock which disappears again and when turning the steering wheel slightly, I can hear the whirring/knocking ever so slightly but not at all times.

What I know:

Last year I had my tyres replaced and the garage had told me everything seems fine in the suspension however the cv boots on the driveshafts are split and they are leaking grease. He had told me to get it replaced but it wasnt urgent as the car was driving perfectly fine. This was never replaced and the boots are still split so maybe the driveshaft is causing a problem? How can it be driveshaft related when the car doesnt make the noise when in gear or if it does maybe I cant hear it but I can hear it when driving slow speeds rolling in neutral or pressing the clutch pedal in.

When it happened

It started when I jacked my car up to paint one of the wheels and I had used an emergency wheel to drive on for 1 day. So all i did was jack the car up and put a different wheel on it. Maybe its time the driveshafts need replacing now or is it something else?

Thank you.

[hussnainh8]

Just discovered.. The noise is present even when im in gear and driving. I have not lifted the car up yet however when racking the steering wheel left and right quickly, I hear a knocking sound from the suspension on the driver side front. Any guesses what I should look at?

[chigmuss]

I'd certainly be replacing your CV boots (inner or outer?) as you'll find the grease will start covering a lot of the underside components of the car. You say last year, so that's a pretty long time that it's been left, if they're devoid of grease then they've a good chance of grinding/failing so that'll give you issues, some of which might fit with the symptoms you describe.
Get the car up on a ramp and have the shafts looked at as your starting point and go from there. Some of the other bushes underneath may be found to also be worn or have play so they might help eliminate the issues you have, but shafts would be my first port of call if it was highlighted a while back.
Good luck