Rotated Tires, Now there's a clicking noise

[falconut]

This weekend I rotated the tires, back to front, etc. Now, there is a loud clicking noise, most noticed at 40 MPH or above. It seams to be coming from the front drivers side and I swear my car is now slightly pulling to that side. I have inspected the tires for any debris and nothing. I've checked the air pressure and they're all the same. I looked under the car and the boots don't appear to have any tears or leaks. It has nothing to do with turning, this is just straight driving. It is so loud when I ride next to the concrete barriers.

Any idea what this could be and what could have caused it?

[falconut]

Oh, I also pulled the center console to change a light bulb. To do it, I had to pull the emergency brake up really hard. Not sure if that could have caused it. If so, is there a way to make sure the break has completely released?

[CREWZIN]

Just for kicks and grins, find an empty street and get the car going backwards about 10 miles an hour and hit the brakes fairly hard. Do that a couple times and see if anything changes.

If the noise is in the front, this procedure won't do anything.

If it is the front, jack up that wheel, turn it by hand and see if you can get it to click by hand when turning the wheel. Take the wheel off to see if you spot anything.

[Chromenut]

Ditto what Crewzin suggests. If you ebrake is stuck at all, that backup maneuver will help to snap it free.

Have you tried moving the tires back to where they were to see if they still make the noise?

[falconut]

I'll have to try the backwards thing in a parking lot.

I pulled the front wheel off last night after work and didn't see anything rubbing. Put it back on and put car in neutral and tried to spin wheel. It doesn't really spin freely, since it was turning the axle. Lots of resistance, but I assumed it was normal because it's a drive wheel. I heard no noise when spinning, but I couldn't get it spinning fast.

I haven't tried moving the wheels back where they were. I have to jack each tire up one at a time and don't have enough light until a weekend.

[falconut]

OK. Went in reverse just past 10 MPH and hit the brakes hard. Did this 4 times. Then pulled out on the road and got up to 35 and heard the noise. It's weird, because it almost sounds like something is flaping. I looked in the wheel wells, around the tires and under the car and don't see anything. I even popped the hood and looked around too. It's driving me nuts, because I can't figure it out.

[CREWZIN]

The only thing I can suggest is to find a muffler shop or auto place that picks up the car by 4 arms and lets the wheels hang loose. Get it off the ground and turn the engine on to let the wheels spin free. That won't do anything if the noise is fro the rear so try and pin-point which wheel the noise is coming from if it is definitely coming from a wheel.

How slow can you go and still here it? If you can go slow, see if it's "clicking" the same rotation as the wheel ...one click for every time the wheel turns.

[falconut]

I have been hearing it at about 40 MPH, but noticed it on a quiet road at 35 MPH. I guess I could put the front of the car on jack stands and lock the emergency brake and start it up and let it run and see if I can hear it.

[Hooligan]

If you pull the E brake, you won't be able to run the car in gear will you?

[falconut]

I'm pretty sure the E brake only does the rear wheels, so the front should move.