Topic: Strange Noise on B5 A4

[Bluefool]

My blue 2001 A4 1.8T, amongst other noises has an odd noise while turning left.  It is a cyclical sound that seems to come from the right front corner and sounds like something metallic scraping something else.  I looked under the car, even with weight on the right front tire, felt around, etc. but can't figure it out.  It has done it for over a year.  I thought mabye the brake dust shield was hitting something that rotates, but it doesn't seem to be.  Just curious if anyone else has experienced something similar.

[RBSileighty]

Might check your control arm bushings... if they were bad enough I could see those making a scraping sound as you turn...

[ken]

It's not a bad CV joint sound, right?   You'd really only hear it when turning.

[-vinny-]

Sounds to me a CV joint or wheel bearing?  Have you jacked the car up and see if you can physically shake the wheel? Or see if the axle itself has a lot of play?

[Bluefool]

I did try to shake the wheel with it off the ground and it felt solid.  It doesn't sound like a cv joint.  The control arm bushing theory is intriguing.

I took it to a parking lot and drove in a circle and it will make the noise for as long as I can tolerate driving in a circles.  I don't know if it requires only a certain steering angle or a certain speed or
what, but I notice it on sharp turns at lowish speeds, like in a parkingot, or
even turning onto the main road outside my subdivision.  It sounds like a cyclical 'scrape-scrape-scrape' noise.

[jm]

I did try to shake the wheel with it off the ground and it felt solid.  It doesn't sound like a cv joint.  The control arm bushing theory is intriguing.

I took it to a parking lot and drove in a circle and it will make the noise for as long as I can tolerate driving in a circles.  I don't know if it requires only a certain steering angle or a certain speed or
what, but I notice it on sharp turns at lowish speeds, like in a parkingot, or
even turning onto the main road outside my subdivision.  It sounds like a cyclical 'scrape-scrape-scrape' noise.

Based on this description I'm going to vote for a wheel bearing starting to go.

[Bluefool]

Seems to have been brake pads, of all things.  I had ATE semi-metallic, which seem to be quite metallic.  I put some Porterfield R4-S pads on with new rotors for the Audi Club event at Mid-Ohio and no noise.  Arg!  All this time wondering wtf it was and it was so simple....