Please help - mystery rubbing sound (it's not a wheel bearing assembly)

[DannyJay]

2009 mustang gt deluxe - 112k miles, 5 speed manual. Clutch in good shape. I've always wanted a Mustang GT and take really good care of this, my first GT. That said, I hit a patch of black ice over the winter and went up against a curb. Body shop installed a new passenger side control arm and did an alignment Shortly after getting the car back I began to notice a rubbing sound from the under-carriage. It gets louder when I accelerate and more quiet when I decelerate. Also, the sound is quite evident/obvious/embarrassingly loud (for anyone sitting in my car) when I'm driving straight or turning right. The sound stops altogether when I turn the wheel left. I know, it sounds like a wheel bearing, right? Well it doesn't seem to be. I"ve replaced the two front wheel bearing assemblies, to no effect. Sound is still there. It feels like it's coming from right underneath my feet as I'm driving. Looking underneath the car, the only thing I see that seems odd is a white cord with a blue handle-looking attachment thats hanging down a little. IDK what that is. Could it have to do with the E brake? Could that be rubbing up against something when the car gets up to speed. I'm a fairly capable DIY mechanic and have been for almost 20 years at this point. I really don't want to have to take the mustang to a shop where I won't know the person who ends up working on it so would prefer to do this myself if at all possible.

So please let me know if additional information would be helpful. Otherwise.....pleeeeeeeeease help a hard working guy with 2 jobs, 2 kids a wife and very little money to pay a shop. If I can do this myself, I absolutely will. If you tell me that I absolutely have to take it to a shop then I will as I drive my kids, wife and dog around in my mustang and need for them to be safe.

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[08GT500]

Hi, Sorry to hear- certainly want to keep it safe, no matter who’s in the Car...
If this is going away on a Left turn, it seems that there’s endplay that’s in the Passenger side where impact occurred. It may also be sheer coincidence & be something else, altogether. But I’d imagine it’s something that was damaged slightly when you had impact, and now presenting.
The upper/Lowe control arm or Sway bar bushing along with the upper and lower ball joints, Brake pads, the Rotor backing plate, even Tires & Alignment May also be the culprit, Front Calipers too close to a Warped Brake Disc, front or rear .A cracked Brake pad, or a wear indicator, sure it’s not a Motor driven accessory?
But, start from the Rear first to rule it out
I’d try the following:
1) Check (with a Socket) for loose Exhaust, bad hangers, Starter Bolts, Driveshaft Bolts, Bell, etc. perform a good once over.
2) Put the Car up in the air securely, position rear Jack & Stands on the Axle, so you’re replicating the weight/angle on the rear end. Verify the E-Brake is catching & releasing entirely-no Drag. Pull in/out on your Tires to seek “play”. Do this with Wheel turned, Car on ground- bar inside pulling in the Ball joints.
3) Start the Car, someone inside, securely supported & have one put into Gear, slow acceleration in 1st. Hear anything? Hit the Brakes lightly, accelerate.slowly & apply brakes, any noise?
4) Moving forward, nose up & securely jacked on Frame, pull on your Wheels & listen/feel any play or evidence of rubbing, inner well to Tire, etc. while rotating Tires, look for evidence of contact. Remove the Ket- Steering locked, pull/push hard to feel for play.
5) Remove the Tire in Passenger side, noting any abnormal Tire wear. Put a steel bar against Hub & pull from different directions against the Ball joints. Steering mechanism (Tierods) Check for Play.5) look at the replaced Control arm. No play- do the same to the other side.
Get the Tires balanced, look for Tire Weights to see if one slipped off.
6) Move the backing plate a bit & see it it helps, Check Steering Rack for loose Bolts, otherwise. Keep looking for wear marks in any part in the Front end..Check your Brakes engage or release with no Rotor movement or drag. Very Lightly applied Brakes can pick up a warped rotor.
7) If you located damage in the Passenger side Front, call your Insurance Company & make them pay for another Shop to repair it correctly. Dropping by the Shop that did the repairs & explain what occurred. You’ll get a free Diagnosis, as they’ll try to keep their name free of negatives.
If it is related, if they don’t opt to fix it for free, your Insurance will cover it or make the Shop do it, as they missed something.
Pull out your alignment sheet, it should be included from when it was aligned. If it’s bias towards the side the accident occurred on, something was bent, they didn’t concern themselves with if adjusted to compensate.
This may/may not locate the issue, but narrow it down-a baseline.
May I confirm the Passenger Front hit the curb, not also the rear?
Good luck!
-John

 

[08GT500]

Hi, Forgot to answer your question regarding the unidentified wire hanging down. Best guess is it’s a Block Heater wire & Plug. If so, it has nothing to do with this.unless it’s wrapped around something like the driveshaft. You can follow it up to the Block to confirm, or post a Pic if still unsure. Many of them were installed in the S197’s in both U.S. & Canadian versions.
-John