If one of your car's wheels makes a loud scraping or grinding noise while you're backing out of a parking space, you're probably wondering what's causing it. Backing out of a parking space is one of the few times you'll need to fully turn your steering wheel in one direction while you're driving, and this can expose some hidden mechanical issues in your car. To learn what may be causing the scraping noise when you're turning and reversing, read on.

Debris Stuck in Your Wheel Well

Sometimes a rock or tree branch will be kicked up into your wheel well when you're driving on the road and get stuck there. When you turn your wheels in order to back out of a parking space, it may come into contact with your car's chassis and make a scraping noise when you reverse.

Use a flashlight to carefully inspect your car's wheel well, including the brakes. Removing any road debris that you find may fix the problem.

Skidding Tire

Your car's wheels may be turning too far inwards or outwards when you have the steering wheel fully turned. This will cause one or more of your tires to skid along the ground instead of rolling, which will cause a scraping noise. To see if your wheels are skidding, you can have a friend stand near your car and watch your wheels while you slowly turn in reverse.

You can fix this problem by not turning your steering wheel as far when you're trying to back out of a parking space. You also have the option of taking your car to an auto repair shop and having your suspension adjusted. Loosening your suspension will prevent your wheels from turning too far inwards or outwards.

Warped Wheel Bearing

The wheel bearings in your car connect the axles to your wheels. They can become warped if they overheat or if you drive over a deep pothole. A warped wheel bearing can cause a scraping noise when you're backing out of a parking space since it will come into contact with the axle or the wheel.

You'll need to take your car to an auto repair shop and have your wheel bearings inspected. Any that are warped or worn down will need to be replaced. 

Worn CV Joint

The constant velocity (CV) joints on your car are located at the ends of your front axles. The inner set of CV joints connects the axles to the transmission and the outer set of CV joints connects the axles to your wheels. They transmit power from the transmission to your wheels at a steady rate, which makes driving smoother.

The ends of the CV joints are covered by a rubber boot that keeps them safe from road debris. If a rubber boot is punctured by an object on the road that's kicked up by your tires, the grease that lubricates the CV joint will leak out. This increases friction against the wheel, resulting in a scraping noise when you're turning.

If your CV joint boot is leaking, you may notice a puddle of grease underneath your car. A worn CV joint is a serious problem since it can suddenly break and cause you to lose control of one of your wheels. If you think a worn CV joint is the culprit, have your car towed to a nearby auto repair shop instead of driving it.

Overall, it's a good idea to take your car to an auto repair shop if the scraping noise isn't caused by debris near your wheel or your wheels skidding along the pavement. Warped wheel bearings and worn CV joints are serious mechanical issues that need to be repaired before they cause further damage to your axles or fail entirely while you're driving

Share