Hey guys, I'm having a problem with my '99 Civic Lx and was wondering if anybody might be able to help.
First off, my car is certainly out of alignment. To go straight, I have to turn the wheel about 30 degrees to the left. I'm getting this fixed ASAP, but I'm wondering if it's the cause of another problem I'm having.
When driving straight ahead, or turning left at all, I head a thumping coming from the front of the car. It increases in temp when I speed up, and decreases when I slow down. However, when I turn to the right, I.E. when the steering wheel is straight up and down, the thumping decreases to almost nothing. Does anybody know if this is connected to my alignment issue? Or is it a bearing problem? Any insight would be much appreciated, thanks!

 

It's either a half shaft or a wheel bearing, if nothing is externally hitting your tire/breaks. I'm leaning toward half shaft.

Both the half shaft and wheel bearing are under $100 a piece (total cost to fix) if you DIY. It is not difficult at all to DIY, but if you do, you will probably need a shop to press in your new wheel bearing if that's what you need. Half shaft is all DIY, and I have done it so many times I could now do it blindfolded.

Oh, if you DIY a half shaft, you will need to rent a tie rod fork from a parts store, which can be rented free provided you return it after using it.