[chriwe]

I was getting a click from the left front, once per revolution, got louder over a day or so, started right after using a gravel parking lot.

jacked up the front, spun wheel and the noise was in one spot, louder forward than back, and very repeatable.

Took wheel off and spun disk, nothing, no sound. inspected, no rocks, nothing looks out of place, brake sheild is solid and doesn't look bent.

wheel back on, click is back. wheel off, click is gone. wheel back on, click is back. same spot no matter how I put the tire on. run hand all the way around with the wheel on, nothing touching. wiggle brake shield to see if it might deflect to hit something. spin wheel again, click is gone!

what did I experience here, and will it come back? was it a rock so small I couldn't see it? I'm at 48K miles, so I have a little factory drivetrain warranty left, but I'm guessing if it's CV joint, brake, or bearing related it won't be covered anyway.

 

[Carfreak09]

Something was likely lodged in the brake shield. I wouldn’t worry about it.

 

[chriwe]

that was my first thought too, but I've had that many times before on several other cars, and this did not behave like that.

 

[Carfreak09]

that was my first thought too, but I've had that many times before on several other cars, and this did not behave like that.

It’s the only real explanation. CV axles just don’t stop making noise and bearing noise is more of a roar that changes in tone based on wheel load. You wiggling the brake shield and making the noise stop likely points to something there that you didn’t see.

 

[jj38]

I had a similar problem a few months ago when I heard a screeching sound from my front passenger wheel when braking/driving slowly. I did the same as you: took off the wheel, spun it around, and I was able to replicate the screeching sound with the wheel off. I carefully ran a chopstick between the brake shield and rotor and was able to dislodge a rock that was stuck in there.

My guess is that you had a rock stuck in there, so you likely have nothing to worry about.