Muffled "Chewbacca" rumble sound when turning right..?

[300Drestoration]

When I turn to the right, I can feel a kind of rumble in the front end of the vehicle, perhaps towards the left. I can feel it in the pedal too, and hear it and it sounds a good bit like chewbacca from Star Wars.
It begins the moment I start turning the wheel from center to right, and it gets worse the further I turn right.
Also, it is more prominent during higher rpms. For instance if I'm in the upper range of 1st gear and turning around a corner, it'll be especially noticeable.
And the rhythm of the rumble matches the rpms exactly, and will inscrese or decrease along with it.
So basically, the louder and more active my engine is, the more the rumble is prominent.
Maybe it's better to think of it as a vibration not a rumblesince it's not that deep sounding.
Again, it is only when turning right.
The brake pads and rotors are now fresh, and the bearings in front were of course newly packed. This didn't solve anything like I'd hoped it would.
Anyone ever have something like this?

[t walgamuth]

Well, if it sounds like Chewy it could be your power steering pump. Have you checked fluid level?

[Maxbumpo]

Collapsed engine mounts?

[moon161]

You've been doing the Kessel run too fast. Otherwise, lower ball joints and power steering come to mind.

[300Drestoration]

Here's the power steering fluid in my Millennium Falcon..

[300Drestoration]

I picked up the appropriate fluid and am wondering if it is going to even make a difference to fill it to the correct level. For testing purposes of this rumbling issue i mean.
Obviously i will want to fully flush out and change this fluid along with its filter, and i did purchase enough fluid for this. But i don't have the filter on hand.
If i fill it up to the right level, will the old fluid interfere with me noticing an improvement in the rumble, if fluid IS the cause?

[300Drestoration]

All right so in another thread i mentioned that i had just had the brakes redone and felt like this issue arose after that, so was stressed about their work. But i'm going to continue this story in this thread since it is isolated to this mystery rumbling issue.

I called and spoke with the shop owner. I feel a bit better.

He said that while doing the brake work they carefully looked at the front bearings when they packed them and that they looked healthy and didn't need replacement. They repacked/greased them well and they are good to go.

So i mentioned the lower ball joint as a possible cause, and he said he inspected everything related including the bushings and that he didn't see any movement or anything to be concerned about.

So later today i am picking him up for a quick test drive to demonstrate the rumbling. He had taken it out himself before giving me the car yesterday but didn't hear the issue. I know how to recreate the occurrence in terms of what gear and rpm is most pronounced, so i will show him.

[kerry]

Record the sounds on video if you can and post them in this thread.

[Mxfrank]

If its not the bearings, give the engine mounts a look. If you can manually rock the engine side to side, they're bad for sure. Even if the engine doesn't budge, they may be collapsed.

[300Drestoration]

Here's a video demonstrating the audible problem. Listen for Chewy during the right turns.
This is all in first gear so don't worry i'm not plowing around the highway.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4482480/IMG_5135.mov

[300Drestoration]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here...
I did a tranny fluid check today, approximately anyways.
I followed the mercedes guide, however i don't have a point and shoot thermometer thing so i don't know if i was exactly at 80 degrees C for a proper reading.
My just cleaned and inserted stick came out with only the very bottom tip of it having fluid on it. Like, way below the two lines that could indicate the proper level.
The car had been driven for around a half hour, parked and turned off for 15 or 20 minutes, then turned on and idled for 15 minutes and then i shuffled through the gears several times to get the fluid in the system. The engine temp gauge was above 80.
I can't say this was an accurate test at all, but i wasn't expecting to see it so low on the stick. I know that it's a common problem to misinterpret the readings and to then overfill the tranny fluid. So i am definitely hesitating to do so, despite the fact that i have some on hand.
Is it possible that low fluid could cause a rumble? Only while turning one direction?

[BillGrissom]

The movie didn't sound like a wheel bearing or bushing issue. It sounds like it occurs when you stress the power steering pump. Try turning the wheels left to right while parked. If you hear the same noise, you know it is nothing to do with the wheels and suspension and probably the pump. Have a helper watch the power steering belt. It might be loose and flapping around under load. There is a filter underneath all that fluid which you can easily replace fairly cheap. In my Chrysler minivan world many have noted a similar chattering sound when their power steering reservoir screen gets clogged w/ crud. Never heard that with these large M-B filters, but perhaps if a prior owner used too much "stop leak" and plugged the filter. I never use that stuff. Another suspicion is that a rubber hose shed a chunk internally and it is blocking the return port on the reservoir. You can replace those hoses cheaply (search my post).

[300Drestoration]

Originally Posted by BillGrissom

The movie didn't sound like a wheel bearing or bushing issue. It sounds like it occurs when you stress the power steering pump. Try turning the wheels left to right while parked. If you hear the same noise, you know it is nothing to do with the wheels and suspension and probably the pump. Have a helper watch the power steering belt. It might be loose and flapping around under load. There is a filter underneath all that fluid which you can easily replace fairly cheap. In my Chrysler minivan world many have noted a similar chattering sound when their power steering reservoir screen gets clogged w/ crud. Never heard that with these large M-B filters, but perhaps if a prior owner used too much "stop leak" and plugged the filter. I never use that stuff. Another suspicion is that a rubber hose shed a chunk internally and it is blocking the return port on the reservoir. You can replace those hoses cheaply (search my post).

Thank you good point about testing in park. That will quickly eliminate the bearings if the issue still occurs. I will rev the rpms while doing so, since that is when the issue becomes most audible and pronounced. If it doesn't occur, then I will then do a drive test and touch my foot lightly to the brake pedal while reproducing the issue.
I already have a power steering fluid filter on the way and will promptly be changing the fluid and filter when I receive Friday.
Any thoughts about transmission fluid levels? I've seen so many varying video demonstrations of people testing their fluids without using a temp gun. Seems I should be getting a decent reading as long as the engine has been moderately in use and and is currently running idle with fluid present in the transmission. Shouldn't I be hitting at least a minimum level on the dip stick?

[300Drestoration]

Good news. It happens in park. A tiny bit differently, but it happens. And in park I can generate the issue when turning left too, not just right.
So I guess now it's down to what is up with the power steering situation. I will pour in some fluid just to get it up to the correct level and test it again. But I'm assuming this will be related to the filter, pump, or belt.

[Maxbumpo]

Originally Posted by 300Drestoration

My just cleaned and inserted stick came out with only the very bottom tip of it having fluid on it. Like, way below the two lines that could indicate the proper level.
The car had been driven for around a half hour, parked and turned off for 15 or 20 minutes, then turned on and idled for 15 minutes and then i shuffled through the gears several times to get the fluid in the system. The engine temp gauge was above 80.
I can't say this was an accurate test at all, but i wasn't expecting to see it so low on the stick. I know that it's a common problem to misinterpret the readings and to then overfill the tranny fluid.

First, the ATF required to bring the level up from the low mark to the high mark is just 0.30 liters, so be careful and don't add too much!

If you can repeat the measurement above three times and get the same result, your reading is good.

My rule is to keep driving the car for at least fifteen minutes after the coolant temperature reaches 80 deg C. I also know that my hot engine oil pressure reading is, at idle, so you could use that as a guide as well. I think your transmission was at full operating temperature for you measurement.