Grinding noise on left turn
 

So whenever I turn left and accelerate I get a nasty sounding grinding/clicking noise, only does it on left hand turns, and only when I'm going faster than around 15mph.

At first I was thinking bearings, so I ordered new ones, and was going to change them out today when the clutch goes out :eek:

Would this be the grinding/clicking noise that I was hearing? Or would it still be advisable to change the front bearings out?
It's in the shop right now, changing the clutch out in a few days or whenever they get it in, and I already have the bearings, so I might as well have them change those as well. Don't think they have ever been changed, but I'm not sure as the original owner is incognito.

driving a '97 Boxster 2.5L


BTW - if anyone noticed, yeah I joined here like 3 years ago and this is my first post haha, mainly was here for knowledge, though maybe I'll be a little active now lol.

Do the front bearings seem like they need replacement, e.g., lift up the front end and check for movement in the bearings when you pull on the wheel from top to botton or left to right? Can you feel grinding or rough rolling when you spin either wheel while its in the air? What do you find when you turn the wheels to the left and spin them? Can you replicate the grinding or noise?

This was the first thing I did a few weeks ago when I started hearing the noise, put the car up on my lift and checked it all out, no play in any of the wheels, and could not replicate the noise at all. So I came online and looked around for the issue I was experiencing and came across bad engine mounts, bad wheel bearings, and bad clutch. Since the clutch just went out, I'm hoping that was the problem and the noise is no longer there when I pick it up next week. I don't think the bearings have ever been replaced, and since I have them, I might as well just replace them, or should I follow the old adage "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" ?

However, replacing the wheel bearings, if they have never been replaced, in my mind, would fall under 'preventative maint.' A few people I've talked to have told me that the bearings could be bad, and still have no play, but I'm not a mechanic so I don't even know if this is true haha.

If the wheel bearings mostly check out on the lift then they probably aren't the cause of the noise. Replace them if you want as preventative.

Next stop would be the front motor mount. It can make all kinds of weird noises when its worn or failed as the motor moves around a bit.