Loud "whine" from the car

[Myco]

I replaced the sway bar end links about a month ago. Then 3 weeks ago I was hearing a large clunk in the front end. Taking the front right tire off I found the sway bar bracket .. the brackets attatching the sway bar to the frame ( replaced just over a year ago ) had been torn in half. So I replaced it.

Now the car is making a very loud whine when at high speeds. The front and rear hubs have been replaced within the last year but I still suspect it's from one of the hubs. (I don't remember if the front were OEM (tinkin) but I know the rears were.) After taking a friend around in the car we thought the front right tire was most suspect so we put the car up on jack stands and tried to move the tire. It did move just a very small bit from left to right. I took the brakes off... make sure everything is tight and still there is that bit of movement.

Also, In in the last month I have developed a leak somewhere in my power steering system. It is also about a year old. It leaks about 1/5 of a quart every week and the sound is there even when it's full. (but also the sound of not enough fluid in a power steering system is there when the fluid tank is full.) I don't hear any engine whine when the car is idling from under the hood either.

Any ideas about what's going on here?

 

[Sapperfire]

Left to right movement of the wheel should feel like fluid in motion, no jiggles. If theres any jiggle replace either inner or outer tie rods.

Bearings should be checked by gripping wheel at 12 + 6oclock and push/pull .. lift wheel to check ball joints. With hand placed on lower control arm, spin wheel, there should be no vibration .

Also check brake pad mating surface for cracks or large flakes, or low pad depth to indicator. Check between rotor dust shield and rotor (maybe you picked up a rock or something

Also sounds like your power steering is failing - possibly needs new pump. A check of the pulley without belt may be alarming. However this pulley should have about a 1/16 of play in and out

 

[Myco]

Here's another tid-bit of info I forgot to add. In those days that I didn't know what was going on I borrowed my mom's car. She used my car to go to the store and for some odd reason the back left tire deflated and she didn't know. The tire ended up popping off the rim (on outside). Anyway, she took the car to a nearby shop and they put the spare on. The spare is a stock rim but a different rim I have on the car than the others and it has a new stock size tire ( same size as the other tires. ) Could that be it?

Sorry.. forgot to add that bit in the first post.... thanks for the info... I'll look into that pump problem.

 

[Sapperfire]

A tire of different size will trip the trac control a lot, if youre not getting that error from the tire, I'd rule it out as a culprit