What causes a wheel to make a sound like a stick in the wheel?

Answer 1

When turning (see all)? or constantly (see highlighted)?

Sounds like one of the classic symptoms of a worn or damaged "constant velocity" (CV) joint. Your car has four such joints on the two front axles: two inboard joints and two outboard joints. The outboard joints are the ones that make a clicking sound when they go bad.

Inside the joint are six steel balls, positioned in grooves between an inner race and an outer housing. The balls are held in position by a cage that looks something like a wide bracelet with windows or slots cut in it. When the joint is new, the balls fit tightly into the cage windows. But as the joint accumulates miles, the cage windows become worn and allow the balls to rattle around. The grooves in the inner race and outer housing also wear, which further contributes to noise.

When driving straight, a worn CV joint is usually quiet (**constant noise would indicate a bad wheel bearing or other problem**). But when the wheels are turned to either side, the joint bends causing the balls to click as they slide around in their cage windows and grooves. The noise is usually loudest when backing up with the wheels turned. Repacking the joint with grease won't help because the joint is worn and needs to be replaced.

The "normal" life of a CV joint is usually 100,000 miles or more. But a joint can fail prematurely if the rubber boot that surrounds it is damaged or develops a leak.