I hear a grinding noise when I start and drive off the car every morning. It seems to come from the front with the steering wheel bearing left and it only happens once. I do not seem to hear it any more after that.

I raise the front of the car on axle stand and rock the steering and wheel and I do not hear any noise unusual. I spin both wheels and there no unusual noise either. There is NO load on the bearing when the car is on axle stand though. Would it make a difference?

What could be the problem? Wheel bearing or upper/lower ball joints? I suspect is the wheel bearing.

Any info would be appreciated. The car has 324K miles and it is going strong.

 

If it's a bearing, even if you don't hear a noise, you should feel it when you spin the wheel. Anything but the smoothest feeling could indicate a problem. You may also wish to do a visual inspection of your brakes and rotors.

 

Resolved the problem. It was so simple that I should have checked first. The power steering fluid was low. I topped it up and the noise goes away.

 

The power steering hose is loose and the fluid is leaking somewhere. I try to tighten it but the screw is at the end of its travel. Will clean the engine bay near the steering area to locate the leak. I may need to replace the hose but it will be a while before I can get to it as there are more pressing problems, like window switches, valve adjustments, AC etc. It is fun to work on the classic car but it is just time consuming. If I take it to a MBZ mechanic then the costs will be more than what the car is worth.