Ok well it snowed again today and as i was driving up my driveway i stopped so that my dad could get the snowblower out of the way. When i tried to move the car my tires spun for a min and then i finally got traction. After parking my car in the garage my dad told me that only the front left tire was spinning and the front right wasn't moving. WHY NOT? I've been having some problems w/ that side like when i stop quickly or step on the gas real hard it sounds like a loud thud or poping sound... i know thats not good and im going to get it looked at soon. (hopfully this weekend)
Anyone know whats the matter?

 

The one wheel spinning is normal due to the type of (or lack of) an LSD in our cars. But the sound that is not normal. Where does the sound seem to be coming from?

 

our differentials transfer power to the wheel with least resistance.

as for the sound, get them to check out cv and ball joints.

 

Yep... the car transfers power to the tire with the least resistance, I believe... Its worse (or the only reason, not sure of first statement.. LSDless cars not my speciality) because since the tranny is on the left side of the car, the left front is going to get more power anyway because of the shorter length.

If its on that side, its most likely suspension related. Hard to figure out because it happens both when your stopping hard/going hard. How many miles on the car?

 

i got 76,000 on the car but what im thinking is that when i slam on the gas and get the pop from that i think that could be the cv joint and when i slam on the breaks im thinking it may be a noise comming from the breaks themselves or somthing else... maybe a two problem thing. Either way im getting it looked at

 

Yeah... 60-75,000 miles is when some parts start getting crappy. Thats where most cars get the most downtime. Definately sounds like a CV joint... brakes... might need new ones or need new fluid.

 

As Sport Compact Car likes to say.. "torque is lazy" it will take the path of least resistance.. in your case, the wheel with the least grip. As stated above, the tranny is on the left side of the engine compartment, meaning that the drive shafts are unequal.. the shorter one being on that side.. which transmits even more torque than the longer one on the passenger side.

As for your pops.. could also be suspension related.. when you touch the throttle, your front suspension unloads as the weight transfers towards the rear of the car and the front wheel tries to shift forwards. This decompresses your strut and spring.

When the brake is touched, the front suspension takes all the load from weight transfering forwards.. compressing the strut and spring.

 

I would think the most probable origin for a pop like you describe are the engine/transmissions mounts (I mean if they are faulty) or sometimes a loose support of of the front swaybar.
Of course it can also be the CV joint, let's hope it's not that...

 

Wouldn't be a cracked motor mount. You would know if you broke a motor mount. I cracked one going down the track, and the car was hardly drivable @ 25mph.

 

CV joints, unless the one at the differential, are easy to diagnose.. turn the wheel hard and give it gas.. you hear a nasty "clickclickclick" noise.. your CV joints are toast.. repeat with the wheel turned the other way to check the other side.