wheel bearings or ball joints?

[kamelsie]

i have been having some noise come from the front wheels of my car and i was wondering if its the ball joints or wheel bearings. it started when i had to brake hard to avoid something and the car, as it was slowing , kinda jerked forward and was accompanied by a kinda popping sound. since then when i am at slow speeds the weels will make a groinning sound. it does it prodominatly when backing up and turning. i know its not the brakes so know i am stuck. any help would be great.

thanks

[clayB]

Ball joints wouldn't make that kind of sound. Bad ball joints make things shake at speed (80km/h +), but I don't know that you can hear a bad ball joint. I'd first check to make sure its not just the dust shield rubbing on the rotor. If its not that then its likely the wheel bearing.