Wheel bearing or tyre?

amiers · 20-12-2006, 01:24 AM

i have a fair bit of road noise coming into the car and i assumed it was the tyre's, 245/40/18 running nankings, so i doubled the sound deadening on the floor and painted sound proofing under the guards. now the car is quieter i can still hear what seems like the tyre's however at low speeds when i turn the wheel side to side the noise gets louder. could the noise be the wheel bearings?

JC · 20-12-2006, 02:08 AM

If it's a deepish woosh woosh woosh sound (very technical), then I would say wheel bearings is/are the likely culprit.

v8snerlo · 20-12-2006, 08:13 AM

Mate I had exactly the same thing with my AUII XR8 about4 months ago. I even replaced the tyres because I thought that they were getting down (which they weren't). Noise was still there so I took the old girl in for a service and it was definitely the front left wheel bearing in my case. I noticed it from the left hand side. So I would just about bet my left nut that it is the wheel bearing. Good luck mate.
Leon.

GK · 20-12-2006, 09:13 AM

Wheel bearings can also make a sort of siren whining noise, that increases and decreases as you speed up and slow down as well as the noise described by JC.

You could take your car for a spin in the morning when traffic is low, on a piece of road that you know is quiet.

Speed up and listen for the noise. Does the noise (you know like in WW2 war movies, where they have the air raid siren) speed up and slow down? You can also throw the car into neutral to take out the engine and tranny noise. This helps me with diagnostics as well.

Also, check this link for cheap front hubs for AUs.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....6759&rd=1&rd=1

All the best with it.

GK

amiers · 22-12-2006, 03:03 PM

ok went for a long drive to see if i can pinpoint it. it is there constantly from zero up, it doesnt seem to get louder with speed, however if i am slowing down with the car in neutral and apply the brakes its louder, when i take my foot off it goes back to the same level. also it rises and drops when turning corners at slow speed.

GK · 22-12-2006, 04:28 PM

Now you've got me, but the other guys here will have many opinions on this new development. They'll give you a good starting point.

I love the forum!

GK

ronwest · 22-12-2006, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiers

ok went for a long drive to see if i can pinpoint it. it is there constantly from zero up, it doesnt seem to get louder with speed, however if i am slowing down with the car in neutral and apply the brakes its louder,

that may be because there is less engine noise so you can hear "it" better

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiers

when i take my foot off it goes back to the same level. also it rises and drops when turning corners at slow speed.

do you mean that you can hear "it" when the steering wheel is turned for the corner but it is quieter when the steering wheel is straight (ie you're around the corner and driving straight again)?

If so, "it" sounds like wheel bearings... do you have the noise when turning both right and left?

amiers · 22-12-2006, 08:40 PM

yep when i turn right or left the noise increases, when the wheels are straight its back to the same.but it is constant i mean it not one side or the other when i turn it seems to come from both sides. and i have sat in the back and listened, it is all coming from the front.

GK · 22-12-2006, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiers

yep when i turn right or left the noise increases, when the wheels are straight its back to the same.but it is constant i mean it not one side or the other when i turn it seems to come from both sides. and i have sat in the back and listened, it is all coming from the front.

That does sound like bearings indeed.

John is good with wheel bearings!

_2: He'll fill you in I'd reckon!

GK

ronwest · 22-12-2006, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by amiers

yep when i turn right or left the noise increases, when the wheels are straight its back to the same.but it is constant i mean it not one side or the other when i turn it seems to come from both sides. and i have sat in the back and listened, it is all coming from the front.

yeah, it's a bit hard to be definite but I'd surely rule out wheel bearings first.