loud whirring/grinding sound from front end
03-11-07, 10:04 PM
#1
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
loud whirring/grinding sound from front end
i suspected it was the bearings because the frequency of the sound it directly related to vehicle speed. if im not going that fast [30-40 mph], everyone in the car can hear and feel it on the floorboard loud and clear. on the highway however, its happening so fast that its hard to discern. it doesnt get louder as i would have thought.
i took it to two shops and they both said its probably my blocky winter tires. we checked it by holding the spring and spinning the wheel while feeling for grittiness and both sides were smooth. we also grabbed the wheel at various positions and tried to wiggle it to check for play but both sides passed. with that said, i changed to my regular tires in hopes of regaining that smooth ride but no dice.
i did recently change my steering rack and sway bar bushings to poly. could be a factor though i doubt it.
penny for your thoughts??
i took it to two shops and they both said its probably my blocky winter tires. we checked it by holding the spring and spinning the wheel while feeling for grittiness and both sides were smooth. we also grabbed the wheel at various positions and tried to wiggle it to check for play but both sides passed. with that said, i changed to my regular tires in hopes of regaining that smooth ride but no dice.
i did recently change my steering rack and sway bar bushings to poly. could be a factor though i doubt it.
penny for your thoughts??
03-11-07, 11:21 PM
#3
I would go with wheel bearings. I know you said they checked them by yanking on the wheel etc....and spun the wheel but you can't always diagnose problems that way.
Can you tell if it's just one front wheel. For instance, can you feel anything in the floor board while driving, even if it's only a light thudding feel?
Try getting on a very smooth road (the smoother the better, as in freshly paved if possible, if the road is even a little rough it will make it very difficult to hear anything), turn the RADIO OFF, and climb up to roughly 30mph then release the gas ALL the way and just coast. Try this a few times at different speeds between 15 and 30mph. See if you can feel any kind of thudding (will probably be very light) or possibly just a kind of "rough" roll. You want it as quiet as possible inside the car while doing this because you can often hear the rhythmic thudding sound as well as feel it even though it may be faint. If you notice a rough roll and/or thudding that is most likely a wheel bearing.
If you can't tell for sure it won't hurt to replace them anyways and they arent that expensive. It is better to replace them now and be safe than risk damaging the hub.
Can you tell if it's just one front wheel. For instance, can you feel anything in the floor board while driving, even if it's only a light thudding feel?
Try getting on a very smooth road (the smoother the better, as in freshly paved if possible, if the road is even a little rough it will make it very difficult to hear anything), turn the RADIO OFF, and climb up to roughly 30mph then release the gas ALL the way and just coast. Try this a few times at different speeds between 15 and 30mph. See if you can feel any kind of thudding (will probably be very light) or possibly just a kind of "rough" roll. You want it as quiet as possible inside the car while doing this because you can often hear the rhythmic thudding sound as well as feel it even though it may be faint. If you notice a rough roll and/or thudding that is most likely a wheel bearing.
If you can't tell for sure it won't hurt to replace them anyways and they arent that expensive. It is better to replace them now and be safe than risk damaging the hub.
Last edited by macd7919; 03-11-07 at 11:29 PM.
03-11-07, 11:45 PM
#4
Pole Position
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: SGV, 626, SoCal
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
does it also seem more pronounced when turning? though this wasn't in a gs, in my old IS300 during turns there was a whirring and noise, along with vibration to the floor. the sound definitely sounded like a rotational noise metal on metal. i was guessing it was wheel bearings and after a check up, and replacement of the wheel bearings, noise went away.
03-12-07, 07:09 AM
#5
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I would go with wheel bearings. I know you said they checked them by yanking on the wheel etc....and spun the wheel but you can't always diagnose problems that way.
Can you tell if it's just one front wheel. For instance, can you feel anything in the floor board while driving, even if it's only a light thudding feel?
Try getting on a very smooth road (the smoother the better, as in freshly paved if possible, if the road is even a little rough it will make it very difficult to hear anything), turn the RADIO OFF, and climb up to roughly 30mph then release the gas ALL the way and just coast. Try this a few times at different speeds between 15 and 30mph. See if you can feel any kind of thudding (will probably be very light) or possibly just a kind of "rough" roll. You want it as quiet as possible inside the car while doing this because you can often hear the rhythmic thudding sound as well as feel it even though it may be faint. If you notice a rough roll and/or thudding that is most likely a wheel bearing.
If you can't tell for sure it won't hurt to replace them anyways and they arent that expensive. It is better to replace them now and be safe than risk damaging the hub.
Can you tell if it's just one front wheel. For instance, can you feel anything in the floor board while driving, even if it's only a light thudding feel?
Try getting on a very smooth road (the smoother the better, as in freshly paved if possible, if the road is even a little rough it will make it very difficult to hear anything), turn the RADIO OFF, and climb up to roughly 30mph then release the gas ALL the way and just coast. Try this a few times at different speeds between 15 and 30mph. See if you can feel any kind of thudding (will probably be very light) or possibly just a kind of "rough" roll. You want it as quiet as possible inside the car while doing this because you can often hear the rhythmic thudding sound as well as feel it even though it may be faint. If you notice a rough roll and/or thudding that is most likely a wheel bearing.
If you can't tell for sure it won't hurt to replace them anyways and they arent that expensive. It is better to replace them now and be safe than risk damaging the hub.
curious. can someone post a pic of the hub/bearing? if i remember correctly from my RC days, the axle goes in the bearing and the bearing goes in the hub right? how might i have damaged it?
Last edited by Vic Nyce; 03-12-07 at 07:12 AM.
03-12-07, 09:01 AM
#6
It wouldn't be that you damaged it. They just wear out over time, depends on the road conditions etc...Mileage of course as well. Don't feel bad, it's just a part of life 
There should be a HUGE difference in noise when you replace them. They tend to get gradually noisier over time so you dont really notice it, but when you go back to that silent ride you will be like, WTF! how did I not notice how loud my car was riding!, lol...
There should be a HUGE difference in noise when you replace them. They tend to get gradually noisier over time so you dont really notice it, but when you go back to that silent ride you will be like, WTF! how did I not notice how loud my car was riding!, lol...
Trending Topics
03-15-07, 04:12 PM
#8
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
iTrader: (2)
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: New York
Posts: 615
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
macd was 100% right, i have been noticing it for a while [3 months or so] it was not that bad at first so i chalked it up to bad tires. not long after i switched to winter tires and the noise got louder so i blamed it on them. after swithing back to reg. tires failed i was totally bummed.
i dropped her off at the shop yesterday and had both front bearings replaced. im happy to report that the car is super smooth again.! cost me $340 bucks but man what a difference. i saw the old bearings, one was fine, on the other one though, the cage that holds the ***** had fallen apart in one section. im guessing thats the reason for the rhythmic thudding?
thanks for the excellent diagnosis boys.
i dropped her off at the shop yesterday and had both front bearings replaced. im happy to report that the car is super smooth again.! cost me $340 bucks but man what a difference. i saw the old bearings, one was fine, on the other one though, the cage that holds the ***** had fallen apart in one section. im guessing thats the reason for the rhythmic thudding?
thanks for the excellent diagnosis boys.
