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Posted by: lapuwali May 1 2004, 04:58 PM

I have a wheel-speed moan/howl that I first took for tire noise, but am now thinking is a bearing noise. Seems to only show up after a drive at freeway speeds. Doesn't change based on turning or on/off the brakes. Does it in all gears, clutch in or out. Just loud enough to be heard over the engine with the windows rolled up.

I think I've ruled out wheel bearings, since turning and brakes don't seem to affect it, and none of the wheels show much play (just a bit at the fronts, none at the rears). Diff bearings? Pinion bearing?

Posted by: vsg914 May 1 2004, 07:20 PM

Could still be bearings. Jack it up, roll the wheel, and listen. If it's bad, you "should" hear it. It could also rule out that as your problem.

Posted by: ! May 1 2004, 07:55 PM

Are the kids still in the trunk?

Posted by: lapuwali May 1 2004, 07:59 PM

Y'know, I was wondering how I was getting dents in the trunk lid from the inside....

Posted by: ! May 1 2004, 08:05 PM

Does it speed up with the engine/trans speed or does it get louder the faster you go......?

If it gets louder with speed....it's in the outboard drive line. CV, wheel bearing yada yada....


If it gets louder with engine trans speed....it's in there....synchros, alternator, etc....

Posted by: lapuwali May 1 2004, 09:04 PM

Doesn't seem to appear at all until I'm going 30mph or so (but may just be too quiet to hear).

I've had failed wheel bearings on other cars, and could always make the noise change by turning or using the brakes, and would hear something if I turned the wheel by hand. No such symptoms here, front or back.

I also had a pinion bearing fail in a front engine/rear drive car once, and it did more or less what this is doing. I'm hoping this is not the case here, as replacing the diff/pinion bearings are one thing I'm really not equipped to do myself (no press, and I've no real data on setting up the R&P backlash), and I'm on this "do it all myself" kick with my current stable of cars. I suppose I may have to admit defeat on this one.

Posted by: SirAndy May 1 2004, 11:21 PM

maybe something else is loose and starts vibrating at speeds.

i was chasing a low-pitch "hum" for a while and couldn't find anything wrong.

turned out to be the engine-lid! the build in spring is strong and presses it against the lock tight but at a certain speed, it would "hum" (not rattle!) ...

drove me nuts until i found it, some small adjustement and voila!

now i can hear all the other noises again <_<
Andy