Dabu

So I had a drone/humming noise several months ago that turned out to be the rear passenger side wheel bearing so I replaced the whole hub/bearing assembly and solved the issue.

Lately I've been getting a very similar drone/hum so I went and changed the drivers side rear wheel hub/bearing.. but it didn't solve the problem.

I'm going to assume at this point it's one of the front wheel bearings that's causing the noise so..

1. Should I replace both the driver and passenger side ones just to be safe? If I lift the car and grab the wheels and don't feel any play it seems like it would be hard to diagnose which one is the bad one.. might be easier to just do both.

2. Should I replace/press out just the bearings or the whole hub assembly as well? I can get a great deal on a pair of Timken bearings but I'm having a hard time finding the whole hub assembly for a reasonable price.. thoughts?

As far as doing the work I'll be ok.. just need some advice from you guys as you all have experience with this sort of thing.

MBP 03

Besides checking the front wheels for play, you can often tell which side is the culprit by listening for added noise while driving. If you are steering the car to the right and you hear extra noise, it usually means that it's the left bearing that's going bad. If you are steering to the left and you get noise, it's probably coming from the right bearing.

If you are going to keep the car for a while, it's probably a good idea to replace both bearings since chances are that if one is bad, the other side is not too far behind.

You do not need to replace the hub. You press it out of the bearing and then you press the bearing out of the knuckle.

Dabu

There doesn't seem to be much interest in this thread but I'll update it any way..

I actually work at a bearing distributor so I sourced myself two front NSK wheel bearings for super cheap but I haven't decided when I'm going to change them..

I believe the windy/whirring/humming noise I'm hearing my in fact be from my cheap winter tires. (Rovelo's that came with the car when I bought it a year ago).

The noise started the night I drove the car home after getting them put on and driving over the last week I can't seem to pinpoint which wheel the noise is coming from.. maybe because it's coming from all of them!

01tl4tl

try rotating tires front to rear- one side at a time with test drive after tire move
If its one tire the noise will move with it
Always possible a tire has a problem, or as suspected- it may just be winter tires of low quality

you have jacked up the car and moved- wiggled- push-pulled tire at all directions possible? looking for looseness in bearing/hub
Do you have jackstands?- get a $5 mechanics stethoscope -harbor freight tools or slightly higher at any parts store- and have buddy spin wheel as you listen to bearing

03 tls nc

iTrader: (6)

Is your alignment good? these cars are fairly sensitive to tire pressure and balance. All can cause noise and even vibrations

Dabu

I had an alignment done a few months ago when I had all my suspension parts installed (shocks, tie rods, sway bar links/bushings, control arms and ball joints).

I really think the issue I'm having is my poor quality winter tires.. I've listened for the sound and can't pin point it to one wheel and there's no play or noise when I inspect the wheels while the car is jacked up.

If the noise gets worse.. it's probably a wheel bearing and I'll replace both but otherwise I'll wait until spring when I get my summer tires back on.

01tl4tl

not going to try a tire rotate? never hurts to recheck any work recently done

it got aligned- but did they tighten the bolts?? (not kidding- I have seen nearly everything!)

Dabu

Why do I want to rotate the tires?

Are you suggesting that it might be only one or two tires making the noise as opposed to all of them? If so I will definitely try rotating the fronts to the back (one side at a time).

As for the alignment it was done about 3.5 months ago and up until I had the winter tires put on about 1.5 months ago everything was great and I had no issues.. would it take that long for shoddy work to show (loose bolts)?

01tl4tl

if a bolt/nut were under spec torque it could take a few months to fully loosen and allow changes to setting
BUT
the rotate idea was to see if noise followed a tire, 1 bad one,
or verify its only winter tire noise in general

correct tire pressures in use?

01tl4tl

have you ckd the torque on wheel lugs? try loosening and correctly tightening the lugs
shops blast them on with an air gun way above torque spec and may even get the wheel installed a little crooked = if rust has formed on the centering hub of rotor to wheel rim

winter/rust places should ck that hub is clean with sandpaper when wheels are removed