Hey guys - I'm hearing a noise coming from the front and I'm not sure if its a wheel bearing. The sound gets louder as I go faster, and it goes higher and lower in pitch depending on how fast I'm going. Its like a grinding, droning sound, if that makes any sense.
My daughter's car had a similar sound and I was told it was a wheel bearing. Before getting it checked out, anything else you think it could be? Other than the sound, she's running the same as before the sound.
thx!

 

do you feel any vibrations in the steering wheel when you accel..?

 

It is more likely a wheel bearing problem. You have two options to look at, wheel bearings or cv joints.

 

Probably wheel bearings, although they don't always change pitch like you're describing...they usually just get louder. Bad CV joints usually shudder, slip, click, not moan. The next question is: which wheel bearing would it be? It should be louder when you turn the wheel one way or the other (i.e., put more pressure on the bad one). You will need to be up to speed to get the effect, like a curve in the road or swirving back and forth, not just doing donuts in a parking lot.

Check the tires, too. They will change pitch with speed, so maybe a belt is going/gone, or the tread is bad.

 

its most likely ur wheel bearing, mine sounded like that too, was brutal....put some weight on that side by going side to side and u'll hear the difference in noise

 

You can check the front wheel bearing by jacking your front end off the ground, make sure both tires are off the ground. Start the engine, put it in D, lay down and carefully grab the ball joint you will feel the vibration if it's the wheel bearing.

 

my bet is a wheel bearing. They are fairly common on these cars, especially now with the age of them.

 

thanks guys. I'll bring it to the shop tomorrow.

I don't feel any vibrations when accelerating. Also, I haven't been able to really test it, but I'm not sure I hear it more pronounced when turning right or left.

How much should a decent shop charge? Under $300, right?

 

i got my front one for close to 140....so way under 300.......hopefully ur rears last longer i had to change 3 within 2 months.

 

There's the cost of the new bearing, usually a separate fee to pack (with grease) the bearing, then additional labor to do the r&r. Due to the packing, which requires a special bearing press, it's one of the repairs that you can't really DIY.

 

Oh man, I'm hearing the same also. Plus I've been noticing some creaks on the car when I hit certain bumps but it is light, which I was wondering if you were also hearing too? I do remember that problem is due to the joints.

 

my daughter's car (2001 Solara) definitely had that crunchy sound as well, especially going over bumps. I thought it was shocks/struts, but my mechanic said they were ok and that the tires were bad and probably a rear wheel bearing. The tires only had 15k miles on them and they were shot. Luckily, goodyear is standing behind their warranty (to some extent) by giving me 3 new tires for $85. The guy at goodyear wanted to do the bearing at that time as well, but he wants $300 and I figured I'd see how it sounded after the new tires. So far, so good, but I only drove a mile on the new tires today.

As for my car, its the fronts, and the goodyear place said it was about $500 to do the fronts since they were the drive wheels. I think that's a rip..

I'll try my other guy and see what he wants to charge.

I did notice the sound was louder when turning to the right fairly hard at around 60mph.

 

I did mine 2 weeks ago, not the easiest one to do, took me over an hour to do it in the shop, thank god, i have the 20 ton press, i don't know what is the book time, i did the bad side only.

 

so it was the front driver's side bearing. Cost me $350 to get it fixed, but she drives like new now!

 

My car is doin the same when i turn and on certain bumps. hopefully i can fix it cheaper then you all ... i would do it myself but they say you need pressure.

 

Yeah you will need to press the bearing out. Big sledge hammer may not even do it. You can save some money by take the whole spindle out and bring it to a shop and have them press the old bearing out and press the new bearing in for you, should be alot less. The bearing itself cost me $55.