Wheel Bearings?

mroblivious · 09-02-2005, 01:47 AM

So I went from 17s to the stock 14s within 30 minutes and took it for a test drive and I get a grinding or rubbing coming from the front passenger wheel area at almost exactly 20mph. Does this sound like a wheel bearing to other people? It seemed so strange to have it happen immediately after I changed out my wheels. What's with that?

EL PAALO · 09-03-2005, 09:26 AM

I'd have to hear it ......... doesn't really sound like a wheel bearing.
you're actually local, lol. what are you doing wednesday?

mroblivious · 09-03-2005, 04:16 PM

Ha, I appreciate the offer greatly. Unfortunately I'm in class at various times from 11am-9pm and in Tyler for the semester. I'd gladly drive back sometime like the weekend to see my lady friend and troubleshoot. I look for any excuse to come back (and there are plenty). I mean I'm in Tyler, Texas for christ's sake.

As for the noise, it's like this gut-wrenching grinding noise coming from the front right. I jacked it up and didn't see anything too strange and there was no lateral play in the wheel. Spinning it with my hand I just hear the normal light break rub. You think it's maybe something with the suspension?

AndrewMcG · 09-04-2005, 01:45 AM

All the lugs are tight? I had grinding noise and a couple had come loose.

mroblivious · 09-04-2005, 02:58 AM

Yeah all the lugs are tight. That was my first thought because it happened right after I got rid of those blingin 17s in the avatar. I also had the tires balanced. It's straight line with no big difference when I'm turning and doesn't seem to involve the brakes at all. It's 20mph speeding up or slowing down. Discount Tire suggested it was uneven treadwear but that only explained to me why they sounded like snow tires.

EL PAALO · 09-04-2005, 08:43 AM

I'm working or sleeping all weekend, every weekend.

V6'er · 09-04-2005, 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mroblivious

It's straight line with no big difference when I'm turning and doesn't seem to involve the brakes at all.

In that case, it is ABSOLUTELY NOT your wheel bearing(s).

Try moving that tire to the rear and driving the car. A tire noise at 20 MPH should get worse as you go faster.

mroblivious · 09-10-2005, 11:51 PM

Okay so it's the weekend again and I finally did some testing. I put the spare on the RF tire which was making the grinding noise/feeling. It pretty much disappeared, it wasn't perfect at 20 but hardly noticable and easily just my mind. So then I proceeded to switch the front tires around, stock RF to LF and stock LF to RF. This wasn't as good as with the spare on RF but WAY better than previously.

When I went to Discount Tire they pointed out that the tread was kinda lumpy and this was causing noise. I do notice it sounds kinda like a truck when driving. This still doesn't seem to explain to me what feels/sounds like a grinding at 20. Is the tread it and it should go away once it wears down or does the testing and everything point out anything else to someone?

EL PAALO · 09-11-2005, 10:53 AM

tires can cause some weird stuff.
grinding sounds are not something I would normally attribute to tires though. if you still have a noise with the spare, then I'd keep looking although lumpy tread certainly isn't good.

V6'er · 09-11-2005, 07:28 PM

One man's grinding is another man's .... whatever. That sound is VERY objective. You'd never think that a tread could be SO noisy at such a low speed.

My wife's little Escort wagon was "grinding" until two weeks ago. My next door neighbor (a mechanic) said he could hear the car at the end of the street, at 15 MPH.

Since the noise is all around the car, and it's gotten worse with time and she has no clue that it's noisy, I didn't know she had a problem until recently.

New tires, no noise.

Also, same mechanic, about three years ago he gets a 300 ZX. I could have SWORN he needed rear wheel bearings. A very sharp mechanic friend told me it was just the tires. The kid drove it for a few thousand miles and it got progressively quieter. Then he needed tires anyway. No more noise.

mroblivious · 09-12-2005, 01:31 AM

I guess it may be tires. I wish I could put the 17s back on and see if I notice it at all then. I didn't notice anything before, I wonder if the 14s just amplified the problem or they are the problem. With the spare at 20mph I could sort of almost feel it but to the point where I wouldn't have ever diagnosed it in the first place. With the fronts switched it definitely improved though. Maybe I'll have some loan money at the end of the semester and I can rewrap the 17s. I wasn't too partial to the look but I miss the grip.

09-02-2005, 01:47 AM	#1 (permalink)
mroblivious No Skills Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Wheel Bearings? So I went from 17s to the stock 14s within 30 minutes and took it for a test drive and I get a grinding or rubbing coming from the front passenger wheel area at almost exactly 20mph. Does this sound like a wheel bearing to other people? It seemed so strange to have it happen immediately after I changed out my wheels. What's with that?

09-03-2005, 09:26 AM	#2 (permalink)
EL PAALO Wheels make the car. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 2,671 Thanks: 4 Thanked 86 Times in 82 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	I'd have to hear it ......... doesn't really sound like a wheel bearing. you're actually local, lol. what are you doing wednesday? __________________ WHEELSPECS.COM - a ridiculous number of wheel pics & links

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09-03-2005, 04:16 PM	#3 (permalink)
mroblivious No Skills Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Ha, I appreciate the offer greatly. Unfortunately I'm in class at various times from 11am-9pm and in Tyler for the semester. I'd gladly drive back sometime like the weekend to see my lady friend and troubleshoot. I look for any excuse to come back (and there are plenty). I mean I'm in Tyler, Texas for christ's sake. As for the noise, it's like this gut-wrenching grinding noise coming from the front right. I jacked it up and didn't see anything too strange and there was no lateral play in the wheel. Spinning it with my hand I just hear the normal light break rub. You think it's maybe something with the suspension?

09-04-2005, 01:45 AM	#4 (permalink)
AndrewMcG Its not lag, Its foreplay Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Albuquerque Posts: 756 Thanks: 6 Thanked 19 Times in 17 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	All the lugs are tight? I had grinding noise and a couple had come loose.

09-04-2005, 02:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
mroblivious No Skills Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Yeah all the lugs are tight. That was my first thought because it happened right after I got rid of those blingin 17s in the avatar. I also had the tires balanced. It's straight line with no big difference when I'm turning and doesn't seem to involve the brakes at all. It's 20mph speeding up or slowing down. Discount Tire suggested it was uneven treadwear but that only explained to me why they sounded like snow tires.

09-04-2005, 08:43 AM	#6 (permalink)
EL PAALO Wheels make the car. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 2,671 Thanks: 4 Thanked 86 Times in 82 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	I'm working or sleeping all weekend, every weekend.

09-10-2005, 11:51 PM	#8 (permalink)
mroblivious No Skills Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	Okay so it's the weekend again and I finally did some testing. I put the spare on the RF tire which was making the grinding noise/feeling. It pretty much disappeared, it wasn't perfect at 20 but hardly noticable and easily just my mind. So then I proceeded to switch the front tires around, stock RF to LF and stock LF to RF. This wasn't as good as with the spare on RF but WAY better than previously. When I went to Discount Tire they pointed out that the tread was kinda lumpy and this was causing noise. I do notice it sounds kinda like a truck when driving. This still doesn't seem to explain to me what feels/sounds like a grinding at 20. Is the tread it and it should go away once it wears down or does the testing and everything point out anything else to someone?

09-11-2005, 10:53 AM	#9 (permalink)
EL PAALO Wheels make the car. Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Marcos, TX Posts: 2,671 Thanks: 4 Thanked 86 Times in 82 Posts My Google Map iTrader Rating: (3/100% )	tires can cause some weird stuff. grinding sounds are not something I would normally attribute to tires though. if you still have a noise with the spare, then I'd keep looking although lumpy tread certainly isn't good.

09-11-2005, 07:28 PM	#10 (permalink)
V6'er All Torque, All the Time Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Charlotte, NC Posts: 899 Thanks: 0 Thanked 26 Times in 19 Posts iTrader Rating: (1/100% )	One man's grinding is another man's .... whatever. That sound is VERY objective. You'd never think that a tread could be SO noisy at such a low speed. My wife's little Escort wagon was "grinding" until two weeks ago. My next door neighbor (a mechanic) said he could hear the car at the end of the street, at 15 MPH. Since the noise is all around the car, and it's gotten worse with time and she has no clue that it's noisy, I didn't know she had a problem until recently. New tires, no noise. Also, same mechanic, about three years ago he gets a 300 ZX. I could have SWORN he needed rear wheel bearings. A very sharp mechanic friend told me it was just the tires. The kid drove it for a few thousand miles and it got progressively quieter. Then he needed tires anyway. No more noise.

09-12-2005, 01:31 AM	#11 (permalink)
mroblivious No Skills Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Austin, Texas Posts: 16 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts iTrader Rating: (0/0% )	I guess it may be tires. I wish I could put the 17s back on and see if I notice it at all then. I didn't notice anything before, I wonder if the 14s just amplified the problem or they are the problem. With the spare at 20mph I could sort of almost feel it but to the point where I wouldn't have ever diagnosed it in the first place. With the fronts switched it definitely improved though. Maybe I'll have some loan money at the end of the semester and I can rewrap the 17s. I wasn't too partial to the look but I miss the grip.