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98 Bonnie front right sounds like tire noise?wheel bearing

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Old 04-12-2005, 07:18 PM
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cvc
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Default 98 Bonnie front right sounds like tire noise?wheel bearing

ok at 45 mph to 52 mph I hear a very low I guess you could say roaring noise its real hard to hear. If you turn it hard to the left it makes the noise but if you go hard to the right it goes away. Any slower than 45 noise is gone,any faster than 52 its gone too. I am leaving Friday to travel about 1500 miles round trip. I have driven the car about 250 miles since hearing the noise and it has not gotten any worse. Any ideas here ? If it is a wheel bearing how long before it craps out ? I had a mechanic friend listen to it and he said" its not ready to change even if it is a wheel bearing which I can't say it is because its so hard to hear " It sounds like its comming from the right front wheel but again its very hard to hear but now I know its there I hear it. Thanks
Old 04-12-2005, 08:39 PM
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Default Re: 98 Bonnie front right sounds like tire noise?wheel beari

Originally Posted by cvc
ok at 45 mph to 52 mph I hear a very low I guess you could say roaring noise its real hard to hear. If you turn it hard to the left it makes the noise but if you go hard to the right it goes away. Any slower than 45 noise is gone,any faster than 52 its gone too. I am leaving Friday to travel about 1500 miles round trip. I have driven the car about 250 miles since hearing the noise and it has not gotten any worse. Any ideas here ? If it is a wheel bearing how long before it craps out ? I had a mechanic friend listen to it and he said" its not ready to change even if it is a wheel bearing which I can't say it is because its so hard to hear " It sounds like its comming from the right front wheel but again its very hard to hear but now I know its there I hear it. Thanks
I initilally thought that this would be your right wheel bearing going bad. But you should hear this humming or roaring noise(as you put it) whenever you are going to the left, And not just when you turn the wheel "hard" either. So at the moment I'm gonna rule out the right front wheel bearing.
The next thing I would look at are your tires. How old are they? It might be a belt that separated in the tire. Have you tried rotating your tires to see if this noise goes away???
Old 04-12-2005, 08:42 PM
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Tires can make noise similar to wheel bearings....how long since tire change?
Old 04-12-2005, 08:47 PM
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Also how'* your alignment?
Old 04-13-2005, 07:39 PM
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Default well...

I tried changing out the tires no good still makes the noise. I think it may be a wheel bearing just starting to fail but I don't understand why it doesn't make this noise at all speeds and just when going 45 to 52 mph
Old 04-13-2005, 08:28 PM
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Default Re: well...

Originally Posted by cvc
I tried changing out the tires no good still makes the noise. I think it may be a wheel bearing just starting to fail but I don't understand why it doesn't make this noise at all speeds and just when going 45 to 52 mph
I don't know either. But I really doubt it'* a wheel bearing. Between 45 & 52 the TCC comes into play. Could this possibly be transmission related? I can't say for sure. But you also say it only does this in hard turns between these speeds. Check the transmission oil recently???
Old 04-13-2005, 10:15 PM
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Default tranny is ok

still does it when in neutral,fluid and filter chgd 3 months ago,fluid level is fine,does it in a straight line at 45 to 52 mph lessens on hard right turn and comes back on hard left turn but cannot hear at any other speeds ???
Old 04-14-2005, 02:18 AM
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Your description sounds like a wheel bearing going bad to me - especially since you have swapped tires and still have the noise. It could be a CV joint, I suppose, but the coming and going of the noise with changing load and the fact that you hear it at one range of speed, sure sounds familiar. My '92 has both bearings going bad. My left one starts to hum at about 33 mph, though, and it keeps making noise at all higher speeds. The right one just complains now and then. I have replacements sitting in the garage waiting for space to change them out. I have been driving mine for about 3,500 miles with the noise. And, they were noisy when I bought the car, so who knows how long they have been "singing?"

If Ol' timer is right, a trans bearing will be a whole lot more trouble, and checking for low fluid is surely a good idea.

I have had really poor luck identifying which bearing is making the noise. More than once I have been fooled into changing the wrong bearing. But it really is not such a bad idea to change them both anyway. One BC member said to jack up the suspect wheel, spin it and put your hand lightly on the spring to feel the roughness of a bearing going bad. Something to try.
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