Wheel Bearing or Tyre Rubbing?

CupraTgirl

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Nov 8, 2002
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Hiya everyone

I dont know if anyone remembers me writing a post about what i thought was my wheel bearing going? Well i think someone posted back saying that this droaning noise i hear when i drive could be my tyre rubbing?

Well its still doing it but its louder and more constant. I have listened to see if it does it when i turn corners and it doesnt do it (so in doing that i think that writes out the front wheel bearings)

I thought that it was coming from the rear when i first heard the noise (which was after i took off my Rear Wheel Spacers) and have had someone confirm that its the rear offside (drivers side) that the noise is coming from

I had to replace three of the tyres a while back so only one of them is the original Pirelli P-Zeros that the car came to me with

The one tyre that wasnt replaced is the one on the rear drivers side...it has uneven wear on it and is almost bald...could this be the cause of the noise or could it still be a wheel bearing?

Please can someone help me...responses saying 'turn your music up' will not be appreciated as that is what i was told to to last time i posted (all one for a joke but this is really worrying me)

Thank you all
 

ibizacupra

Jack-RIP my little Friend
Jul 25, 2001
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a tyre with odd wear can makes noises... and or be caused by a bearing failing on there too or something else being bent.

spin the wheel and it will have more rumble to it than the side which does'nt do it.
 

dannyk

leon cupra
Oct 3, 2004
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Jack up the side the noise is coming from, give the wheel a wiggle to se if theres any 'play' in the bearing.......may help?

Cheers

Danny
 

CupraTgirl

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dannyk said:
Jack up the side the noise is coming from, give the wheel a wiggle to se if theres any 'play' in the bearing.......may help?

Cheers

Danny

I took it to a local garage and they did exactly that and said they couldnt find anything but it has got louder since so i may have to try it again?
 

CupraPower

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Jan 29, 2004
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I would say rear bearing. I had very same symptoms as you. Gradually got louder. Though mine were the front.

I would get it looked at sooner rather than later.
I was told they can get hot and weld themselves to the hub. Which makes it difficult getting them off.
Any decent garage can do it. 1-2 hours labour

Ian
 

CupraR-Rog

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Jul 19, 2003
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My father had a rear wheel bearing actually seize on him one time!! Also, on a Citroen XM, he had to replace a rear suspension arm after the bearings on both sides failed - on one side the bearing failed badly enough that every time the arm moved, it was actually grinding away!!

As has been said, the uneven tyre wear on the one wheel will cause noise, and the uneven and rapid wear is a sign of something very wrong!

If the garage you're taking it to can't find what's wrong with it (probably a bearing, but as Bill said, could be something bent), then try another garage, and keep trying them until you find one that finds the problem!!

I mean, at this rate, your stereo won't be loud enough to drown out the noise!! :p (sorry!)
 
It could be a bobble in the tyre, if you've gone over a pothole in the road one of the fibres in the tyre can break and cause uneven wear, and for the tyre to move at a strange angle, it will get worse eventually and need a new tyre.

Obviously only a garage can confirm this.


What I would say though mate, is, when changing tyres do them in pairs, and if it turns out you need to change a single rear tyre, just change them both, it makes more sense in the longrun :)
 

m0rk

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May 19, 2001
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Rear shocks.

It did it on Lorna's 20VT - the edge of the tyre was all worn with flat spots. WHeel bearing was fine, wheel was straight.

2 new dampers are needed.
 

CupraTgirl

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m0rk said:
Rear shocks.

It did it on Lorna's 20VT - the edge of the tyre was all worn with flat spots. WHeel bearing was fine, wheel was straight.

2 new dampers are needed.

I was wondering if it was something to do with my suspension as you know when you are parking and sometimes you break suddenly (so to speak) it has been making a sqeaking noise as it does it...i cant really explain it very well but would a suspension problem make a noise if i was driving along?
 

m0rk

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May 19, 2001
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That's exactly the same as the defective units I replaced

Needs them doing asap. which is bad since it'll have shagged your rear tyre(s) too
 

CupraTgirl

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m0rk said:
That's exactly the same as the defective units I replaced

Needs them doing asap. which is bad since it'll have shagged your rear tyre(s) too

So it does make a noise when being driven if the dampers need replacing?

I needed one new rear tyre anyway so that isnt so much of a problem its more how much itll cost to replace the dampers and will that in turn have damaged anything else by them being broken?

Is there any way i can tell that it is definatly the dampers and not a wheel bearing?

Sorry to ask so many questions
 

WeeJase

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Jun 2, 2001
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would a rear damper being dead cause a squeal whilst driving though mark?i'm not doubting you at all ,and the tyre wear can be down to a dead damper.i suspect my 54k dampers to be dead or dying ,but theres no squealing,and no uneven tyre wear,perhaps they all died quietly together.
would/could?jacking the car up to see if its the wheel bearing be a misnoma(sp) taking the weight off the bearing may not be a good way of seeing if its shagged?maybe on its way out and takning the weight off makes the failure disapear?

never had a wheel bearing go so i'm in the dark ;)
 

CupraTgirl

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jason said:
would a rear damper being dead cause a squeal whilst driving though mark?i'm not doubting you at all ,and the tyre wear can be down to a dead damper.i suspect my 54k dampers to be dead or dying ,but theres no squealing,and no uneven tyre wear,perhaps they all died quietly together.
would/could?jacking the car up to see if its the wheel bearing be a misnoma(sp) taking the weight off the bearing may not be a good way of seeing if its shagged?maybe on its way out and takning the weight off makes the failure disapear?

never had a wheel bearing go so i'm in the dark ;)

Its not a squealing when driving thats more when i hault to a stop (if you know what i mean)

There is noise when i break as if my pads are low but they arent as i have recently had a service...then the noise i hear when driving is intermittent but seems to come on loudly and constant at about 80mph and any speed less than that it kind of does little bursts of the same noise but at very random intervals

I may be listening too much but im sure there is a more frequent noise as im driving and then the loud noise which i mentioned above comes in intermittently over the top of the frequent noise

Does that all make sense?

In regards to the sqeaking...you know when you are parking up and you stop to put your car in reverse or go forward well sometimes the car kind of jolts (if your in a hurry for example) and thats when i heard a squeaking noise (like when the car bounces)
 
sounds like the symptoms i had for a rear wheel bearing on the fiesta.
only way i could describe the noise was like an early Land Rover tyre noise?!?!?

It got louder on cornering, but only when the load was on the defective side, and quieter when cornering the other way.

Got a very nice workshop bloke i've worked a bit with over the past few years. he helped me change it, cost about £30 for the bearing, abd fortunately no labour charge, coz i did all the donkey work.

previous bearings cost about £100 all in (parts, labour, VAT)

Stu
 

Trimmer

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May 31, 2005
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I would replace the tyre.. i spent £150 on a new hub and bearing extra and ended up bein the tyre. lumpy tyres do cause a droning noise simular to when your bearings are gone.
 
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