Wheel bearing? Or should I be more worried???

[joely]

Hi,

Hope someone can help! My 2001 LC (130k miles!!) has developed a whirring noise which I had assumed was a wheel bearing, it started to happen only in right hand bends (loading the nearside) and now is happening while going straight and occasionally on left hand bends.

I have raised the car and checked for play of the bearings (pushing& pulling wheel in the nine/three o’clock and twelve/six o’clock positions) but there was zero play and there were no strange noises when I spun the wheel.

I’ve also checked to see if the noise disappears when the car is coasting with the clutch in, and when completely out of gear, no difference.

Anything else I should try or other suggestions on what it could be? The car seems to driving completely normal.

Cheers,


Joel

 

[Alexis27]

Is it a constant whirr or a whumph-whumph noise?

 

[joely]

Is it a constant whirr or a whumph-whumph noise?

seems to be a fairly conisiant whirr

 

[LE04HDB]

Give the wheel a spin when its jacked up and put your hand round the back on the bottm of the axle or similar, should be able to feel some sort of vibration from the wheel bearing to the axle etc (if it is the bearing). Spin both sides to compare

If not, have a look for uneven tyre wear. "Feathered" tyres can cause a wheel bearing kind of noise, more so on the rear than the front.

 

[sockpuppet]

If it is your wheel bearing it should get louder. I had the offside front bearing go on mine and at first I only heard it when I was doing 70. I jacked the car and span the wheels, no noise and no play so I changed the wheels from front to back in case it was the feathering of the tyres.
In the end (I did over 3000 miles from first hearing it) the noise got louder and when I turned to the left it would go away. Got the bearings replaced and its now fine.

 

[hara]

Bearings on these are overengineered. You won't get any play even when they're near failure. If you're getting the problem on right hand bends, check your drivers' side bearing by jacking that corner with the car in neutral, handbrake on, and spin the wheel by hand. It's counter intuitive, but when my drivers' side bearing went on my Leon the symptoms pointed towards passenger side (it sounded like that side of the car, got worse turning right with the passenger side loaded, etc).

I'll second that.
I had a humming/droning noise coming from the front-right... but changed the rear left bearing (it had a little play) and the noise stopped