trivium

I have this horrid noise coming from my whee wells when I come to a stop and after gettign a break inspection it was realized that it was not the brakes themselves. I was told by the mechanic that it might be the wheel bearings. Im completely broke right now so I wanted to know how I could go ahead and either repair them or replace them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

xviper

Please clarify. You didn't describe the noise in any way. "Horrid" doesn't mean much. When you roll, there is whine or humming? As the speed changes, the noise changes, too? If you use the brakes moderately, the noise doesn't change (except maybe due to road speed decreasing)? Wheel bearings can also change the pitch of the whine or hum when turning as this loads them up on the outside of the turn.
If it's wheel bearings, you have no choice but to remove the hubs (need to be done in pairs) and have new bearings put in. They need to be pressed out and pressed in. This is assuming the hubs themselves haven't been damage by bad bearings.

trivium

Well I only hear the noise as I come to a stop. It sounds exactly like a creaky mattress. I dont really hear it when I drive but that could be b/c the engine noise and road noise is louder. I also dont hear the noise when I turn.

xviper

What happens if you use no brakes and no engine braking, just coast to a stop (put it in neutral and just let rolling resistance bring the car to a complete stop)? You'll need a clear road with noone behind you.

trivium

Ill try it out tomorrow. I tried it once but I think nothing happened.

trivium

I took the car on an empty road today to try what Xviper said and it doesnt make the noise without the brakes. The noise is only there when the brakes are applied.

xviper

Then it's not bearing related. It's likely brake related or related to weight transfer to the front when you use your brakes. Try a bounce test on each front corner to see if the shock and spring make this noise when they compress. Be careful what you push down on. You don't want to dent the body work.
Have a look at the rotors and see if there are any distinct deep score marks (gouges) around the disc. And does the right side look any different from the left side? You may have a tiny hard piece of debris stuck in the caliper of one of them.

darkfx

I have the same issue. Only the rotors have deep grooves on either side, and they are both even. I know I need to replace the rotors, but is this causing the squeak?

knifegun

I have had what seems to be a squeaky bearing. I even when coasting. It is easier to hear at low speeds with the top down. But it is literally like a squeaky wheel and it is speed dependent.

Is this a sign of something going wrong? I believe my axle is also making a creaking metallic noise which i believe (based on responses to my previous post) is an axle problem (with an associated TSB).

My car only has 38K and it is a 2002. I am surprised I am having these issues.

Any ideas?

xviper

Check your brake pads. You may have worn them down to make the thin pad sensor squeal.