naix

Hi Everyone,
I've noticed a strange 'creeking' noise that pulses only upon slowing down. I thought it was the brake wear indicators, but they have plenty of meat left on them. So I got around to lifting the car up on stands today and recorded a 1 minute video of me spinning the pass front wheel (both wheels are making the same noise in the same fashion).


https://vimeo.com/49086823

If you listen carefully, when the wheel is nearing completion of rotation by me spinning the wheel manually, you can hear the distinct creeking noise I am referring to.
I apologize about the video quality, the iphone is the I can do.[please ignore initial spin, rubber gloves make a lot of noise]


I hope it's nothing to serious.
Thanks!

naix

http://vimeo.com/49088536

Here is another

LAp1

I've been having basically the same problem so I may be of some help here...what all have you checked so far?

naix

I really don't know what to check. Any ideas on what is causing the noise to occur?

Have you fixed the issue?

LAp1

I have chased my tail for what seems like forever, and I'm to the point where I'm pretty sure its a wheel bearing.

With the noise being up front, it could be a wheel bearing, it could be brakes, or it could be related to steering. You can probably pinpoint the problem and maybe even fix it, as long as you have basic mechanical knowledge, a little determination, a little patience, and some basic hand tools. Is this something you'd be willing to tackle?

naix

yes, I just want to make certain that I know exactly what the cause of the issue is before I begin doing any work. So is this a wheel bearing issue?

LAp1

Not sure...the noise I have sounds very very similar to the one in your videos except mine doesn't make the noise when not under load and yours does. I've checked pretty much everything there is to check and I've found nothing. So by process of elimination I've concluded this is MOST LIKELY a shot wheel bearing. I spoke with my mechanic about it and he's taking a look at it Wednesday, hopefully it is the wheel bearing. If I were you, I'd start by checking out the brakes, you aware how to disassemble brakes properly?

naix

Please keep me posted. I've never disassembled my brakes, but I would be able to with some instructions.

xviper

I listened to your video. Have you considered that it might just be the brake pads rubbing against the rotor? You could just have sticky calipers rather than bad wheel bearings. To eliminate the wheel bearing, do the same test but without the pads touching the rotors. IE, unbolt one of the caliper bolts and swivel the caliper out of the way, then spin it again. If you don't hear the noise, then that's what it was and you can then go and decide what to do next. You may need to check the rotor run-out in case there is some warpage or maybe grease the caliper bolt sliders so the pads can more easily retract away from the rotor. You might need a brake fluid flush.
If the noise persists, then it may very well be bearings and you can deal with that accordingly.
Here is a complete write up, with pictures, on how to do a full rotor and pad change. You only need to remove one bolt to swivel the caliper out of the way.
http://forums.s2kca.com/showthread.p...nting-calipers

You give no details about your car - year, mileage, etc. so it's really hard to say if your bearings are suspect. Typically, bearings last a very long time and they don't generally go in pairs at the same time. Problems are more easily assessed particularly over the internet if you at least give some details about the car. Giving none makes the whole deal a wild guess.

Reckon

Agree with viper on this...check to make sure it isn't the brakes rubbing on the rotor first. Start small and work your way up. Hard to tell from the video what it exactly could be...