ItalianBucwheat

What does a bad wheel bearing sound like?

I am getting a strange noise from the rear passeger side area. At first I thought maybe my diff. But I don't know.
I get no cluncking at all from the diff. The noise is really hard to hear unless the top is up and radio is down. Its sorta a hissing sound or like a small amount of sand in a coffee can when shaked. It happens with clutch in or out.But it only happens when the car is moving. Standing still no noise.

Here are my thoughts. My diff is shot and its on its way out.
My wheel bearing is shot. Or Maybe one of the bearings in the diff is shot. I'd like to narrow this down.

So Does a bad wheel bearing make a hissing sound. Like the faucet begin left on ever so slightly or like some sand in a coffee can. Can you even hear if you have a bad wheel bearing?

Thanks!

wantone

I'll try my best to recreate-- "kwakwakkwakwkakkwkakekakeka"

ItalianBucwheat

I'll try my best to recreate-- "kwakwakkwakwkakkwkakekakeka"

LOL.... I know sounds are really hard to describe!


Is it more of a slight thuding sounded or more a slight grinding type sound?

sylvir2k

wheel bearing noise is a low groaning noise, and gets louder as speed increases.

Road Rage

..or until it catches fire, whichever comes first.

It actually happened to me on the way back from Hatteras when I was in college - overloaded, under-maintained van full of dudes and dudettes, front wheel bearing started to go - did we slow down and nurse it? Hell no, full speed ahead, pour another brew, thing caught fire!

Gernby

Any bad wheel bearings I've heard reminded me of those big 4X4s with big off-road tires driving down the highway. A friend of mine had a Mazda 323 that had a wheel bearing that was so bad, you could barely talk at speed. He thought it was just shitty tires. Basically it just sounds like normal road noise with a big ass amplifier.

Defender

When I blew a bearing on a '63 Ford I did what any 19 year old would do -- ignored it and kept driving ...

The inner race of the bearing welded itself onto the axle !!!

Eliot

docofmind

The guys are right. Bearing noise is a low groan and grinding noise. Clicking or clacking is most likely the axles

Boit

Brake pad dragging a little? Why don't you lift that wheel up with the jack, spin it in neutral and check if you can hear the noise?

ItalianBucwheat

Wow....All good comments. I'm going to jack her up this weekend and see if i can determine where the sound is coming from. Thanks Fellas!

Hmmmm low groan and grinding sounds like what I have!