Wheel Bearing or Tyre Noise?
Discussion
My daughter's car (Aygo) is making a very intrusive noise like a wheel bearing has gone.
It was due it's MOT shortly so we stuck it in and told them about it but surprisingly it didn't fail on bearings. I asked them to do a road test and they said it's just tyre noise which I found hard to believe.
At home I jacked the car up and checked all the bearings myself (rocking the tyres) and to be fair I couldn't find any play in them.
It sounded like it was coming from the front passenger side so I stuck the spare on. The noise was still there but had changed so it did sound like it might well be tyres.
Roll on a few months and its getting noiser so we changed the suspect tyre and the spare (both old but plenty of tread) but it made no difference!
The noise is quieter when the wheel is turned left (so taking the load off the passenger side) which again points to the passenger side, but also it being a wheel bearing not the tyres.
Today I jacked the car up again and checked all the bearings. Again they seem perfectly fine rocking them, but when spinning the front drivers side sounds off to me.
We've recorded the sound in the cabin and the wheel being spun.
https://youtu.be/ylh3PWwJTgY
https://youtu.be/QeCDLb1gf_8
What do we think? Is the wheel bearing buggered?
What I can't fathom is why everything is pointing to the passenger side, but it's the drivers side which is making a slight noise on spinning.
Either way I'm taking it back to the garage and asking them to diagnose and fix!
It was due it's MOT shortly so we stuck it in and told them about it but surprisingly it didn't fail on bearings. I asked them to do a road test and they said it's just tyre noise which I found hard to believe.
At home I jacked the car up and checked all the bearings myself (rocking the tyres) and to be fair I couldn't find any play in them.
It sounded like it was coming from the front passenger side so I stuck the spare on. The noise was still there but had changed so it did sound like it might well be tyres.
Roll on a few months and its getting noiser so we changed the suspect tyre and the spare (both old but plenty of tread) but it made no difference!
The noise is quieter when the wheel is turned left (so taking the load off the passenger side) which again points to the passenger side, but also it being a wheel bearing not the tyres.
Today I jacked the car up again and checked all the bearings. Again they seem perfectly fine rocking them, but when spinning the front drivers side sounds off to me.
We've recorded the sound in the cabin and the wheel being spun.
https://youtu.be/ylh3PWwJTgY
https://youtu.be/QeCDLb1gf_8
What do we think? Is the wheel bearing buggered?
What I can't fathom is why everything is pointing to the passenger side, but it's the drivers side which is making a slight noise on spinning.
Either way I'm taking it back to the garage and asking them to diagnose and fix!
Edited by 98elise on Friday 9th June 09:52
ARHarh said:
Wheel bearing, they often sound bad for ages before there is noticeable play. My diagnosis is bearing going but will.last a while yet, not that I would drive it after hearing that. Not far anyway.
ThanksIs it the one I'm spinning though? All other evidence points to the other side.
We're dropping another car off at the garage tomorrow for it's MOT so I will play them the video and see if they still say it's tyre noise. If they do then I'll find another garage!
It's noiser than it was at the MOT, but not that much.
As you are finding, the wheel bearings can make noise well before they have excessive movement & may not even ever get to the excessive play part of failure.
It is also true that without the weight of the car on the wheel bearing, you may not hear the noise.
As you have found if the noise is more pronounced when going right/straight it will be the left bearing, and vice versa.
If it were mine, I would change both fronts and be done with it as the other one has done just as much work in the same time.
It is also true that without the weight of the car on the wheel bearing, you may not hear the noise.
As you have found if the noise is more pronounced when going right/straight it will be the left bearing, and vice versa.
If it were mine, I would change both fronts and be done with it as the other one has done just as much work in the same time.
A noisy wheel bearing wouldn't fail an MOT - some bearings don't make a noise at all unless they are spun fast with a load on them. Others are noisy when spinning by hand. But it can be noisy and pass if there's no play. But if they detect it, a good tester should advise the customer that the bearing is noisy and warrants replacement. Just good business practice if nothing else!
LunarOne said:
A noisy wheel bearing wouldn't fail an MOT - some bearings don't make a noise at all unless they are spun fast with a load on them. Others are noisy when spinning by hand. But it can be noisy and pass if there's no play. But if they detect it, a good tester should advise the customer that the bearing is noisy and warrants replacement. Just good business practice if nothing else!
That's what got me about the MOT. We stuck it in early expecting to have the bearing replaced, but it passed. Even with me asking them to road test it they still said it was fine!Will get it booked in tomorrow.
E-bmw said:
But an MOT is to detect dangerous/potentially dangerous issues on the car, a noisy wheel bearing isn't dangerous.
If you were to ask them specifically to diagnose a potential noisy wheel bearing you may get a different response from them.
I did.If you were to ask them specifically to diagnose a potential noisy wheel bearing you may get a different response from them.
In the original post I said I told them about the noise, and when it passed the MOT I asked them to do a road test and tell me if a bearing was gone. They diagnosed tyre noise.
This time it will be going in specifically to diagnose and repair, be that tyres or bearings.
As others have said, yes it sounds like a wheel bearing. I took my car in absolutely convinced it was right rear wheel that was gone, they even drove the car to confirm, however when I collected the car the rear bearing was still in its box as the front wheel was the one making the noise when the car was in the air.
(Rear bearing was fine)
(Rear bearing was fine)
If an outer race is failing its usually when weight is increased on that corner ie going round a bend, if an inner race is failing it can confuse the issue because it works the opposite way.
I haven't explained that very well as usual, but sure you get the gist of it, helped a mate change one seemingly obvious noisy wheel bearing years ago on his Peug 305, noise was still there, it was the inner race the other side that had failed.
Just before you go swapping bearings though, are you on winter tyres? the winters on our Forester make a sound you would swear was a dodgy bearing, the moment they come off the car the sound disappears and the second they go on its back.
I haven't explained that very well as usual, but sure you get the gist of it, helped a mate change one seemingly obvious noisy wheel bearing years ago on his Peug 305, noise was still there, it was the inner race the other side that had failed.
Just before you go swapping bearings though, are you on winter tyres? the winters on our Forester make a sound you would swear was a dodgy bearing, the moment they come off the car the sound disappears and the second they go on its back.
Edited by Smint on Wednesday 10th May 19:20
Gassing Station | Suspension, Brakes & Tyres | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff