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1980SCMan
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 398
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Sound of a Wheel Bearing
What does a worn wheel bearing sound like?
I have a 1980 SC. I got the car with 120K miles on it and I've put 120K miles on top of that, so a worn bearing is certainly possible. I run Toyo Proxes4 tires and I have about 50% tread on the back, and 75% on the front. I think I know what the tires sound like because this is my third set of these tires. Right now I have an intermittent resonance from the right rear when turning left and the car is going over 20 MPH. Rarely ever hear it when going straight or turning right. Not at all at high speed unless I just can't hear it. Can a worn bearing be confused with tire/road noise/resonance or is it a distinctly different sound? I suppose I can pull the bearing and check it. What am I looking for? Score marks? It's been over 25 years since I've done bearings on a car. |
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05-07-2012, 11:58 AM
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Registered
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Wayne, PA
Posts: 2,010
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Drive down the road and swerve. If you have a bad wheel bearing, you will hear a "Wha-Wha-Wha" in cadence with your swerves.
Make sure you are sober or this test can get interesting fast. 
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Christopher Mahalick 1984 911 Targa, 1974 Lotus Europa TCS 2001 BMW 530i(5spd!), Ducati 900 SS/SP 2006 Kawasaki Ninja 250, 2015 Yamaha R3 1965 Suzuki k15 Hillbilly, 1975 Suzuki GT750 |
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05-07-2012, 12:23 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Manhattan Beach, California. Factory Delivery-Original owner-Retired engineer
Posts: 5,238
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Front Wheel Bearings.
Quote:
Here you go. Lot's of help here: Steering column "buzzing" vibration.
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1986 911 Targa. Per Road and Track magazine: Only in L.A.: In the window of a bar in Hermosa Beach, California. "Happy Hour prices during all car chases." |
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05-07-2012, 01:12 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Gastonia, NC
Posts: 666
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I had something similar on my front wheel. I pulled the caliper and noticed one side was pretty far off from the 20 degree rotation. Luckily I had one rebuilt kit in stock and this did the trick.
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1989 911 Carrera Cab 25th Anniversary Edition Euro Pre-Muffler, SW Chip There's nothing better than: Listening to "Going Down the Road Feeling Bad" ,as I, "Go Down the Road Feeling Bad" |
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05-07-2012, 02:29 PM
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Registered
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Front wheel bearings will sound like a grinding noise and you feel slight vibration in the steering wheel.
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1987 911 Carrera Cabriolet (sold) 2009 Prius (daily driver--keeps me sane) 2011 Mercedes GLK350 (wife's car) 2002 Volkswagen Beetle Turbo S (son's car--keeps wife sane) |
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05-07-2012, 05:28 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Long Island,NY
Posts: 2,054
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front wheel bearings sound like grinding. rear wheel bearings groan. deeper sound under load.
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1980 911SC #99 track car, 993 3.6, 50 PMO's 2019 Ford F150 da dragger 2015 MB SL400 wifey DD 2008 E93 M3 DD 2007 E60 530 wifey winter beater |
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05-07-2012, 07:12 PM
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AutoBahned
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rumble?
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05-07-2012, 07:30 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,612
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sounds more like a bad CV joint. Rear bearings whirr like a supercharger.
Try pushing sideways on the rear bumper with your shin while looking at the wheel rim for movement. Car should be on the ground, not in the air. |
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05-07-2012, 10:25 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Cape Vincent, NY
Posts: 841
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Kinda like "Whoooooooooom" or "Whaop-whaop whaop" (Think Monty Python and the Holy Grail when you hear everyone try to imitate the sound, the scene in the cave and castle "arrrrrggh"). When they really get bad a groan/grinding.
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1968 911S "Leona" Air goes in and out, blood goes round and round, any variation on this is a bad thing. |
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05-08-2012, 01:25 AM
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1987 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet
