Loud humming coming from front, Wheel bearing?

[sandusk]

Hey, I have a loud "Humming" coming from what I believe to be the front end of my car. the sound becomes noticable at around 20-25 mph and gets increasingly louder as the speed increases. The noise stays the same weather under acceleration, braking, or constant speed.
I bought this salvage title car for very little $ and it has made this noise since I got it (about 250 miles ago). I dont want to drive it because I dont want to chance screwing up other related parts.

Anyone have any input on what this might be? If it is a wheel bearing, how hard is it to replace? On BMWs are the wheel bearings and spindle a unit item? When I say a unit item I mean not servicable individually, so you have to replace both as a unit.

Thanks for your help.

[sandusk]

I did some searching and pretty much decided that my problem has to be a wheel bearing going bad.

One of the threads i searched had a guy saying that a good way to tell if it is a wheel bearing or not is to wiggle the wheel in question around and see if there is any up or down freeplay. I went out and jacked up my car and wiggled the suspect wheel around and it felt good and tight. my brake caliper sortof barely drags on the wheel when you spin it though, it is pretty tight. Could the brake pads be so close to the rotor that it would prevent me from being able to detect any freeplay in the wheel bearing?

I am pretty sure that this noise is coming from the drivers front, but I am not positive. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Stück]

Does the noise/vibration go away when you turn left or right? (loading and unloading the wheel bearing)

[sandusk]

hey, just read your post and went for a drive. You are absolutely right, when going 55 or so mph and i give it a quick turn to the right, the noise almost goes away. If i turn sharpt to the left, it seems to almost get a little bit louder.
Does this mean that it is for sure a wheel bearing? If so can I figure out which one it is without potentially dissassembling both sides up front?

Thanks for your help

[baltimoreM3]

Find a large parking lot, roll your window down, and do circles in either direction at low speeds. If you hear that crunchy noise - it is a bearing.

Also if your caliper just barely touches your wheel - you have other problems. The calipers can be close, but should NEVER touch your wheels.

[DEFKON99]

so this could be a wheels bearing it it goes away with a turn?

[baltimoreM3]

It will usually amplify with turning. Doing the parking lot test should pin point the problem. You will hear it more when doing complete circles at low speeds.

[NYCMPOWER]

Tires??

[DEFKON99]

Ching its the bearings

[sandusk]

Also if your caliper just barely touches your wheel - you have other problems. The calipers can be close, but should NEVER touch your wheels.


Sorry to mislead you on that, I meant that the brake pads are in close contact with the rotor, dissallowing me to move the wheel back and forth when jacked up. (I was trying to check bearings by wiggling the wheel with the car jacked up)

Tomarrow I will try out the circles in a parking lot thing.

What sort of other problems will arise from continued driving on a bad wheel bearing? I might have to drive the car 150 miles back to my parents house to use the tools required to change this bearing.

[bob martin]

If the wheel bearing fails, the wheel will fall off. This can be distressful if it happens at speed. Or in traffic. Usually, the noise will get much louder just before that happens. Depending on how bad it is, 150 miles could be nothing or it could be a huge problem.

But, search the forums and the DIY websites. The front wheel bearings aren't supposed to be difficult to replace, so you might be able to do it in your apartment's parking lot.

Bob

[sandusk]

Hey, I tried driving around the parking lot in circles today to listen for the noise, but i could not hear it. It usually only becomes audible when driving over 25mph. Since it pretty much stops making the noise when I turn sharp to the right while @55mph, would that indicate that my left or right wheel bearing is bad?

[baltimoreM3]

Hey, I tried driving around the parking lot in circles today to listen for the noise, but i could not hear it. It usually only becomes audible when driving over 25mph. Since it pretty much stops making the noise when I turn sharp to the right while @55mph, would that indicate that my left or right wheel bearing is bad?

If that is the case, it still may be the wheel bearing, but it has not progressed to the point of grinding at low speeds turns. It will in time.

Will it last 150 miles??????????

[sandusk]

Ya, but how do I determine which wheel bearing it is since I cant do the circles in the parking lot test?
If they are a tapered roller bearing style setup that was loose on the bearing race, wouldent a sharp turn to the right actually quiet the noise down assuming it is the right wheel bearing? I say this, because the force of the turn would cause the wheel to push the bad bearing back into the bearing race and hold it tightly there until the turn is completed?

Will someone tell me how I can determine which one is bad without complete dissasembly and replacement of both sides? It is about 25 degrees outside, and it does not look like it is going to get any warmer until mid February, too cold for excessive work on my car!!!

[karlvs]

Really the only sure fire way is to pull both front wheels, remove the calipers and rotors then rotate the hub by hand. You should be able to feel
a difference in how the hub spins, if you have a wheel bearing going bad. I have changed several on e36's its not to bad of a job but certainly easier
with some type of puller. GL

[bob martin]

To determine IF you have a bad wheel bearing, jack up one side of the car, put one hand on the spring and use the other to rotate the wheel. If you have a bad wheel bearing, you will feel it in the spring.

Bob

[baltimoreM3]

I don't believe the wheel bearings are taper or roller bearings. I think they are double ball. Looks like that from this picture. I could be wrong.

http://www.bmpdesign.com/images/products/11518_lg.jpg

I would think it best to do both bearings at the same time, just get it over with.

[Balthazarr]

To determine IF you have a bad wheel bearing, jack up one side of the car, put one hand on the spring and use the other to rotate the wheel. If you have a bad wheel bearing, you will feel it in the spring.

Bob


OP, make damn sure the car is blocked at the rear wheels and ebrake on and car in gear and the jack stands are positioned properly.
Don't take any chances with your hands in there.
Also, leave the hyd jack, if you use one, positioned under the front subframe.

Baltimore, you are right, ball bearings.

[sandusk]

OK, well I had to take a test today, so no time to mess with the car. Tomarrow I am going to pick up the new wheel bearing and then I am going to come back here and try to figure out which one is toasted. Dont worry, I will be properly supporting the car, etc, etc.

For the sake of saving time and hassle, and freezing my ass off in this 20 degree weather, can anyone tell me with any certainty if it is the driver or passenger side wheel bearing? Again, it makes the noise when driving straight, but does not make it while turning sharply to the right.

[EricP]

OK, well I had to take a test today, so no time to mess with the car. Tomarrow I am going to pick up the new wheel bearing and then I am going to come back here and try to figure out which one is toasted. Dont worry, I will be properly supporting the car, etc, etc.

For the sake of saving time and hassle, and freezing my ass off in this 20 degree weather, can anyone tell me with any certainty if it is the driver or passenger side wheel bearing? Again, it makes the noise when driving straight, but does not make it while turning sharply to the right.

Turning sharply to the right would load the drivers side wheelbearing and unload the passenger side, so I say passenger side.

[sandusk]

so why would the wheel bearing with the least load make all this noise? seems like the other way around?

[Balthazarr]

so why would the wheel bearing with the least load make all this noise? seems like the other way around?

Easy answer although I could be wrong: :laugh
unloading it permits it to run loose so you would hear it rather than tighten in which case you wouldn't.
Sound good?

[sandusk]

OK, you guys were right. It is the passenger side. Now, when I reassemble am I supposed to pack the new bearing with grease? or is the grease it came with all it needs?

[baltimoreM3]

The bearings should come pre-lubed, but not packed. You should pack the bearing with a good bearing grease.

[sandusk]

Got the new hub in, the noise is gone!!!

[jengah]

For what it's worth... on my first project car, a Porsche 914 w/ Chalon kit, I had the same problem and questions as the guy above. THis was 20 years ago and there wasn't a cool internet community like this to bounce things off of.

ANyway - driving down the street one day the car literally yanked itself to the right and threw me off the road into a hill. The wheel bearings had deteriorated so much they had ground up and a few fell out. The wheel literally could be jiggled back and forth about a quarter inch. Sometimes you learn the hard way.

[bimmerboarder]

I have this same problem in my 94 325is it "hums" loud and vibrates things in my dash at speeds from 47-52mph and I was just wondering how exactly you changed your bearing. I have been doing some research and I found that you need to take the entire hub assembly off and apart with specialty pulling tools, is this true? I was also searching for replacement bearings and i found some for around 50 bucks a piece and wondering if this is about the normal price or not, so i stopped by auto advance and the guy told me that i have to buy a new hub assembly for 120 bucks a piece. Can somebody please help me understand how much im looking to pay for new bearings, and if it something i can do myself with or without specialy tools, and if so, how i would go about doing so myself. Thanks, Ben.

[RagnarDanskjold]

I'd replaced mine twice in the last year before realizing that the spindles on the kingpins were shot (225k/mi.). I've got a fully refreshed front end and the car feels amazing.

Trans. is next, then rebuild the rear and enjoy another 50k/mi. of fun on my way to the moon without hassle.


I have this same problem in my 94 325is it "hums" loud and vibrates things in my dash at speeds from 47-52mph and I was just wondering how exactly you changed your bearing. I have been doing some research and I found that you need to take the entire hub assembly off and apart with specialty pulling tools, is this true? I was also searching for replacement bearings and i found some for around 50 bucks a piece and wondering if this is about the normal price or not, so i stopped by auto advance and the guy told me that i have to buy a new hub assembly for 120 bucks a piece. Can somebody please help me understand how much im looking to pay for new bearings, and if it something i can do myself with or without specialy tools, and if so, how i would go about doing so myself. Thanks, Ben.




This is a very easy and do-able job with a few basic tools like metric sockets/extension, 3 prong puller, BFH (or rubber mallet), allen wrench (7mm, I think), some zip ties, wheel chocks, jackstand and jack, 36mm socket, flat blade screwdriver, torque wrench, new nuts and inner/outer dust caps and possibly some brew, Kroil or PB Blaster and some time.

There should be several write-ups if you search this forum. You basically jack and secure one front wheel, remove the wheel, remove the brake caliper and suspend it out of the way then remove the brake rotor (allen screw) which gives you access to the wheel bearing/hub assembly. It's all one unit.

Prise the dustcover off and free and unscrew the big nut holding on the assembly then you can remove it. The old one may come off by hand, and the inner race might stick, so you'll use the puller to remove it. Clean the spindle, replace the inboard dust cover then press the new bearing on to the spindle (I use the old inner race as a driver to align and start the fitting.

Undo all the other stuff you did (torque to 215lb/ft (I think), secure the locking nut and have your alignment checked.

[libravcs]

Couple notes. On some cars, you might be able to begin to loosen that big nut referenced in the prior post with the car on the ground/wheel on the car. Just remove the center cap from the wheel and break the nut free, but dont remove it. (again..this may only work with some wheels..might not be able to get a socket in there on every wheel).

ANother tip: Do NOT use an impact gun on that nut when putting in the new bearing..the impact action can damage the new bearing.