LScreaminJ

Hey guys,

I've been getting this loud "wah-wah" sound lately and seems to be coming from either the front or back but on the driver's side. It also starts to vibrate like crazy around 80km/h and I feel it in the wheel and in the gas pedal, very strange. I know it isn't the tires, I've replaced my front wheel bearings about 40,000km ago but never the rear ones.

Any ideas?

some other info
2005 cobalt ss supercharged
235,000 km

Superbolt

Rears never done Ever? Fronts good quality ?

LScreaminJ

The rears haven't been done that I know of. The fronts were replaced with a non oem wheel bearing. Maybe the quality wasn't as good

Superbolt

my car got 180,000 on rear and never replaced...my experience with wheel bearings is you get what you buy id check the front again man

LScreaminJ

Yea I'll check them out. Driving again today though I feel as if it's really one of the tires but I don't what would be causing it. Just the sound it's making just sounds like tire. I've checked to see if I maybe lost one of the weights but I have them all. Any other ideas?

Superbolt

Only if you hit a real bad pothole and broke a belt in the tire but that would be more like a real bad vibration in the wheel. Bent rim ...that's a hard one without hearing it myself ..easy to check the wheel bearings yourself.

T-fog

Make sure your tires aren't directional and swap them around and see if the noise follows.

A good way to tell if its a wheel bearing is to take a long corner preferably something a little hard to create body roll.

When the body of your car rolls to that side and the sound is louder and/or more constant then you need a bearing. On the side your car is leaning too. If you still can't figure it out get a solid handle screw driver or stethoscope and lift your car up and spin the wheel and listen.

I am not 100% on cv's But I would start on inspection the boot to look for tears or any signs of it leaking, And If you go to a big empty parking lot and do full lock your steering wheel and do a full circle if it has a clicking sound then the cv is toast.

<<< I don't know if this is the best way to check maybe someone else could chim in a better idea.

Hope this helps, Keep us posted

Steve90

I would check wheel bearings. I just replaced my left front and I've never heard the sounds this one was making. No different sound when turning either way, no roaring, only a loud rattle and a whum whum sound at 40 and 80. A little vibration but not a lot.

I took it apart and the bearing was so rusted and there was debris everywhere and it was seized. So don't let it get that far.

LScreaminJ

Update:

Tested going around corners a little harder and it does seem to be the wheel bearing as it gets louder or quieter depending on the way I turn. Would a wheel bearing cause a vibration at different speeds, such as 80km/hr?

NickD

My rear wheel bearing is shot. It's not making any noise (possibly a thunk over some bumps but I haven't determined if it's the bearing or something else). How I found it was when I was doing my rear brakes I have a quick routine I follow. On the rear I grab the hub and I push it up/down. On my left rear hub there was noticeable play in it. With the brakes back together and the wheel bolted back on, while still on the jack, I could grab the spokes of the wheel and rock it back and forth ever so slightly.

I'm investigating which hub to buy to replace it. 86k on the hub, but loads of track mileage too.

T-fog

Sorry it took a bit to reply, I didn't see this till now and I don't come on much.

Anyways yes that is correct, The bearings could be heating up and causing the vibration you are feeling.


My 2 cents
Don't let it get worse, Any part on a vehicle works in conjunction with something else. So the worse it gets the more it puts stress on other parts.