Wheel bearing?

Question

Got a whirring noise on me Astra mk4 coupe when i drive. it starts around 30 mph and goe's away after 65mph. just had 4 brand new good tyres put on a month ago so surely cant be them.. the noise sounds like its coming from the front passenger and when im going right on a bend the noise gets louder and when i go left on a bend the noise goes. could it be my wheel bearing or something like that? Thanks

Thanks for all the fantastic answers people. there seems to be no play in the wheel when i check it. Another thing is i have to replace the hub as the bearing is build into it so that will be expensive so have to be 100% sure. Again thanks for the good advice

Answer 1

It could be the wheel bearing, or a cv axle

Last time my car was doing this I was getting a horrid wheel shake as well.

I ended up replacing my wheel bearing/hub assemblies, my inner and outter tie rod ends. Which did fix the problem.

Answer 2

Yes, it could be the wheelbearing. The whirring noise tells me it IS the wheel bearing. But usually with a bad CV (constant velocity) joint, you have a clunk clunk clunk when you turn a corner slowly. Do you have that noise too?

1. With your wheel pointed straight (parked in the driveway) put on some gloves and get a good grip on the tire. Try your hardest to wiggle the tire and feel any "play" in the central wheel bearing.
2. Jack the car up just a little bit, tire still touching the ground, and try wiggling again. Do you feel anything less that 100% solidly firm? All seems good? Yes? Bearing might not be the problem.
3. If you jack up the car one quarter inch above the ground, the wheel will spin freely, and your arms will be stronger than the steering gears and "tie rod". So you will ! feel movement at this point.
4. Look under your car at the rubber cover of the CV joint. Is it torn, all grease has spun out, making a messy black goo all over the rods and bottom? It may well be a "contaminated" CV joint.

I am not totally familiar with the DRIVE SHAFTS of the Opel Astra. Now I am assuming that the right side driveshaft is much longer than the left one (like MANY EUROPEAN CARS). The longer, right driveshaft has a bearing in the middle. This bearing allows the shaft to bend at a 30 degree angle. THIS CAN BE THE NOISE. (usually wears out at 60k to 90k miles)

Your mechanic should put the car on a lift. Run the engine with front wheels off the ground. (of course it's FWD, hillbilly).
With his ears, he can hear the bad bearing.
Driveshaft... 200 euros plus labour. Wheel bearing 50 euros plus labour.

NEXT DAY: THE BEARINGS HAVE to be pressed out and in again by a hydraulic press. They just "look" built in. Find a dealer that sells SKF bearings, he will have the replacement cheaper than OPEL. I promise you.

Answer 3

Hi

This could be the intermediate driveshaft bearing you're hearing if your vehicle has one. If so it will be fastened to the block via its own aluminium housing and the right hand driveshaft goes through it. I know Peugeots have them.

Otherwise, jack one of the front wheels up, secure it on an axle stand, grab it at the top and bottom, and with a good bit of elbow grease, try to rock the wheel on its bearing. Do the same from side to side but remember to allow for normal steering movement.

If the wheel rocks then have someone put their foot on the brake and carry out the rocking test again. If the rocking has gone with a foot on the footbrake then it is the wheel bearing at fault.

If no rocking is felt at all, remove the road wheel and turn the brake disc by hand until you feel the brakes binding slightly.

Stop as soon as you feel the binding and make a visible chalk mark at the top center of the disc.

Remove the caliper and disc and refit the disc with the chalk mark at the bottom and then refit the caliper.

Turn the disc by hand again until you feel the brake binding again and stop immediately.

If the chalk mark is back at the top then the disc is warped, however, if the mark is back at the bottom again then the bearing is worn.

Apart from the above, the only other real test is to replace the bearing and see if the noise stops.

Cheers and good luck

Geordie

Answer 4

There are three symptoms of wheel bearing failure. 1) Noise 2) Heat 3) Play.
Jack the car up and with the wheel still on the car wobble the wheel at the top and bottom and feel if there is any extra play in the bearing.
The second way to test it is to take the car for a drive and when you get home feel the centre of the wheel for any heat that may have build up.

Answer 5

it could be the tires. They could be out of balance, but it does sound like the wheel bearing to me.

itll get louder on the outside wheel on a turn (because its under more load).


and THANK YOU for actually giving us a decent description of what is wrong, rather than saying "i have a car and it makes a funny noise. WHATS WRONG!?"

Answer 6

sure sounds like a wheel bearing to me, do yourself a favor and replace both of them at the same time as you will be replacing the other one shortly, thats just the way they go.

Answer 7

sounds definitely the wheel bearing

Answer 8

either a wheel bearing or a cv joint...hard to say for sure but i would check both

Answer 9

hi i agree with all the other answers but check your tyre s for rotation arrows to see if they face the right way

Answer 10

dude is that a front wheel drive car? if so it might be one of them axles is coming apart the knuckles go bad sorta like a universal joint you know? when you turn it clicks? might go a long time like that