Humming / Droning ....again!

[andy 0]

My car is droning, it varies with road surface but is very noticeable sometimes, it's mainly between 20 and 40mph and sounds to me like its coming from the front left hub (although I know it's easy to be fooled). The most distinctive symptom is that it goes quiet if I turn the steering wheel to the left but it drones in the straight ahead position and worse when the steering is turned to the right.

Does this sound like a wheel bearing? The car has four brand new tyres and full allignment done today, it did it on the standard suspension and now it still does it on my Koni/s /H&Rs, its been there a month and is driving me mad. I have replaced the rear bearings within the last year so it shouldn't be them. All suggestions appreciated.

[carpoid 0]

I'd say its definately your wheel bearings mate, mine went a while back, was terrible on a smooth road at lower speeds especially, above 80mph it started to dissapear.

Like you said, when i cornered on to side where the noise came from it went away. Also i never noticed mine that much until i changed the suspension, it got so noisy my G/F covered her ears up on some roads !!

The way bearings are designed nowadays means they can be fecked but you won't have any 'play' or movement if you try and shake your wheel

[gradeAfailure 0]

Yup, definitely sounds like a wheel bearing, sounds exactly like what mine did when they went...

[andy 0]

This is really weird now, changed the front n/s bearing, droning no different. I've already changed my rear bearings yet the sound now seems to be coming from my back n/s wheel. You can actually 'feel' the hum through the wheelarch/strut if you sit in the back seat and put your hand on it. The bearings are newish and exhibit no excessive play and spin with no roughness, can they really be buggered with no symptoms apart from drone?

[JT 0]

could be a lump in the tyre? or dropped a balance along the way, you would be supprised....

[stevemac 0]

andy, Sounds like rear wheel bearings to me. Depending which bearings you used & who fitted them, don't be surprised that they may not have lasted long. Correct fitment & tightening of taper bearings (as fitted to the rear of a Corrado) is not as straightforward as it may seem - but it is very important if you want them to last.

[andy 0]

Yeah I'm thinking its most likely the rear bearings, they were GSF ones Steve! They were fitted fastidiously by me and my dad, not overtightened etc, etc... It seems bizarre to me that they exhibit no symptoms apart from drone, they don't even get warm on a 100+ mile run, no roughness or excess play. I think I'll change them again, there not too expensive after all.

[andy 0]

could be a lump in the tyre? or dropped a balance along the way, you would be supprised....

 

They're almost new T1-Rs and have been balanced recently, it droned before and after balancing :(

[Andy665 0]

I've just had my rear wheel bearings done on my Aqua G60. When JMR went to press them into the disc he found that they just dropped in, if he had not insisted on fitting new rear discs the bearings would have probably worn out extremely quickly

[andy 0]

I didn't fit new discs, my old ones were fine, and my bearings were an extremely tight fit, as they should be. Maybe I just got a duff one.

[Supercharged 2]

What make of bearing was it?? the jap ones are utter rubbish...

[andy 0]

I can't remember now, it was last year. The new front one I put on was German so I have reasonable confidence in it, the backs may have been Jap though.

[dutch 0]

it's your wheel bearing....no doubt about it...always torque down bearings to facory specs with a torque wrench or you'll be replacing bearings often...good luck with it

[Supercharged 2]

always torque down bearings to facory specs with a torque wrench or you'll be replacing bearings often...good luck with it

 

We're talking rears here tho, these are only done up hand tight!

 

Also could be the stub axle but i'd just replace the bearing again - get an SKF one this time!

[andy 0]

it's your wheel bearing....no doubt about it...always torque down bearings to facory specs with a torque wrench or you'll be replacing bearings often...good luck with it

 

supercharged is right mate, definately don't want to torque the rears otherwise I will be replacing them often!

Think I'm going to get a pair of VW discs and bearings and see if that sort things out.

[dutch 0]

didn't know the rear bearings were only hand tight....most of the honda/acura's i've worked on had to have the rear bearings torqued down to factory specs or you'd be going through bearings every month!

[Supercharged 2]

They're are 'Taper' style bearings...

[andy 0]

Cured it. Hurrah! :-) New bearing, the old one felt perfectly smooth to spin when the brakes were off, no roughness, no play, yet when I took it apart the larger bearing had a distinct wear band on the outer race it was also fairly pitted. (It's only done 10k miles ish) The small outer bearing was A1. Put the new one on and its soooo quiet. Cheers for comments guys.

[Supercharged 2]

What was the make??

[andy 0]

Not too sure, it had a part no. LM something. I'll stick some photos up and try and find out. Its a bit p*ss poor tbh.