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Strange front end sound


kobalt

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Ever since I purchased my car it has made a somewhat strange and not easiely explained sound coming from the front end: It is a "whooshing", pitched sound somewhat similar to an imbalanced driveshaft or a washing mashine in the "spin" cycle - Im not sure how better to explain it. It is a sound that seems to increase in pitch/volume as the speed of the car increases and is best noticed at around 40-50mph: below that speed it is not as noticable and above it it seems to slowly get drowned out by wind (but still quite audiable at highway cruising speeds). The sound is better heard with the windows closed as the wind tends to drown it out otherwise - still I am unsure as to what side it is coming from, but more passangers mentioned the passanger's side as opposed to the driver's side when I asked for a 2nd opinion. The sound is not rpm related as it is pitched the same in any gear at the same speed. I do not think it is the brakes as pressing the brake pedal does not affect the sound in any way. It is not a clicking sound like a bad cv would make. I think I can rule out the tires as rotating front to back did not change the sound a bit. What could it be? A bad wheel bearing? Im unsure if this is related but there is a "spot" in my steering when turning the wheel to the right where you can feel/hear a slight "grinding" sound of sorts. What do you guys think? Thanx for everyone's opinion. I apoligize for the lenghty post but I wanted to elaborate as much as possible on the sound. Thank you again.

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Try this, do 55 on a deserted road and listen for the noise. Do a series of weaves, like Nascar drivers do when they are warming up their tires. Be careful and reasonable with those weaves not to loose control, nice and easy weaves within the lane. Listen to see if the noise changes pitch when you do this, or, if it goes away in one direction and comes back in the other. This is how you test your hub bearing. Mine is shot as we speak, and I can alter the pitch and loudness of it by doing this test.... Let us know the results of this test, Mike

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Two words... "Bad Hub"

If you search this forum, others and the archives under "rubbing" you find that the noise that bad bearing make are not always like shuffling a pack of cards... It ranges from a rubbing to a swooshing to the classic shuffling sound... I suspect as they get worse.

My Rubbing Issue Link

If you follow the above link, I have (soon to be "had") a problem like yours. The first time I took it to the dealer... With the service rep that I like... The car let me down and was silent... Today I took it back...

And again based on a lot of the advice on this board...

I did a TON of sucking up to the service rep... (which honestly he deserves) And he paged the Technical Manager who I got to drive around. I wish I had a picture of the Technical Manager hanging 1/2 out of the car as I drove in circles... (from either insider or outside of the car :lol: )

To make a long story short he pulls himself back in, and says that my passenger front bearing is about to go bad... And he adds that they make all kinds of noises described by customers as "rubbing", "womping", "clicking" (he didn't say wooshing, but its not too much of a stretch) before they make the classic "bbrrrt" noise...

Awesome service... He orders the part... which he checked will be in on Monday when he booked my next appointment...

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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Thanx guys :D:D I was thinking a bad bearing/hub myself but will perform Scotty's tests to determine which one it is. And yes, now that you mention it, I can sort of vary the pitch of the sound while turning the wheels. In any case, I'll update you gents as soon as I perform these tests. Any idea about hub/labor cost? I'll do it myself if it is significantly cheaper, but will shell out the $ if its a major pain to change.

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I believe a hub bearing assembly can run from about $80 to $140. It includes a speed sensor module.

I don't know if the assembly can be broken down to simply a bearing (once you hear the noise anyway).

However, I also believe it is one of the more straight-forward jobs to execute.

Stout parts, hand tools and what you see is what you get - not finicky electronic boards and guessing about what to do.

Gone are the days of hand-packing wheel bearing I guess. Sigh...a rite of passage of some sorts... :rolleyes:

Good luck :)

Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning.
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Thanx guys :D:D I was thinking a bad bearing/hub myself but will perform Scotty's tests to determine which one it is. And yes, now that you mention it, I can sort of vary the pitch of the sound while turning the wheels. In any case, I'll update you gents as soon as I perform these tests. Any idea about hub/labor cost? I'll do it myself if it is significantly cheaper, but will shell out the $ if its a major pain to change.

The dealer wants about $260, but you can get it for about $150, when you are ready PM me...

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Gone are the days of hand-packing wheel bearing I guess.  Sigh...a rite of passage of some sorts... :rolleyes:

Ya and gone too are the days when an "expensive" bearing was worth $30 :lol:

I'm going to try and sweet talk my dealer in to giving me the old bearing to see how they are put together... I suspect that everything except ones that go "BRRT BRRT" are to do with the built in sensor rubbing...too bad they come as a unit..

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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Gone are the days of hand-packing wheel bearing I guess. Sigh...a rite of passage of some sorts... :rolleyes:

Ah yes, hand packing, that was one of the first 'jobs' my DAD gave me on our old Caddys, to pack the inner and outer bearings before he took a long trip....

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I do not mourn the passing of wheel bearings that required annual packing with grease. Same sentiment for breaker point ignition and carburetors.

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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I do not mourn the passing of wheel bearings that required annual packing with grease. Same sentiment for breaker point ignition and carburetors.

Oh I agree with that, those bearings were not too dependable either, I can't tell you how many times I saw galling, scoring, balls falling out of cages, the taper bearings held up much better than the balls... You don't miss setting the DWELL? :lol:

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My dwell meter, timing light, and a box of carb. jets and power valves were donated to the land fill years ago with no regrets.

Jim

Drive your car.

Use your cell phone.

CHOOSE ONE !

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My dwell meter, timing light, and a box of carb. jets and power valves were donated to the land fill years ago with no regrets.

I kept my Sears Dwell, RPM, VOLT unit on the shelf in case I ever have to look over an OLE SCHOOL car..... :D

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I too have been hearing a strange noise from my fron end. I live on a cul-de-sac and When I make a hard left hand turn to head back out, it sounds like a bad break pad is grinding against the disk. I need to redo my front breaks, so it looks like I will replace the disks and bearings also.

Anyone have a parts list for a 97 STS so I can order the parts from Rockauto or GMPartsDirect?

Thanks

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Scotty, I did what you asked and Im 90% sure that its the driver's side bearing: anytime would steer right the noise would increase and change in pitch. This did not happen when steering left. All I want to do now is jack up the car, put it in neutral and see if there is a difference between the two front tires (there should be, right?).

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You may (probably actually) find that with the tires unloaded (up in the air) neither will make a noise... This happened with mine. It takes the weight of the car to induce the bearing, swoosh, thump, rub, Brrrttt, whine....etc.... noise.

Good luck

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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Scotty, I did what you asked and Im 90% sure that its the driver's side bearing: anytime would steer right the noise would increase and change in pitch. This did not happen when steering left. All I want to do now is jack up the car, put it in neutral and see if there is a difference between the two front tires (there should be, right?).

It should be obvious what side the noise is coming from listen closely. What you can do also is take off the tire and look behind the flange, I have metal filings there you may also.. Mike

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Re metal filings:

Keep in mind that my dealer felt that both of my bearings were bad... It was my opinion that my right one was shot and was making all of the noise... However... my driver (left) bearing did have some of the metal bits that Mike notes... The one making all of the noise (IMO) was clean...

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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Re metal filings:

Keep in mind that my dealer felt that both of my bearings were bad... It was my opinion that my right one was shot and was making all of the noise... However... my driver (left) bearing did have some of the metal bits that Mike notes... The one making all of the noise (IMO) was clean...

Interesting OnyxSTS... In my case, the filings are on the side that groans, I just ordered the new hub, can't wait to swoop down the highway like a big bird in silence....YEA

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Yea the new bearings are NICE! The car is silent and very smooth... All of the steering trammeling is gone. Even if I had had to pay for the job it would have been worth it...

As a side note my car seems to be getting better mileage now about 1 Mile/Gallon per the computer... Hmmm...

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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Just joind yesterday and from reading I found out a lot of trouble shooting techniques. Thanks

Had the same front end noise, did the driving in a circle, side to side thing and took the suggestions from this forum. Eliminated the noise to the passenger side bearing and had replaced yesterday. Noise came back but now on the drivers side so I had them replace drivers side as well. Now car runs smooth as silk and no nosie or vibration.

$166 each for Hub & Bearing Assemblies (Auto Zone) 3 year warranty. They also sell a lower end model for $122 with 3 month warranty

$75 Labor to install

$85 Front and Rear Alignment (I highly suggest)

Total = about $500 with taxes

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Welcome aboard BigGMitc...

How many miles on your '00?

Personally I was surprised that both of my bearings were toast at just less than 50,000 Miles... Others don't miss the "packable" bearings... but I have over 200,000 Miles on the front bearings on my 83 Z28 and honestly that car did a fair bit of duty in "Dukes of Hazzard" mode... I have a concaved oil pan from one extra hard "landing"... :rolleyes:

caddy.jpg

Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac,

I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back

ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide

Greg

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"Dukes of Hazard" ! :P Boy...does that bring back some stuff.

My first car was a '62 Chevy II hardtop. It spent more time in the air and sliding sideways - than in a straight line (and I got my license suspended twice to prove it).

Bucket seats (from a Corvair) and an auto that would wind up to 80 in 1st and 115 in 2nd (no third). Lime-gold metallic and a glass-pack with 327 (emblems only).

The only way to "smoke the tires" was to pull the wire under my seat on a quarter-turn hose valve threaded into a quart of tranny fluid mounted over one rear tire. Talk about smok'in fun!

The front shock towers had torn loose from various curbs and landings, so I welded them in place all around where I could find good metal.

The rear single-leaf springs were raised and tightened with a 4 x 4 block of wood bolted into the rear between the frame (what there was of it). The rear axles tended to clank from side to side after some time because the backing plates had too much side-loads.

4-bolt 13' tires in the front and 4-bolts 14" "bald eagles" in the back. The rear wheels were from a Falcon and the center enlarged (with the tire still mounted) - on a huge lathe.

I lost both lower ball-joints (one at 40 and the other at 10) to no great surprise (the entire wheel simply folded up).

One lower "A" frame was crumpled at a 90-degree angle when a curb was nailed hard sideways at speed. Limped home 4-miles on the edge of the rim...

The heater leaked so it was bypassed (all the better while dating the gals). The only thing that kept the frost of the windows inside was rancid beer fumes.

It had both summer (drilled orifices and no restrictions) and winter carbs (w/choke plates etc).

Solid lifters and a good ignition system (if points can ever be considered good), such that the forged crank 194 straight-six it turned 9,000-rpm on an hourly basis.

I thought I finally blew it up (so I would have to get a 283 in it) but the dent in the rocker cover was only a pushrod that got around a rocker arm at speed.

The engine ran great, even when a guy unplugged coil and set it alongside (except on hard right-hand drifts). The point wires popped out once and I had only a tire iron to get the dist-cap loose (try that cave-man tool now on any engine).

I put STP in power steering by mistake (at least it wasn't beer), so although it always started (at -15F) the steering wheel could not be turned for maybe ten minutes.

It was the favored car/driver combo for late-night road rallies across town at 2-3 am and of course 1,440's on the ice rinks and drinkin' on gravel roads year-round.

Ahhh to be 16 and invulnerable again... B)

What a great little car. It took on incredible punishment and here I am. ;)

I wonder where it is now? :rolleyes:

Sorry for the short novel - Its Friday night (what are you doing at home anyway)!

Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning.
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TDK, hearing after that story, SOCIAL SERVICES will be over to pick up the Concours! :lol:

Ugh man! That was a great story TDK. Had me grabbing at my stomach.

"Burns" rubber

" I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. "

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Folks, this is getting very interesting. When taking a thight right curve at ~30mph or so the whine gets noticably louder and I am 99% certain that it originates from the driver's side. However, when driving on the highway at 65-75mph it seems that the noise is on the passanger side. Could both bearing be shot? I need someone to drive me at highway speeds and experience the noise as a passanger to verify this...

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